Learn › C Sharp Diminished Triad Inversions on Guitar: 12 Shapes
New Released in April 2026
C Sharp Diminished Triad Inversions on Guitar: 12 Shapes
Learn the C#dim triad inversions on guitar and you can play C sharp diminished in any area of the neck with three fingers: C#, E and G, 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
Same chord, different bottom note
Root position puts C# at the bottom, 1st inversion puts E at the bottom, 2nd inversion puts G at the bottom. It is still C#dim; what changes is the lowest and the highest note you hear.
Tense and unstable: it wants to move to the next chord.
Connecting the inversions
Climbing the G-B-e strings: 2nd inversion (fret 2) → root position (fret 6) → 1st inversion (fret 9). Listen to the top note, E, G, C#: it is a little melody inside one chord.
One area of the neck, near fret 7, already holds four C#dim shapes: G-B-e strings 6-5-3; D-G-B strings 5-6-5; A-D-G strings 7-5-6; E-A-D strings 9-7-5.
Where C#dim sits on the neck
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
2nd inversion
Root position
1st inversion
D-G-B strings
1st inversion
2nd inversion
Root position
A-D-G strings
Root position
1st inversion
2nd inversion
E-A-D strings
2nd inversion
Root position
1st inversion
Practise C#dim triads in four steps
- Start with the G-B-e strings only: three shapes, one minute each.
- Connect the shapes up and down the G-B-e strings, four strums per shape.
- Pick one fret area, around fret 7, and find C#dim on every string set without moving your hand far.
- Then test yourself: random chord names, find the closest C#dim shape each time.
Small daily sessions work best: shapes stick by repetition.
Fret chart for C#dim triads
| String set | Root position | 1st inversion | 2nd inversion |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-B-e strings | x x x 6 5 3 | x x x 9 8 9 | x x x 0 2 0 |
| D-G-B strings | x x 11 9 8 x | x x 2 0 2 x | x x 5 6 5 x |
| A-D-G strings | x 4 2 0 x x | x 7 5 6 x x | x 10 11 9 x x |
| E-A-D strings | 9 7 5 x x x | 12 10 11 x x x | 3 4 2 x x x |
Frets from the low E string to the high E string; x = string not played.
Test C#dim with your guitar
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
How do you play C#dim triads on the top strings?
On the G, B and high E strings: 2nd inversion 0-2-0; Root position 6-5-3; 1st inversion 9-8-9. Play only those three strings.
Why learn triad inversions on guitar?
They let you play C#dim in any area of the neck with three fingers, so chord changes stay close and the top note can follow a melody.
What does a C#dim triad sound like?
Tense and unstable: it wants to move to the next chord.
Can I practise C#dim 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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