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B Diminished (Bdim) Chord Guitar

The restless vii° of C major — a passing chord, not a destination.

A compact shape with the low E and A strings muted.
Thin and unstable — it never quite wants to resolve.
The vii° chord in the key of C major.
A brief passing chord back to the tonic, rarely held for long.

Root3rd5th

Not played

E6th string

FretMuted

Finger—

3rd

ABass5th string

Fret5

Finger3 ring

5th

D4th string

Fret3

Finger1 index

Root

G3rd string

Fret4

Finger2 middle

Not played

B2nd string

FretMuted

Finger—

Not played

e1st string

FretMuted

Finger—

NotesB – D – F

Formula1 – ♭3 – ♭5

Voicingx534xx

TonesB×1·D×1·F×1

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Questions about B Diminished (Bdim)

What notes are in a B Diminished (Bdim) chord?

A B Diminished (Bdim) chord contains the notes B, D, F. It is built from the diminished formula 1 - ♭3 - ♭5, with B as the root.

What is a diminished chord used for?

Tension, not rest. A diminished chord stacks two minor thirds, producing an unstable sound that pulls hard toward resolution — so it's typically used as a short passing chord between two stable chords rather than somewhere a progression settles.

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B Diminished (Bdim) Chord Guitar

This chord sounds even better than it looks.

Questions about B Diminished (Bdim)

What notes are in a B Diminished (Bdim) chord?

What is a diminished chord used for?

Related chords

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