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Ukulele chords

F diminished seventh (Fdim7) chord on ukulele

Looking for the Fdim7 chord on ukulele? It is a diminished seventh chord (three stacked minor thirds), made of four notes: F – A♭ – C♭ – E𝄫.

Dots show:
Fdim7 – Basic shape1324GCEAA♭E𝄫FC♭
Basic shapemedium
Fdim7 – Position 44.1324GCEAC♭FA♭E𝄫
Position 4medium
Fdim7 – Position 77.1324GCEAE𝄫A♭C♭F
Position 7medium
Fdim7 – Position 1010.1324GCEAFC♭E𝄫A♭
Position 10medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

What the Fdim7 chord sounds like

A diminished seventh is three stacked minor thirds, so it is symmetrical: four different roots give the same notes. A dramatic, tense passing chord.

Notes of the Fdim7 chord

DegreeNoteInterval from the root
1Froot
3A♭minor third (3 semitones)
5C♭diminished fifth (6 semitones)
7E𝄫diminished seventh (9 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

  • String 1 (A): fret 2, little finger (C♭5)
  • String 2 (E): fret 1, middle finger (F4)
  • String 3 (C): fret 2, ring finger (E𝄫4)
  • String 4 (G): fret 1, index finger (A♭4)

Position 4

  • String 1 (A): fret 5, little finger (E𝄫5)
  • String 2 (E): fret 4, middle finger (A♭4)
  • String 3 (C): fret 5, ring finger (F4)
  • String 4 (G): fret 4, index finger (C♭5)

Position 7

  • String 1 (A): fret 8, little finger (F5)
  • String 2 (E): fret 7, middle finger (C♭5)
  • String 3 (C): fret 8, ring finger (A♭4)
  • String 4 (G): fret 7, index finger (E𝄫5)

Tuning: G C E A (the G string is higher than the C – standard re-entrant ukulele tuning). In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Similar chords and substitutes

If Fdim7 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

  • C♯7 – an incomplete dominant: the diminished chord is the top of this seventh chord
  • F♯ – where it leads (leading tone → root)

Same notes

  • Ddim7 – the same notes with a different root
  • A♭dim7 – the same notes with a different root
  • Bdim7 – the same notes with a different root

Simpler versions

  • Fdim – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Fdim7 chord?

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

What is the easiest way to play Fdim7 on ukulele?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”. We show 4 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 Fdim7 chord written?

The chord symbol is Fdim7, and its full name is F diminished seventh.

Related chords

The same chord on another instrument:

Fdim7 on guitarFdim7 on pianoFdim7 on mandolinFdim7 on banjo

Other F chords on ukulele:

FFmF7Fmaj7Fm7Fsus2Fsus4F7sus4F6Fm6Fadd9FdimFaugFm7b5F9Fm9Fmaj9F11F13

All ukulele chords in a table →

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Photos: Isak Photography, 42 North, Rachel Loughman, Vitaly Gariev, Vitaly Gariev, Isaac Martin / Unsplash