D diminished chord on guitar (Ddim)

Ddim is D, F and A♭. The easiest shape is x-x-0-1-3-1. Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.

x-x-0-1-3-1 · open · easy

Notes: D · F · A♭
Formula: 1 · ♭3 · ♭5
First shape: x-x-0-1-3-1

How to play Ddim on guitar

Shape 1, x-x-0-1-3-1, reading from the low E string on the left:

Index finger: G string, 1st fret (A♭).
Middle finger: high E string, 1st fret (F).
Ring finger: B string, 3rd fret (D).
Let the open D string ring (D).
Don't play the low E and A strings: start your strum on the D string.

Arch your fingers so their tips come down vertically. That keeps them off the open strings, which have to ring for the chord to sound complete.
Only four strings sound, so strum from the string marked first and aim your pick at the treble strings.

Other ways to play Ddim

x-5-6-7-6-x: movable shape at the 5th fret, medium. This is the open Adim shape with a barre behind it, root on the 5th string.
x-x-12-10-9-10: movable shape at the 9th fret, medium. Fewer strings, so it sounds lighter and is quicker to change to.
x-x-12-13-15-13: movable shape at the 12th fret, medium. Fewer strings, so it sounds lighter and is quicker to change to.

Changing from Ddim to the chords around it

These are the changes you'll meet most often with Ddim, using the first shape of each chord.

E♭ (leads up a half step): Ddim (x-x-0-1-3-1) to E♭ (x-x-1-3-4-3): the index finger slides across to the D string at the same fret, your middle finger lands on the G string, 3rd fret, the ring finger slides across to the high E string at the same fret, the pinky finger comes down on the B string, 4th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. E♭ on guitar
E♭m (leads up a half step): Ddim (x-x-0-1-3-1) to E♭m (x-x-1-3-4-2): the index finger slides across to the D string at the same fret, your middle finger lands on the high E string, 2nd fret, the ring finger slides across to the G string at the same fret, the pinky finger comes down on the B string, 4th fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. E♭m on guitar
Gm (iii in E♭ major): Ddim (x-x-0-1-3-1) to Gm (3-5-5-3-3-3): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 3rd fret, the middle finger goes to the A string, 5th fret, move the ring finger to the D string, 5th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. The two chords share D, which is why the change sounds smooth. Gm on guitar

Ddim is a diminished triad: two minor thirds stacked. Ddim rarely stays long; it's a passing chord that usually climbs a half step to the next chord. On guitar you hear it best picked slowly, string by string.

Getting Ddim under your fingers

Before strumming, play x-x-0-1-3-1 note by note: D then A♭ then D then F. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Next, alternate x-x-0-1-3-1 and x-5-6-7-6-x, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

Where Ddim shows up

Ddim on piano and ukulele

Ddim on piano and ukulele uses the same 3 notes in a different layout. See all three together.

Related D chords on guitar

Other diminished chords

Ddim on guitar: questions

What notes are in Ddim on guitar?

D, F and A♭. In the x-x-0-1-3-1 shape the strings play D (D string, open), A♭ (G string), D (B string) and F (high E string), so D is doubled.

What's the easiest way to play Ddim on guitar?

x-x-0-1-3-1, shape 1 above. No barre: some strings ring open.

Is Ddim a barre chord on guitar?

Not in its common form: x-x-0-1-3-1 needs no barre.

Which string does Ddim start on?

In the x-x-0-1-3-1 shape the lowest string you play is the D string, open, which is D, the root. Skip the low E and A strings.

Every shape above plays only D, F and A♭, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.