G diminished
How to play Gdim — Diminished
Gdim (Diminished)G · B♭ · D♭
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, CC-BY 3.0)
G diminished — notes and structure
The Gdim chord stacks minor thirds up to the flattened fifth — tense and unstable, wanting to resolve.
The Gdim diminished consists of the notes G, B♭, D♭. Its interval structure is R–3–5 — the root, then each chord tone stacked above it. This is the same chord you see in the interactive finder above, drawn on the guitar fretboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
Gdim stacks a minor third (B♭) and a diminished fifth (D♭) above the root G.
The finder shows 2 ways to play Gdim — an open-position shape reaching up to the 8th fret. 1 of them use a barre.
What key is Gdim in?
Every note of Gdim belongs to the scales below, so the chord sounds at home in each of these keys — the roman numeral is the degree it sits on.
- A♭ major — the vii° chord
- F minor — the ii° chord
Chords that go with Gdim
In A♭ major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put Gdim next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the G diminished chord?
- The Gdim chord contains the notes G, B♭, D♭. It stacks minor thirds up to the flattened fifth — tense and unstable, wanting to resolve.
- How many ways can you play Gdim on guitar?
- 2 voicings are shown on this page — from open position up the neck — each with its own fingering diagram and audio.
- Is Gdim a hard chord to play?
- Some voicings use a barre, which takes practice, but the chord is very playable once that shape is comfortable.
- What key does Gdim belong to?
- Gdim fits A♭ major (where it is the vii° chord), F minor (where it is the ii° chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.