Learn › B Diminished Triad Inversions on Guitar: 12 Shapes
New Released in April 2026
B Diminished Triad Inversions on Guitar: 12 Shapes
Learn the Bdim triad inversions on guitar and you can play B diminished in any area of the neck with three fingers: B, D and F, rearranged.
No account, no download. The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.
- MIDI keyboard
- Digital or acoustic piano
- Guitar
- Computer, phone or tablet
What an inversion changes
The notes never change, only their order. With D or F at the bottom, Bdim sounds lighter and lets the melody note on top change.
Tense and unstable: it wants to move to the next chord.
Twelve Bdim shapes, string set by string set
Each row uses three neighbouring strings and climbs the neck from the lowest shape to the highest. Mute or skip the other strings.
G-B-e strings
Root position
1st inversion
2nd inversion
D-G-B strings
2nd inversion
Root position
1st inversion
A-D-G strings
1st inversion
2nd inversion
Root position
E-A-D strings
2nd inversion
Root position
1st inversion
From one shape to the next
On the G-B-e strings, the shapes go up the neck in this order: root position (fret 4) → 1st inversion (fret 7) → 2nd inversion (fret 12). The top notes along the way are F, B, D.
Around fret 9, without moving the hand: G-B-e strings 7-6-7; D-G-B strings 9-7-6; A-D-G strings 8-9-7; E-A-D strings 10-8-9.
Bdim inversions: the frets
| String set | Root position | 1st inversion | 2nd inversion |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-B-e strings | x x x 4 3 1 | x x x 7 6 7 | x x x 10 12 10 |
| D-G-B strings | x x 9 7 6 x | x x 12 10 12 x | x x 3 4 3 x |
| A-D-G strings | x 14 12 10 x x | x 5 3 4 x x | x 8 9 7 x x |
| E-A-D strings | 7 5 3 x x x | 10 8 9 x x x | 1 2 0 x x x |
Frets from the low E string to the high E string; x = string not played.
A short Bdim triad routine
- Learn the three shapes on the top strings first, slowly, saying the bottom note each time.
- Climb the neck through the three shapes and come back down without stopping.
- Pick one fret area, around fret 9, and find Bdim on every string set without moving your hand far.
- Then test yourself: random chord names, find the closest Bdim shape each time.
Small daily sessions work best: shapes stick by repetition.
Play Bdim in a game
In ChordRunner chord names come one after another and the microphone checks every chord you play, open shape, barre or triad. It runs in the browser.
Play the demoCommon questions
What are the inversions of Bdim on guitar?
Root position (B at the bottom), 1st inversion (D at the bottom) and 2nd inversion (F at the bottom). On the top three strings: Root position 4-3-1; 1st inversion 7-6-7; 2nd inversion 10-12-10.
Which Bdim triad shape is the easiest?
Usually the lowest one on the top strings, 4-3-1, because it sits near the nut.
What does a Bdim triad sound like?
Tense and unstable: it wants to move to the next chord.
Can I practise Bdim with a game that listens to my guitar?
Yes. ChordRunner hears your guitar through the microphone and checks the chord in any shape or inversion. A USB MIDI keyboard works too.
Your instrument is the controller.
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.
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