Abdim

Abdim is Ab, Cb and D, a diminished triad. The shape this page opens on is written 42x43x, lowest string first.

Also written Ab°, Abo or Ab diminished. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 4 common shapes for Abdim on the guitar, and 52 derived voicings in 2 families.

In which keys. Every note of Abdim belongs to F# minor (the ii°) and A major (the vii°).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 42x43x, xx67x7, x-11-9-x-9-10, x-11-12-13-12-x.

Triad. Three notes across one string set. Abdim has x201xx, xx010x, x2010x, x2013x, 420xxx, 4204xx, xxx434, xx0434.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. Abdim has 456400, xx6430, 756700, 4x0600, xx0420, 7x0600.

Tensions. A shell of Abdim, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 11 (Db) and the b13 (Fb).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.