Abdim Guitar Chord

Abdim is the A flat diminished chord, a diminished triad. It has three notes: A♭, B and D. Most charts actually write it G#dim, because its usual job is climbing one fret into A or A minor. The standard shape sits at the 6th fret on the top four strings and needs no barre.

The Ddim grip at the 6th fret: root under the index on the D string, pinky posted two frets up on the B string. Slides to any root you need.

How to play Abdim, step by step

Index finger: 6th fret, D string
Middle finger: 7th fret, G string
Ring finger: 7th fret, high E string
Pinky finger: 9th fret, B string
Strum from the D string down, skipping the two lowest strings.

Move the same grip down one fret and you have Gdim; up one and you have Adim. Diminished chords are one shape wearing twelve names.

More ways to play Abdim

There are 2 common Abdim shapes in total: the standard one at the top of the page, plus these, easiest first. You only ever need one. Tap any card to hear it.

Abdim guitar chord diagram, compact, frets 11 to 13, played x 11 12 13 12 x — Compact, frets 11 to 13

If strings choke or rattle

The pinky note at the 9th fret buzzes: The reach across two frets pulls the pinky flat. Drop your thumb lower behind the neck; the whole hand opens and the pinky arrives on its tip.
The high E string sounds dead: The pinky crossing over to the B string is resting on the high E and muting the ring finger's note. Arch the pinky and pluck the top two strings alone to verify both ring.
Extra bass strings rumble: This voicing uses only the top four strings. Start the strum at the D string, and lean your thumb on the low E if it keeps sounding.

What makes it an Abdim

A♭ · B · D 1 ♭3 ♭5

Abdim stacks two minor thirds: A♭ up to B (strictly spelled C♭), then up again to D (strictly E double flat). Charts use the simple names because the pitches are the same. Next to A♭ minor, the only change is the fifth, E♭ squeezed down one fret, and that squeeze is what leaves the chord sounding unresolved.

Spelled G#dim, it is the leading tone chord of A major: G♯ pulls up to A. It fills the same seat in the key of A that F#dim fills in G, building on the seventh note of the scale, and it doubles as the ii chord of F♯ minor. Expect to meet it mid progression for a beat, bridging two chords a fret apart.

Abdim vs G#m

G♯m is the usual name for the minor chord on this root: G♯, B, D♯. Abdim shares the bottom two notes but pulls the fifth down to D, and that one fret decides everything. G♯m, normally a 4th fret barre, is a stable chord that can carry a section in keys like E and B. Abdim is a barre free cluster that cannot carry anything; it exists to lean into A. If the chart shows a small circle after the letter, play the shapes on this page, not the barre.

Abdim chord questions

Are Abdim and G#dim the same chord?

Yes, note for note. G#dim is the more common spelling because the chord usually resolves up to A, and G♯ is the leading tone of A major.

What is the difference between Abdim and Abdim7?

Abdim is the triad: A♭, B, D. Abdim7 adds a diminished seventh (F) as a fourth note and sounds heavier. A plain dim or ° on a chart asks for the triad shown here.

What does Abdim resolve to?

A major or A minor, one half step up. That single fret climb is the chord's entire purpose in most songs.

Is Abdim hard to play?

No barre is involved. The pinky's two fret reach in the standard shape is the only hurdle, and the compact shape at fret 11 trades that stretch for a tight three fret cluster.

Why do the notes say B and D instead of Cb and Ebb?

Formal theory spells the chord A♭, C♭, E double flat, but those are the same pitches as B and D. Diagrams keep the everyday names so you can find the notes fast.