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This chord has 4 voicings across the fretboard. Use the arrows to see each shape and fingering — and tap any dot on the diagram to hear that note.

Beginner

Bdim Guitar Chord

A diminished chord. Bdim has eerie quality.

Also known as

  • B °
  • B dim
  • Bdiminished
  • B diminished

How to Play This Chord

Position your fingers on the fretboard as shown in the diagram. The vertical lines represent the strings, from low E (left) to high E (right), and the horizontal lines are the frets. Numbers inside the dots indicate which finger to use: 1 (index), 2 (middle), 3 (ring), 4 (pinky). An X means don't play that string; an O means play it open. A bar spanning multiple strings means one finger presses across all of them at once — this is known as a barre chord.

Tips & Tricks

B diminished is the vii° chord in C major — arguably the most important key in music theory. Despite this, it's rarely played as a standalone chord on guitar. Use the movable shape at the 2nd fret on the A string. It resolves naturally up to C major.

There are many ways to play this chord. Try these:

eBGDAE 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 1
eBGDAE 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 2
eBGDAE 2 1 0 0 2 1 0 0
eBGDAE 2 1 0 1 0 1 0 1

See how Bdim works with other chords — Progression Generator