Adim Ukulele Chord

Adim is the A diminished chord, a diminished triad. It has three notes: A, C and E♭. On the ukulele the standard shape is a four finger grip between the 2nd and 5th frets with the root on the G string. It is a tense chord, so you will usually hold it for a beat or two on the way between two stable chords.

Root on the G string at the 2nd fret, with the flat five, the root again and the flat three beside it. No open strings, so the grip slides: every fret names a new diminished chord.

How to play Adim on ukulele, step by step

Index finger: 2nd fret, G string
Middle finger: 3rd fret, C string
Ring finger: 3rd fret, A string
Pinky finger: 5th fret, E string
Strum all four strings.

The shape has no open strings, so it is movable: slide the whole grip up two frets and it becomes Bdim, and every fret up or down names a new diminished chord.

More ways to play Adim

There are 2 common Adim shapes: the standard one at the top of the page, plus these further up the neck. You only ever need one. Tap any card to hear it.

Adim ukulele chord diagram, frets 5 to 6, played 5056 — Frets 5 to 6

If it buzzes or sounds dead

The pinky note on the E string buzzes: The pinky sits three frets above the index, and the stretch pulls it away from the 5th fret. Turn the wrist out a little so the pinky lands close behind its fret.
The C and A strings crowd each other: The middle and ring fingers share the 3rd fret on neighbouring strings. Stand both on their tips, knuckles curled, so neither leans onto the other string.
One note is quieter than the rest: With all four strings fretted there is nowhere to hide a lazy finger. Pick the strings one at a time and fix the dull one before you strum.

What makes it an Adim

A · C · E♭ 1 ♭3 ♭5

Adim is two minor thirds stacked on top of each other: A up to C, then C up to E♭. A minor chord would reach up to E; the diminished chord stops one fret short, and that narrow flat fifth is what makes it sound tense and unfinished.

In real music Adim is the leading tone chord of B♭: it sits one fret below B♭ and wants to climb into it. A useful way to hear it: A, C and E♭ are three of the four notes of F7, so Adim pushes toward B♭ the same way F7 does.

Adim vs Am

Both chords start with A and C. Am finishes with E, a perfect fifth, and sounds settled. Adim finishes with E♭, one fret lower, and sounds like it cannot stay where it is.

On the ukulele the difference in effort is hard to miss: Am is a single finger, while Adim asks for all four. That is fair, because the two do different jobs. Am is a home chord you can sit on for bars at a time; Adim is a passing chord you move through, and when a chart writes A° it means the diminished one.

Adim chord questions

Is Adim hard to play on ukulele?

It is one of the harder shapes on the instrument: four fingers, no open strings and a small stretch to the 5th fret. There is no barre, though, and the grip slides to every other diminished chord once it settles.

What is the difference between Adim and Adim7?

Adim is the three note triad: A, C, E♭. Adim7 adds a fourth note, the diminished seventh, for a thicker sound. Many ukulele songbooks write dim but chart the four note dim7 grip; the shapes on this page are the plain triad.

What does Adim resolve to?

Most often B♭, one half step up. It also resolves nicely to B♭ minor. The pull upward is the whole point of the chord.

What does the circle in A° mean?

The small circle is the standard symbol for a diminished chord. A°, Adim and A diminished all name the same three notes.

When would a song actually use Adim?

Usually as a quick connector: one or two beats between two stable chords, often walking up toward B♭ or G minor. It is rarely a chord you strum for a whole bar.