Learn › C Diminished Triad Inversions on Guitar: 12 Shapes
New Released in April 2026
C Diminished Triad Inversions on Guitar: 12 Shapes
Learn the Cdim triad inversions on guitar and you can play C diminished in any area of the neck with three fingers: C, Eb and Gb, 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
Three orders of the same three notes
The notes never change, only their order. With Eb or Gb at the bottom, Cdim sounds lighter and lets the melody note on top change.
Tense and unstable: it wants to move to the next chord.
How to move between the shapes
On the G-B-e strings, the shapes go up the neck in this order: root position (fret 5) → 1st inversion (fret 8) → 2nd inversion (fret 13). The top notes along the way are Gb, C, Eb.
One area of the neck, near fret 10, already holds four Cdim shapes: G-B-e strings 8-7-8; D-G-B strings 10-8-7; A-D-G strings 9-10-8; E-A-D strings 11-9-10.
Twelve Cdim shapes, string set by string set
Start with the top three strings: the shapes are small and the top note is clear. Then move the same idea to the lower sets.
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
Practise Cdim triads in four steps
- Learn the three shapes on the top strings first, slowly, saying the bottom note each time.
- Connect the shapes up and down the G-B-e strings, four strums per shape.
- Stay near fret 10 and find Cdim on two different string sets.
- Then test yourself: random chord names, find the closest Cdim shape each time.
Small daily sessions work best: shapes stick by repetition.
Cdim inversions: the frets
| String set | Root position | 1st inversion | 2nd inversion |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-B-e strings | x x x 5 4 2 | x x x 8 7 8 | x x x 11 13 11 |
| D-G-B strings | x x 10 8 7 x | x x 13 11 13 x | x x 4 5 4 x |
| A-D-G strings | x 15 13 11 x x | x 6 4 5 x x | x 9 10 8 x x |
| E-A-D strings | 8 6 4 x x x | 11 9 10 x x x | 2 3 1 x x x |
Frets from the low E string to the high E string; x = string not played.
Play Cdim in a game
The game shows chord symbols, not diagrams, so you choose the shape: any inversion of Cdim counts, as long as the microphone hears the right notes.
Play the demoCommon questions
How do you play Cdim triads on the top strings?
On the G, B and high E strings: Root position 5-4-2; 1st inversion 8-7-8; 2nd inversion 11-13-11. Play only those three strings.
Which Cdim triad shape is the easiest?
Usually the lowest one on the top strings, 5-4-2, because it sits near the nut.
What does a Cdim triad sound like?
Tense and unstable: it wants to move to the next chord.
Can I practise Cdim 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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