Banjo Fdim chord (Double C)F diminished on the 5-string banjo: 5 4 5 6, and 2 more shapes

Fdim chord chart for 5-string banjo in Double C tuning: 5 4 5 6, from the 4th fret, with the short 5th string marked
Fdim (F diminished) on the 5-string banjo, Double C: 5 4 5 6, string 4 to string 1. Fingers are numbered on the dots; copper marks the root; the green ring on the left is the 5th string, solid when it’s in the chord.

Frets, string 4 to string 1: 5 4 5 6 (from the 4th fret)

  1. String 4 (C): 5th fret, middle finger, F
  2. String 3 (G): 4th fret, index finger, C♭
  3. String 2 (C): 5th fret, ring finger, F
  4. String 1 (D): 6th fret, little finger, A♭
  5. String 5, the short g: open, G, not in the chord

Sounds: F C♭ F A♭  ·  Fdim is F, A♭, C♭ (1 · ♭3 · ♭5)

Found in: F♯ major (vii°), D♭ mixolydian (iii°), A♭ dorian (vi°), E♭ minor (ii°)

The 5th string: the short g rubs against the A♭ in this shape, a semitone away: some players let it ring, some skip it.

With a capo: on the 5th fret it’s 0 5 3 4 (frets counted from the capo), an open Cdim shape. Spike the 5th string at the 10th fret to keep it in tune with the capo.

Double C tuning: gCGCD, the short 5th string first, then strings 4 to 1.

Hear it in the app ›

The link can’t set the tuning: the app starts in open G. Choose Double C once in its Settings and it remembers.

More Fdim shapes

  1. 8fr1312gA♭FA♭C♭8 10 8 9
    8fr
  2. 11fr1314gC♭A♭C♭F11 13 11 15
    11fr

Other F chords in Double C

FFmF7Fm7Fmaj7F6Fsus4Fsus2FdimFaug

Other diminished chords

GdimAdimDdimCdimBdimEdimFdimB♭dim

Fdim in other tunings

Open GSawmillOpen DC Tuning

All Double C banjo chords · Printable chart (PDF) · How to tune · The app