Converting A to A^o (diminished)

Here is how you could make an A diminished arpeggio. An A major chord is A(1), C(3), and E(5). An A diminished is A(1), C(3), and E(5).

So to convert and A major to an A diminished I'm going to lower the C(3) on the 3rd and 1st strings down a half step to C(3). I am also going to lower the E(5) on the 3rd string down to E(5).

Sure, this does not give you a nice neat comfortable fingering, but keep this in mind. In a real life playing situation you are not necessarily going to be playing all 4 strings of an arpeggio. The notes on the 3rd and 4th strings are a very common shape that is used to create bass lines over an A diminished chord.

If you were to convert the basic A minor arpeggio form below to an A diminished, that would give you a little more comfortable fingering.

Lower the E(5) on the 3rd string to E( 5).

Here is another common major arpeggio shape converted to an A diminished.

Lower the C(3) on the 3rd string down a half step to C(3), and lower the E(5) on the 2nd string down to E(5).

This is not necessarily a comfortable position, but it will be useful to know where these notes are located.

Page 3, Converting A to A+

Page 5, Converting A to Asus2