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E♭ diminished 7th chord on bass (E♭dim7)
Also called or written E♭dim7 or E♭°7
E♭ diminished 7th contains E♭, G♭, B♭♭, and D♭♭. Its 10th fret position requires a wide stretch across all four strings.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7
- Root positionE♭–G♭–B♭♭–D♭♭E♭dim711-12-10-11
- First inversionG♭–B♭♭–D♭♭–E♭E♭dim7/G♭2-3-1-2
- Second inversionB♭♭–D♭♭–E♭–G♭E♭dim7/B♭♭5-6-4-5
- Third inversionD♭♭–E♭–G♭–B♭♭E♭dim7/D♭♭8-9-7-8
How do you play an E♭ diminished 7th chord on bass?
E♭ diminished 7th is played at the 10th fret as 11 12 10 11: middle finger on the E string at fret 11, pinky finger on the A string at fret 12, index finger on the D string at fret 10 and ring finger on the G string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 11 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (A) | 12 | 4 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (D) | 10 | 1 | D♭♭ (6) |
| 1 (G) | 11 | 3 | G♭ (♭3) |
AdvancedThe span from the index finger on the 2nd string to the pinky on the 3rd string requires significant finger independence.
E♭dim7/G♭ inversion · fret 1
E♭ diminished 7th is played at the 1st fret as 2 3 1 2: middle finger on the E string at fret 2, pinky finger on the A string at fret 3, index finger on the D string at fret 1 and ring finger on the G string at fret 2.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 2 | 2 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (A) | 3 | 4 | D♭♭ (6) |
| 2 (D) | 1 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | 2 | 3 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
E♭dim7/G♭ inversion · fret 13
E♭ diminished 7th is played at the 13th fret as 14 15 13 14: middle finger on the E string at fret 14, pinky finger on the A string at fret 15, index finger on the D string at fret 13 and ring finger on the G string at fret 14.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 14 | 2 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (A) | 15 | 4 | D♭♭ (6) |
| 2 (D) | 13 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | 14 | 3 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
E♭dim7/B♭♭ inversion
E♭ diminished 7th is played at the 4th fret as 5 6 4 5: middle finger on the E string at fret 5, pinky finger on the A string at fret 6, index finger on the D string at fret 4 and ring finger on the G string at fret 5.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 5 | 2 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (A) | 6 | 4 | E♭ (1) |
| 2 (D) | 4 | 1 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (G) | 5 | 3 | D♭♭ (6) |
E♭dim7/D♭♭ inversion
E♭ diminished 7th is played at the 7th fret as 8 9 7 8: middle finger on the E string at fret 8, pinky finger on the A string at fret 9, index finger on the D string at fret 7 and ring finger on the G string at fret 8.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 8 | 2 | D♭♭ (6) |
| 3 (A) | 9 | 4 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (D) | 7 | 1 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (G) | 8 | 3 | E♭ (1) |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ diminished 7th is built from the intervals 1, ♭3, ♭5, and ♭♭7 — a stack of three minor 3rds. The diminished 5th between E♭ and B♭♭ gives the chord its unstable, tense quality. Compare it with E♭ minor 7th flat 5th, which raises the seventh from D♭♭ to D♭.
What goes wrong with E♭ diminished 7th?
- Letting the index finger flatten and mute the 1st string.
- Pressing too hard with the pinky, causing the 3rd string to buzz.
- Failing to keep the middle finger perpendicular to the fretboard.
When to use it
E♭ diminished 7th often appears as a passing chord in jazz and classical music. It can resolve to E♭ minor 7th flat 5th or F major. E♭ diminished 7th suits dramatic transitions and chromatic bass lines.
Changing to and from E♭ diminished 7th
- Sliding the shape down two frets to the 8th fret gives C♯ diminished 7th.
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 9th fret gives D diminished 7th.
Which voicing to use
The 10th fret position keeps E♭ as the lowest note, giving a clear root-position sound. The E♭dim7/F♯ inversion places G♭ in the bass, creating a darker, less stable voicing. Choose the root position for foundational bass lines and inversions for smoother voice leading.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ diminished 7th written?
E♭ diminished 7th is written as E♭°7 or E♭dim7. The ASCII root is Eb, so you can type Ebdim7. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between E♭ diminished 7th and E♭ minor 7th flat 5th?
E♭ diminished 7th has a double-flatted seventh (D♭♭), while E♭ minor 7th flat 5th has a minor seventh (D♭). The diminished 7th chord is more dissonant and symmetrical.
Why does E♭ diminished 7th sound so tense?
E♭ diminished 7th contains two diminished 5th intervals: E♭–B♭♭ and G♭–D♭♭. These tritones create a strong pull toward resolution.