Chord · Diminished Key of A

Adim Chord on guitar · voicings, notes & diagram

The Adim chord contains the notes A, C, D♯. Tense, unresolved, suspenseful — both the 3rd and 5th lowered.

Voicings

How to play Adim.

Adim 5fr × × × 1 2 3 E A D G B E

E-shape

Every chord tone on the neck

EADGBE 35791215 Root Scale note

Notes & intervals.

# Degree Note
1 1 A root
2 b3 C
3 b5 D♯

Sound & use

Tense, unresolved, suspenseful — both the 3rd and 5th lowered.

Passing chord between two stable chords (e.g. C → C#dim → Dm); the vii° in major-key harmony.

Common in: jazz, classical, film, metal

Also written as: °, dim

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Same key

Other chords in the key of A.

A

Major

Am

Minor

Aaug

Augmented

Asus2

Suspended 2nd

Asus4

Suspended 4th

A7

Dominant 7

Amaj7

Major 7

Am7

Minor 7

Am7b5

Minor 7♭5

Adim7

Diminished 7

Am(maj7)

Minor-Major 7

A6

Major 6

Am6

Minor 6

Aadd9

Add 9

Am(add9)

Minor Add 9

A9

Dominant 9

Amaj9

Major 9

Am9

Minor 9

All keys

Diminished chord in every key.

Cdim

C♯dim

Ddim

D♯dim

Edim

Fdim

F♯dim

Gdim

G♯dim

A♯dim

Bdim

FAQ

About the Adim chord
on guitar.

What notes are in the Adim chord?

The Adim chord contains the notes A, C, D♯ — that's a 1, b3, b5 from the root.

How do I play Adim on guitar?

The most common voicings for Adim are shown above as fretboard diagrams. Start with the e-shape — finger position numbers are inside the dots. Mute any string marked X; play open strings shown with O.

Where is Adim used in music?

Tense, unresolved, suspenseful — both the 3rd and 5th lowered. Passing chord between two stable chords (e.g. C → C#dim → Dm); the vii° in major-key harmony.

What's a movable shape for Adim?

Both E-shape (root on the 6th string) and A-shape (root on the 5th string) barre versions are common. Once you can play those two shapes, you can play Diminished in any key just by sliding up or down the neck.

Can I print the Adim chord diagram?

Yes. Use your browser's print function (Cmd/Ctrl + P) — the SVG diagrams print crisply at any size. For a custom voicing or a printable handout with multiple chords, use the chord chart generator.