1234 4213 GCEA
Intermediate

Bdim Ukulele Chord

A dark, unsettled diminished triad spelling B, D and F. Built from stacked minor thirds, it never sounds at rest, so it typically works as a passing chord pulling toward the next harmony, a familiar sound in jazz, classical and dramatic pop.

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 four strings, from the top G string (left) to the A string (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

This is the movable diminished block played low at the first fret: pinky on the G string, middle on the C string, index on the E string and ring on the A string. Four fingers in a tight cluster down here feels cramped, so arch them on their tips, and remember the same shape becomes C dim, C# dim or D dim as you slide it up the neck.

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

AECG 4 2 1 2 4 2 1 2
AECG 2 1 2 4 2 1 2 4
AECG 4 1 2 2 4 1 2 2
AECG 4 1 2 2 1 2 4 1

See how Bdim works with other chords — Progression Generator