45678 ×× 1243 EADGBe
Intermediate

C#dim Guitar Chord

A diminished chord with tense, eerie character. C#dim is often used to create tension before resolving.

Also known as

  • C#°
  • Db°
  • C# °
  • Db °
  • Dbdim
  • C# dim
  • Db dim
  • D-flat°
  • C-sharp°
  • D-flat °
  • C-sharp °
  • D-flatdim
  • C-sharpdim
  • D-flat dim
  • C-sharp dim
  • C#diminished
  • Dbdiminished
  • C# diminished
  • Db diminished
  • D-flatdiminished
  • C-sharpdiminished
  • D-flat diminished
  • C-sharp 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

C# diminished can be tricky because there's no comfortable open voicing. Use the movable diminished shape rooted on the A string at the 4th fret. Keep your fingers tightly curved — the close intervals in this chord mean your fingertips are very near each other.

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

eBGDAE 4 5 6 5 4 5 6 5
eBGDAE 5 6 5 4 5 6 5 4
eBGDAE 4 5 5 6 4 5 5 6
eBGDAE 4 5 6 5 5 5 6 5

See how C#dim works with other chords — Progression Generator