Cdim C diminished chord
- Notes
- C Eb Gb
- Formula
- 1 b3 b5
- Semitones
- 0 3 6 above the root
- Other symbols
- C°, Cm(b5)
C to Eb is a minor third (3 semitones), Eb to Gb is a minor third (3 semitones). Two minor thirds stacked, so C to Gb is a tritone (6 semitones) instead of a perfect fifth. The four-note Cdim7 and Cm7b5 grow from it by adding a note on top.
Cdim on the piano
Root position from C4: C4, Eb4, Gb4. Middle C is C4.
Cdim on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has C as its lowest note.
x 3 4 5 4 x (low E to high e)
Sounds C3 Gb3 C4 Eb4
8 9 10 8 x x (low E to high e)
Sounds C3 Gb3 C4 Eb4
The barre shapes are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play diminished chords on other roots.
Inversions of Cdim
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | C Eb Gb | Cdim | |
| 1st inversion | Eb Gb C | Cdim/Eb | |
| 2nd inversion | Gb C Eb | Cdim/Gb |
Where Cdim fits
Cdim is vii° in Db major, ii° in Bb minor, vii° in C# minor (where it is spelled B#dim). Its root C is the leading tone of Db: a half step below the tonic, so the chord usually moves up to it.