DIMINISHED CHORDS
Diminished chords add a very distinct sound to any tune. The good news is they
aren’t really THAT difficult to learn.
One way to make a diminished chord is to play a MINOR chord (in ROOT
position) and move the 5th (your small finger) DOWN one key.
ie. to make Co (C diminished)
(which could also be written as Cm-5 or Cmb5 or Cdim)
First play Cm
Cm
Then move the 5th DOWN one key to make Co
Co
See if you can form Do, Eo, Fo, Ao,
Remember, make the minor first then drop the 5th down a key
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DIMINISHED CHORDS
ALL YOU NEED TO LEARN ARE 3 SHAPES
Another very useful thing to remember about diminished chords is that they
connect up in a most GEOMETRIC way
Notice how the groups of four diminished chords on the left ALL fit into the ONE
shape to their right. Check it and see for yourself!
Co = C Eb Gb
Ebo = Eb Gb A
F#o = F# A C
Ao = A C Eb
Dbo = Db E G
Eo = E G Bb
Go = G Bb Db
Bbo = Bb Db E
Do = D F Ab
Fo = F Ab B
Abo = Ab B D
Bo = B D F
So if you MEMORISE these 3 SHAPES you can easily play
ANY diminished chord
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Diminished Chords - Practice Progressions
Rhythm- Left note / Right chord (YOU MAKE ME FEEL SO YOUNG)
C C# dim Dm G Keep repeating
Rhythm - Left note/Right chord (TUXEDO JUNCTION “Way down South..”)
G Bkds G/B C D G G/B C D
G G/B C C#o D D G
Rhythm - Half Beat Bounce (SHE - Charles Aznavour)
D Fdim G D B Em Bbdim
D Bm Em A D
Rhythm - Left note / Right chord (‘AINT MISBEHAVING)
C C#dim Dm D#dim Em Fdim F Fdim
Em Am Dm G C
Rhythm - Bossa Nova Bounce (MY SWEET LORD - George Harrison)
A Em A Em A Em
A D Bm D Bm D
Ebdim Em A Em A etc
Rhythm - Oom Pah (LIFE IS A CABARET OLD CHUM - Liza Minnelli)
D A7 D A7 D Dmaj7 D7 D7
G G#dim Dmaj7 B7 Em7 A7 D D
*The above progressions are for improvisational purposes only. You can find the complete
chord progressions, with lyrics, for FREE at ultimate-guitar.com 4-12