Hey Friend,

There's nine variations of the B diminished chord in today's lesson. Some of the shapes will look familiar, while others are new. Again, not a big deal, since there isn't a huge demand for diminished chords in popular music, but we like to stay well-rounded, no?

There are four root inversion shapes, three second inversions and two first inversions. Five of the nine shapes we've used for other chords - three are new shapes (since we use the same shape for two of the chords).

With the first five shapes, the chords are in the positions they would occupy for the CAGED system. The additional four chords offer some fairly simple shapes to work with.

When trying out the C and G shaped chords, you'll notice there's a bit of a stretch involved. The stretch is a bit awkward, but only a little more than what it would be if a normal C or G shape. 

The A and E shapes should look familiar - we've used them before for the D major and D minor chords. If noting else, you're getting good practice forming the shapes with your fingers - these are all good finger exercises!

Try each one to see how they feel - again, playing these chord shapes is more for the finger practice than it is for using these chords much in Rock music. If you're interested in Jazz, then you'll definitely want to spend some time learning these shapes. They will be handy for you. 

Here's something to try. Look at the chord charts and determine which variations of the chord are close together. For instance, look at the two chords in the sixth fret position. Try changing between the two shapes, and slowly play each one. There's also two in the tenth fret position you can change without too much hassle.

Working between a two chord set gets your fingers used to the configurations and stretches. Overall, playing each chord helps build flexibility and dexterity, so keep at it, practice at least five minutes on the shapes, and listen for inspiration in what you play. Even mistakes can lead to interesting ideas. 

So don't just play through the chords. Listen to them, too. There are all sorts of surprises you'll find along the way...

Peace~

Dave