A♭ diminished (A♭dim) chord on mandolin

The A♭ diminished chord (A♭dim) is a diminished triad (two minor thirds), made of three notes: A♭ – C♭ – E𝄫. The same chord with a different spelling: G♯ diminished (G♯dim).

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

Position 4easy

Position 7medium

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What the A♭dim chord sounds like

A diminished triad is two stacked minor thirds with a diminished fifth. It sounds tense and unsettled; in a major key it sits on degree vii and leads into the tonic.

Notes of the A♭dim chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	A♭	root
3	C♭	minor third (3 semitones)
5	E𝄫	diminished fifth (6 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (E): fret 4, little finger (A♭5)
String 2 (A): fret 2, index finger (C♭5)
String 3 (D): open (E𝄫4)
String 4 (G): fret 4, ring finger (C♭4)

Position 4

String 1 (E): fret 4, middle finger (A♭5)
String 2 (A): fret 5, ring finger (E𝄫5)
String 3 (D): open (E𝄫4)
String 4 (G): fret 4, index finger (C♭4)

Position 7

String 1 (E): fret 7, middle finger (C♭6)
String 2 (A): fret 11, little finger (A♭5)
String 3 (D): fret 9, ring finger (C♭5)
String 4 (G): fret 7, index finger (E𝄫4)

Tuning: G D A E, like a violin; every note is a pair of strings that you fret together. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Similar chords and substitutes

If A♭dim is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

E7 – an incomplete dominant: the diminished chord is the top of this seventh chord
A – where it leads (leading tone → root)

Richer versions

A♭dim7 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
A♭m7b5 – the same chord plus 1 colour note

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A♭dim chord?

A♭, C♭, E𝄫. The root is A♭; the intervals of the other notes from the root: minor third, diminished fifth.

What is the easiest way to play A♭dim on mandolin?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”, rated easy. We show 3 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

How is the A♭dim chord written?

The chord symbol is A♭dim (also written Abdim), and its full name is A♭ diminished.