D♯ diminished chord (D♯dim)

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

NotesD♯ – F♯ – A
Formula1 – ♭3 – ♭5
SymbolD♯dim · D♯° · D♯m♭5
EnharmonicE♭ diminished (E♭dim)

D♯ diminished on guitar

Fret 1 (D shape)
Fret 6 (A shape)

How to place your fingers (fret 1)

Finger 1 (index finger) on fret 1 of the 4th string (D).
Finger 2 (middle) on fret 2 of the 3rd string (G).
Finger 4 (pinky) on fret 4 of string 2 (B).
Finger 3 (ring) on fret 2 of the 1st string (E).
Don't play the 6th or 5th strings: strum from the 4th 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 (D♯). The other positions let you change chords without jumping along the neck, or give you a higher-pitched sound.

D♯ diminished on piano

In root position, play D♯ – F♯ – A 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 (D♯) or the root and the fifth.

Inversions

First inversion: F♯ – A – D♯
Second inversion: A – D♯ – F♯

D♯ diminished on ukulele

Open position
From fret 5

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 D♯ diminished

D♯1 · root
F♯♭3 · minor third
A♭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 D♯dim

A leading tone that resolves: vii° – I

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

Passing chord: I – ♯i° – ii

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

Which keys contain D♯ diminished?

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

Key	Degree
E major	vii°
C♯ natural minor	ii°

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the D-sharp diminished chord?

D♯ diminished (D♯dim) has 3 notes: D♯ (root), F♯ (minor third), A (diminished fifth).

How do you play D♯ diminished on guitar?

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

Is D♯dim the same as E♭dim?

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

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

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

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