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C° Chord on Guitar

C° is the C diminished chord — 3 notes (C, E♭, G♭) built from the formula 1 ♭3 ♭5. Below are playable shapes across the fretboard, the keys it belongs to and the scales to use when soloing over it.

Notes: C · E♭ · G♭Formula: 1 · ♭3 · ♭5Hear it and see it on the fretboard ▸

C°: Chord shapes (open & barre)

  • C° – fret 3×R♭5R♭3×fret 3
  • C° – fret 77××R♭3♭5Rfret 7
  • C° – fret 1010××R♭5R♭3fret 10

C°: Triad voicings (3 strings)

  • C° – bass: R4R♭3♭5×××bass: R
  • C° – bass: R11×R♭3♭5××bass: R
  • C° – bass: R7××R♭3♭5×bass: R
  • C° – bass: R×××R♭3♭5bass: R
  • C° – bass: ♭39♭3♭5R×××bass: ♭3
  • C° – bass: ♭34×♭3♭5R××bass: ♭3
  • C° – bass: ♭311××♭3♭5R×bass: ♭3
  • C° – bass: ♭37×××♭3♭5Rbass: ♭3
  • C° – bass: ♭5♭5R♭3×××bass: ♭5
  • C° – bass: ♭58×♭5R♭3××bass: ♭5
  • C° – bass: ♭5××♭5R♭3×bass: ♭5
  • C° – bass: ♭511×××♭5R♭3bass: ♭5

Keys that contain C°

Scales to play over C°

Ordered from the most common choice. All of them contain C, E♭, G♭.

Other C chords

Triads

Sevenths

Sixths

Added

Extended

Diminished chords in other keys

FAQ

What notes are in the C° chord?
C° (C diminished) contains C, E♭, G♭ — formula 1 ♭3 ♭5.
How do you play C° on guitar?
A common shape is x3454x (low E to high E, x = muted string, around fret 3). This page shows more shapes, drop 2, drop 3 and shell voicings in the interactive library.
What scale goes with C°?
Good choices to solo over C°: C Locrian, C Diminished (whole-half), C Blues.
What key is C° in?
C° is diatonic in D♭ major (vii°), B♭ minor (ii°).