C♯dim chord (C sharp diminished)

The C♯dim chord (C sharp diminished) has 3 notes: C♯, E and G. It is a diminished chord: root, minor third and diminished fifth. It sounds very tense and unstable. It rarely stays: it links two chords and it is the vii° chord of a major key.

How to play it on guitar

An x is a string you don't play and 0 is an open string. The number on the left is the fret where the shape starts.

Usual shape
x4565x

Easy version
xx(11)989

Notes in the chord

Note	Interval
C♯	Root
E	Minor third
G	Diminished fifth

Inversions

Root position: C♯ – E – G
First inversion: E – G – C♯
Second inversion: G – C♯ – E

On piano

The highlighted keys make the chord in root position.

On ukulele

Usual shape
6434

Higher up the neck · fret 6
6797

Keys it belongs to

C♯dim is one of the chords of these keys. The degree tells you its role.

Progressions to practise it

Open them in the chord progression player to loop them and write over them.

G – C♯dim – D – D in D major Play in the chord player

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C♯dim chord?

C♯dim has 3 notes: C♯, E and G. It is a diminished chord: root, minor third and diminished fifth.

How do you play C♯dim on guitar?

The usual shape is x4565x, read from the low E string to the high E string. If you can't play barre chords yet, start with the easy version: xx(11)989.

What keys is C♯dim in?

C♯dim is in D major (vii°) and B minor (ii°).

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