Adim7 chord on guitar

Adim7 is A, C, E♭ and G♭. The usual shape is x-0-1-2-1-2. Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.

x-0-1-2-1-2 · open · medium

Notes: A · C · E♭ · G♭
Formula: 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · ♭♭7
First shape: x-0-1-2-1-2

How to play Adim7 on guitar

Shape 1, x-0-1-2-1-2, reading from the low E string on the left:

Put your index finger on the D string at the 1st fret, which is E♭.
Put your middle finger on the B string at the 1st fret, which is C.
Put your ring finger on the G string at the 2nd fret, which is A.
Put your pinky finger on the high E string at the 2nd fret, which is G♭.
The open A string adds A; don't touch it.
Skip the low E string and begin the strum from the A string.

If an open string sounds dead, a fingertip is leaning on it. Come down more on the tips, with your knuckles bent.
The pinky takes a note here. Keep it curved and close to the fretboard between chords so it has less distance to travel.

Other ways to play Adim7

5-x-4-5-4-x: movable shape at the 4th fret, medium. Built on the Edim7 open shape with the barre as a movable nut; the root is on the 6th string.
x-12-13-11-13-x: movable shape at the 11th fret, medium. Root on the 5th string, so it pairs well with the 6th-string shape a few frets away.
x-x-7-8-7-8: movable shape at the 7th fret, medium. Only the thinner strings sound, which cuts through a band without getting muddy.

Changing from Adim7 to the chords around it

Songs rarely hold Adim7 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.

B♭ (leads up a half step): Adim7 (x-0-1-2-1-2) to B♭ (x-1-3-3-3-1): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the D string, 3rd fret, your ring finger lands on the G string, 3rd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. B♭ on guitar
B♭m (leads up a half step): Adim7 (x-0-1-2-1-2) to B♭m (x-1-3-3-2-1): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the B string, 2nd fret, your ring finger lands on the D string, 3rd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. B♭m on guitar
D (a fifth down): Adim7 (x-0-1-2-1-2) to D (x-x-0-2-3-2): move the index finger to the G string, 2nd fret, the middle finger goes to the high E string, 2nd fret, your ring finger lands on the B string, 3rd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Listen for A and G♭, which stay put while the rest moves. D on guitar

Adim7 is a diminished seventh: three minor thirds stacked, so the chord divides the octave into four equal parts. Adim7 can stand in for a dominant seventh a half step below, which is why it links chords so smoothly. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

A short Adim7 drill

Pick shape 1 one string at a time, low to high: A, E♭, A, C, G♭. Every note should ring clearly; if one thuds, adjust that finger before you strum. Then switch to 5-x-4-5-4-x and back four times without looking at your hand.

Adim7 in context

Adim7 on piano and ukulele

Adim7 on piano and ukulele uses the same 4 notes in a different layout. See all three together.

Next to try on guitar

Other diminished seventh chords

Adim7 on guitar: questions

What notes are in Adim7 on guitar?

A, C, E♭ and G♭. In the x-0-1-2-1-2 shape the strings play A (A string, open), E♭ (D string), A (G string), C (B string) and G♭ (high E string), so A is doubled.

What's the easiest way to play Adim7 on guitar?

Adim7 takes a little stretching on guitar; start with x-0-1-2-1-2. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, with open strings, and a capo is worth trying when the song allows.

Is Adim7 a barre chord on guitar?

Not the usual shape: x-0-1-2-1-2 needs no barre.

Which string does Adim7 start on?

In the x-0-1-2-1-2 shape the lowest string you play is the A string, open, which is A, the root. Skip the low E string.

Every shape above plays only A, C, E♭ and G♭, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.