C♯^dim

About the C♯dim chord

The C♯dim chord (diminished) is made up of 3 notes — C♯ is the root, E the minor third and G the diminished fifth. Both the third and the fifth are lowered, stacking two minor thirds for an unstable, edgy sound.

On guitar, C♯dim chords are most often played in open position: x42020. Let the open G and high E strings ring, and leave the low E string out. The diagrams above show 4 playable voicings in all.

Diminished triads are tense and unstable, often used as passing chords between stronger harmonies.

Open C♯dim in the interactive finder →

Common questions

What notes are in the C♯dim chord?

The C♯dim chord contains the notes C♯, E and G.

How do you play C♯dim on guitar?

A common open-position shape is x42020. The diagrams above show 4 playable voicings you can strum or hear.

What intervals make up the C♯dim chord?

The C♯dim chord is built from the root (C♯), a minor third (E) and a diminished fifth (G).

Is C♯dim the same as D♭dim?

Yes — C♯ and D♭ are two names for the same pitch (enharmonic equivalents), so C♯dim and D♭dim are the same chord. MobileChords spells it C♯dim.

More than a chord chart

The chart above is just the start. Open C♯dim in the finder to hear it on guitar and piano and browse every playable voicing side by side. Or switch to Name my chord — tap frets or keys and MobileChords identifies the chord you're playing, inversions and slash chords included.