? on Cdim fingering

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peacefuldawn

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Sorry, I couldn't find the answer thru search. Working on Uncle Rod's Ukulele Boot Camp, his C dim fingering is 2323. On the ukulele-chords.com/Cdim, there are 3 fingers- 0213.

The latter fingering is easier to form. Can I use it instead?
Thanks,
Ann
 
Note with that fingering that it has an X on the G string, which means that string is not played.

Also, the 0213 numbering is confusing because it's telling you which fingers to use on which strings, not which frets to play. That fingering is typically written as X323.

Keep working on the 2323, though. It gets easier. You're probably accustomed to using your pointer and middle fingers to make the 2020 D7, you just have to get the ring and pinky accustomed to swinging around and picking up the C and A strings.
 
Lately I've been barring the 2nd fret and using my middle and ring fingers to pick up the C and A 3rd frets.
 
aquadan said:
Lately I've been barring the 2nd fret and using my middle and ring fingers to pick up the C and A 3rd frets.
Click to expand...

I play dim chords as a barre as well.
The advantage of the dim shape (either barred or four fingers) is the shape is always the same as you move it around the fret board.
The chord names repeat every 3 frets.
Each position is actually four chords, so with one shape you can play a lot of chords.
 
aquadan said:
Lately I've been barring the 2nd fret and using my middle and ring fingers to pick up the C and A 3rd frets.
Click to expand...

Doing the same myself on the C dim and I'm loving the Cdim to Dm7 progression but find when playing the... oh. Is a F dim and a D dim the same fingering on 1212? I was going to say fretting that chord is easier for me with all four fingers. I might have a tiny bit more adjustment to the nut on smiley.

~peace~
 
Not to be picky, but 2323 is actually Cdim7. Everyone tends to use dim and dim7 interchangeably - and it sounds just fine - but they are not exactly the same chord.

********The More You Know........
 
Oh come now is uncle rod teaching me wrong? Bad enough hes cornfused me by labeling a 1212 fingering as a Fdim or a Ddim all the while calling it Abdim at the same time. Now I see a Cdim 2323 is also being called an Adim in the key of A.

If 2323 is Cdim7... o_O What is an actual Cdim for those of us who just do not get chord theory.

Oh fudge it!
 
Wicked said:
Not to be picky, but 2323 is actually Cdim7. Everyone tends to use dim and dim7 interchangeably - and it sounds just fine - but they are not exactly the same chord.

********The More You Know........
Click to expand...
This is correct but a dim 7 chord ALWAYS works where a dim chord is called for. It's just easier to remember the 1 shape and go with it.
 
Inksplosive AL said:
Oh come now is uncle rod teaching me wrong? Bad enough hes cornfused me by labeling a 1212 fingering as a Fdim or a Ddim all the while calling it Abdim at the same time. Now I see a Cdim 2323 is also being called an Adim in the key of A.

If 2323 is Cdim7... o_O What is an actual Cdim for those of us who just do not get chord theory.

Oh fudge it!
Click to expand...

The basic building block interval of chords is the THIRD. A major third is four half steps (i.e. C to E). A minor third is three half steps (i.e. C to Eb).

If you start with a major third (C-E) then stack a minor third on that (E-G) you get a major triad (three note chord).
If you start with a minor third (C-Eb) then stack a major third on that (Eb-G) you get a minor triad.
Two major thirds give you an Augmented Triad (C-E-G#).
Two minor thirds give you a Diminished Triad (C-Eb-Gb).

If you stack on another third on top of the triad, you get a 7 chord - the variety of which depends on the combination of major and minor thirds (CMaj7, C7, Cmin7, Cmin7b5 [also known as half diminished], and Cdim7.

A diminished 7 chord consists of three minor thirds stacked one atop the other (C-Eb-Gb-A). Because there are only 12 tones in the chromatic scale - and 12 is divisible by three - if we were to stack another minor third, we arrive back at the root (one octave higher) - C-Eb-Gb-A-C... and so on. This unique bit of math means that the same four notes are used for (in this case) Cdim7, Ebdim7, Gbdim7, and Adim7... So, no, Uncle Rod did not steer you wrong.... and yes, it is easier to just use the repeating dim7 chord shape than worry about playing a plain old diminished triad.
 
Stacy's answer is the technical explanation and involves a lot of music theory.
The bottom line is using the DIM7 shape every note can be a root note, so the same shape on any fret is actually 4 chords. Context is very important.
If you tell the bass player you are playing a Cdim7 and you are really playing and Ebdim7 it is going to clash.
Remember they repeat every 3 frets. When I see a dim7 chord in a song I make a note as to what fret to play the shape on, it is easier than learning all the names.


Wicked said:
The basic building block interval of chords is the THIRD. A major third is four half steps (i.e. C to E). A minor third is three half steps (i.e. C to Eb).

If you start with a major third (C-E) then stack a minor third on that (E-G) you get a major triad (three note chord).
If you start with a minor third (C-Eb) then stack a major third on that (Eb-G) you get a minor triad.
Two major thirds give you an Augmented Triad (C-E-G#).
Two minor thirds give you a Diminished Triad (C-Eb-Gb).

If you stack on another third on top of the triad, you get a 7 chord - the variety of which depends on the combination of major and minor thirds (CMaj7, C7, Cmin7, Cmin7b5 [also known as half diminished], and Cdim7.

A diminished 7 chord consists of three minor thirds stacked one atop the other (C-Eb-Gb-A). Because there are only 12 tones in the chromatic scale - and 12 is divisible by three - if we were to stack another minor third, we arrive back at the root (one octave higher) - C-Eb-Gb-A-C... and so on. This unique bit of math means that the same four notes are used for (in this case) Cdim7, Ebdim7, Gbdim7, and Adim7... So, no, Uncle Rod did not steer you wrong.... and yes, it is easier to just use the repeating dim7 chord shape than worry about playing a plain old diminished triad.
Click to expand...
 
I make a G shape at the 3rd fret and hold the top string with my thumb.

I'm also using Uncle Rod's bootcamp too. Changing from Cdim to Dm7 is as simple as moving the pointer and middle fingers down 1 fret.

I take chord fingerings as a suggestion. If I find an easier way to do it and it sounds right, that's what I'll do.
 
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