Abdim Ukulele Chord
Need the Abdim chord for a song? It is a three-finger shape, a little fiddly at first but it settles fast. Your fingers go on the C, E and A strings. The steps below show exactly where each one sits.
- Notes: Ab, B and D
- Frets: x 2 4 2
- Tuning: g C E A
Abdim ukulele chord details
- Type
- Diminished triad
- Also known as
- G#dim, or Ab diminished
- Formula
- 1 b3 b5
- Intervals
- Ab (root), B (minor 3rd), D (diminished 5th)
- Notes
- Ab, B and D
- Frets
- x 2 4 2
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Tuning
- Standard (g C E A)
How to play the Abdim chord
Here is the Abdim chord step by step:
- Put your index finger on the 2nd fret of the C string.
- Put your ring finger on the 4th fret of the E string.
- Put your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the A string.
- Do not play the g string.
- Strum the strings you are fretting.
Take it slowly the first few times and it will start to feel natural. New to these grids? Have a look at how to read a ukulele chord diagram.
What notes are in the Abdim chord?
The Abdim chord is built from three notes: Ab, B and D (the root, minor 3rd and diminished 5th). Diminished chords are tense and dark, usually used as a quick passing chord between two others rather than on their own.
Ukulele songs that use the Abdim chord
- Misc TraditionalJingle Bell Rock
- MitskiFirst Love / Late Spring
- Bo BurnhamGoodbye
- The Living TombstoneIt’s Been So Long
- AdeleRight As Rain
- George HarrisonMy Sweet Lord
- Elvis PresleyIf I Can Dream
- Misc CartoonsHappily Ever After (from Steven Universe The Movie)
- She & HimI Thought I Saw Your Face Today
- Lyn LapidLike You Want Me To
The Abdim chord belongs to A Major (the vii°) and F♯ Minor (the ii°). Each key page shows the rest of that family, the progressions that use it and songs to play.
Want to go further?
Once Abdim feels comfortable, its close relatives are worth exploring: try Ab7, Abmaj7, Abm and Ab. Diminished chords work as passing chords, so you will usually slide Abdim between two others rather than rest on it. Then put it into a strumming pattern. When you are ready, try some easy ukulele songs.