C♯ diminished chord (C♯dim)

C♯ diminished is a 3-note diminished chord: C♯ – E – G. It sounds unstable and tense. Here it is on guitar, piano and ukulele, with fingering and audio. Also called D♭ diminished (D♭dim).

NotesC♯ – E – G
Formula1 – ♭3 – ♭5
SymbolC♯dim · C♯° · C♯m♭5
EnharmonicD♭ diminished (D♭dim)

C♯ diminished on guitar

Fret 4 (A shape)
Fret 11 (D shape)

How to place your fingers (fret 4)

Finger 1 (index) on fret 4 of the 5th string (A).
Finger 2 (middle) on fret 5 of the 4th string (D).
Finger 4 (pinky) on fret 6 of the 3rd string (G).
Place finger 3 (ring) at fret 5 on the 2nd string (B).
Do not play the 6th and 1st strings: strum from the 5th string.

The numbers inside the dots are the fingers of your left hand: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring and 4 pinky. The colored dots mark the root (C♯). The other positions let you change chords without jumping along the neck, or give you a higher-pitched sound.

C♯ diminished on piano

In root position, play C♯ – E – G from bottom to top with fingers 1, 3 and 5 of your right hand (thumb, middle and pinky). With your left hand you usually play just the root (C♯) or the root and the fifth.

Inversions

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

C♯ diminished on ukulele

Open position
From fret 6

Standard tuning G – C – E – A (the G string is the high one). Is your ukulele in tune? Use the ukulele tuner.

Notes and intervals of C♯ diminished

C♯1 · root
E♭3 · minor third
G♭5 · diminished fifth

It's the seventh degree of the major scale and works as a passing chord between two chords a whole step apart.

Progressions with C♯dim

A leading tone that resolves: vii° – I

C♯dim is the seventh degree of D major and leads to D.

Passing chord: I – ♯i° – ii

It climbs by half steps between two chords a whole step apart.

Which keys contain C♯ diminished?

C♯dim belongs to 2 keys: in each one it plays a different role depending on the degree (the Roman numeral).

Key	Degree
D major	vii°
B natural minor	ii°

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C♯ diminished chord?

C♯ diminished (C♯dim) has 3 notes: C♯ (root), E (minor third), G (diminished fifth).

How do you play C♯ diminished on guitar?

The most common fingering starts at fret 4: x 4 5 6 5 x (from the 6th to the 1st string). Finger 1 (index) on fret 4 of the 5th string (A). Finger 2 (middle) on fret 5 of the 4th string (D). Finger 4 (pinky) on fret 6 of the 3rd string (G). Finger 3 (ring) on fret 5 of the 2nd string (B). Don't play the 6th or 1st strings: strum from the 5th string.

Is C♯dim the same as D♭dim?

Yes: C♯ diminished and D♭ diminished sound the same and are played the same way (they are enharmonic). The spelling depends on the key of the song; you'll see both names in sheet music and songbooks.

How do you write C-sharp diminished in chord notation?

It is written C♯dim; you may also see C♯° or C♯m♭5. Letter notation uses C, D, E, F, G, A and B for the notes.

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