A diminished chord on ukulele (Adim)
Adim is A, C and E♭. The usual shape is 5-3-5-3. Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.
5-3-5-3 · movable · medium
- Notes
- A · C · E♭
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5
- First shape
- 5-3-5-3
How to play Adim on ukulele
Shape 1, 5-3-5-3, reading from the G string on the left, starts at the 3rd fret:
- Index finger: C string, 3rd fret (E♭).
- Middle finger: A string, 3rd fret (C).
- Ring finger: G string, 5th fret (C).
- Pinky: E string, 5th fret (A).
- The pinky takes a note here. Keep it curved and close to the fretboard between chords so it has less distance to travel.
- Strum with the pad of your index finger or thumb, all four strings, across the spot where the neck meets the body.
Other ways to play Adim
- 8-9-8-6: movable shape at the 6th fret, medium. Same notes, stacked differently, so it sounds a little different.
Changing from Adim to the chords around it
These are the changes you'll meet most often with Adim, using the first shape of each chord.
- B♭ (leads up a half step): Adim (5-3-5-3) to B♭ (3-2-1-1): move the index finger to the E string, 1st fret, move the middle finger to the A string, 1st fret, your ring finger lands on the C string, 2nd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. B♭ on ukulele
- B♭m (leads up a half step): Adim (5-3-5-3) to B♭m (3-1-1-1): your index finger lands on the C string, 1st fret, your middle finger lands on the E string, 1st fret, the ring finger goes to the A string, 1st fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. B♭m on ukulele
- Dm (iii in B♭ major): Adim (5-3-5-3) to Dm (2-2-1-0): your index finger lands on the E string, 1st fret, your middle finger lands on the G string, 2nd fret, the ring finger goes to the C string, 2nd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. A carries over from one chord to the other. Dm on ukulele
Adim is a diminished triad: two minor thirds stacked. All 3 notes of Adim fit on the ukulele's four strings, with one of them doubled. On ukulele you hear it best picked slowly, string by string.
Practice Adim in two minutes
Before strumming, play 5-3-5-3 note by note: C then E♭ then A then C. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Next, alternate 5-3-5-3 and 8-9-8-6, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.
Where Adim shows up
Adim on guitar and piano
The same notes on another instrument: Adim on guitar and Adim on piano. This page puts all three side by side.
Close to Adim
Other diminished chords
Adim on ukulele: questions
What notes are in Adim on ukulele?
A, C and E♭. In the 5-3-5-3 shape the strings play C (G string), E♭ (C string), A (E string) and C (A string), so C is doubled.
What's the easiest way to play Adim on ukulele?
No open-string Adim exists in standard tuning; 5-3-5-3 is the place to start. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and a capo can make it easier in some songs.
Is Adim a barre chord on ukulele?
Not usually: 5-3-5-3 needs no barre.
Which string does Adim start on?
In the 5-3-5-3 shape the lowest string you play is the G string at the 5th fret, which is C, the minor third.
Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside Adim. Updated September 2026.