Bbdim Guitar Chord

Bbdim is the B flat diminished chord, a diminished triad. It has three notes: B♭, D♭ and E. The same chord is often written A#dim. The standard shape sits at the 1st fret and, unlike B♭ major or B♭ minor, it needs no barre: four separate fingers, one per string.

Root on the A string, one finger per string, no barre. The four fingers form a small diamond in the first three frets. Movable to any root.

How to play Bbdim, step by step

Index finger: 1st fret, A string
Middle finger: 2nd fret, D string
Ring finger: 2nd fret, B string
Pinky finger: 3rd fret, G string
Strum from the A string down, skipping the low E. The high E string stays muted; let the nearest fretting finger touch it lightly.

This grip has no open strings, so it is fully movable. Slide it up two frets and the same fingers play Cdim.

More ways to play Bbdim

There are 2 common Bbdim 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.

Bbdim guitar chord diagram, compact, frets 8 to 11, played x x 8 9 11 9 — Compact, frets 8 to 11

If it will not ring clean

B string note chokes: The pinky reaching to the G string tends to sag onto the B string below it. Arch the pinky so only its tip touches the fretboard.
Low E or high E leaks in: Both outside strings stay silent in this shape. Let the index fingertip lean into the low E and the ring finger's underside brush the high E.
Buzzing all over: Four fingers share three frets, so hands cramp here. Bring your thumb behind the middle of the neck and place each fingertip just behind its fret, not on top of it.

What makes it a Bbdim

B♭ · D♭ · E 1 ♭3 ♭5

Bbdim stacks two minor thirds: B♭ up to D♭, then D♭ up three more frets. A minor chord would put a perfect fifth (F) on top; the diminished chord flattens it, and that shrunken fifth is why the chord sounds unstable. Strict spelling calls the top note F♭, but almost every chart writes it as E, the same pitch.

Written as A#dim, this is the leading tone chord of B: it sits one fret below B major and pulls straight up into it. In practice you meet it as a passing chord, sounding for a beat while a bass line climbs from A toward B or from B♭ toward B minor.

Bbdim vs Bbm

The two chords share B♭ and D♭ and differ only in the fifth: B♭m has F, Bbdim drops it one fret. On guitar that difference works in your favor. B♭m normally needs a barre at the 1st fret, while Bbdim does not, and the shapes are related: in the B♭m barre the D string plays F at the 3rd fret, and lowering that note one fret while lifting the barre lands you on the dim shape. Use B♭m when the song wants to rest somewhere sad; use Bbdim when the chart asks for one beat of tension on the way to the next chord.

Bbdim chord questions

Are Bbdim and A#dim the same chord?

Yes. B♭ and A♯ are the same pitch, so both names describe the same three notes and the same shapes. Which name a chart uses depends on the key of the song.

What is the difference between Bbdim and Bbdim7?

Bbdim is the three note triad: B♭, D♭, E. Bbdim7 adds a diminished seventh on top, making four notes and a heavier, jazzier sound. Charts that write plain Bbdim or Bb° mean the triad on this page.

Is Bbdim hard to play?

Moderate. There is no barre, but four fingers land close together in three frets, which takes a little practice. It is still easier than the B♭ major barre chord.

What does Bbdim resolve to?

Up one half step. Spelled A#dim it resolves to B major or B minor, and that upward pull is what the chord is for.

Why does the chord chart show E instead of Fb?

The flat fifth of B♭ is strictly F♭, but F♭ and E are the same pitch on the guitar. Chord charts use E because it is the familiar name.