G#dim G# diminished chord
- Notes
- G# B D
- Formula
- 1 b3 b5
- Semitones
- 0 3 6 above the root
- Also written
- Abdim (Ab Cb Ebb)
- Other symbols
- G#°, G#m(b5)
G# to B is a minor third (3 semitones), B to D is a minor third (3 semitones). Two minor thirds stacked, so G# to D is a tritone (6 semitones) instead of a perfect fifth. The four-note G#dim7 and G#m7b5 grow from it by adding a note on top.
G#dim on the piano
Root position from G#4: G#4, B4, D5. Middle C is C4.
G#dim 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 G# as its lowest note.
4 5 6 4 x x (low E to high e)
Sounds G#2 D3 G#3 B3
x 11 12 13 12 x (low E to high e)
Sounds G#3 D4 G#4 B4
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 G#dim
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 | G# B D | G#dim | |
| 1st inversion | B D G# | G#dim/B | |
| 2nd inversion | D G# B | G#dim/D |
Where G#dim fits
G#dim is vii° in A major, ii° in F# minor, vii° in A minor. Its root G# is the leading tone of A: a half step below the tonic, so the chord usually moves up to it.