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E♭ diminished chord on bass (E♭dim)
Also called or written E♭dim or E♭°
E♭ diminished contains E♭, G♭, and B♭♭. The 11th fret position is a stretch for intermediate players.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5
- Root positionE♭–G♭–B♭♭E♭dim11-12-13-11
- First inversionG♭–B♭♭–E♭E♭dim/G♭2-0-1-2
- Second inversionB♭♭–E♭–G♭E♭dim/B♭♭5-6-4-×
How do you play an E♭ diminished chord on bass?
E♭ diminished is played at the 11th fret as 11 12 13 11: index finger on the E string at fret 11, ring finger on the A string at fret 12, pinky finger on the D string at fret 13 and middle finger on the G string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 11 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (A) | 12 | 3 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (D) | 13 | 4 | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | 11 | 2 | G♭ (♭3) |
IntermediateThe pinky must reach the 13th fret on the D string while the index and middle fingers hold the 11th fret on the outer strings.
E♭dim/G♭ inversion · open position
E♭ diminished is played in open position as 2 0 1 2: middle finger on the E string at fret 2, index finger on the D string at fret 1 and ring finger on the G string at fret 2. The A string rings open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 2 | 2 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (A) | open | — | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (D) | 1 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | 2 | 3 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
E♭dim/G♭ inversion · fret 12
E♭ diminished is played at the 12th fret as 14 12 13 14: ring finger on the E string at fret 14, index finger on the A string at fret 12, middle finger on the D string at fret 13 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 14.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 14 | 3 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (A) | 12 | 1 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (D) | 13 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | 14 | 4 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
E♭dim/B♭♭ inversion · fret 4
E♭ diminished is played at the 4th fret as 5 6 4 ×: middle finger on the E string at fret 5, ring finger on the A string at fret 6 and index finger on the D string at fret 4. The G string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 5 | 2 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (A) | 6 | 3 | E♭ (1) |
| 2 (D) | 4 | 1 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (G) | muted | — | — |
E♭dim/B♭♭ inversion · fret 11
E♭ diminished is played at the 11th fret as × 12 13 11: middle finger on the A string at fret 12, ring finger on the D string at fret 13 and index finger on the G string at fret 11. The E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (A) | 12 | 2 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (D) | 13 | 3 | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | 11 | 1 | G♭ (♭3) |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ diminished is built from the 1, ♭3, ♭5 formula. The diminished 5th between E♭ and B♭♭ gives it a tense, unstable sound. Compare it to E♭ minor, which has a perfect 5th (B♭).
What goes wrong with E♭ diminished?
- Letting the pinky collapse and buzz on the D string.
- Allowing the middle finger to touch the A string and mute the G♭.
When to use it
E♭ diminished works over E♭ minor and E♭ 5th chords. It also fits F♯ major and F♯ minor progressions. Use it for tense passing lines in classical or metal.
Changing to and from E♭ diminished
- Sliding the shape down two frets to the 9th fret gives C♯ diminished.
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 10th fret gives D diminished.
Which voicing to use
The 11th fret position puts E♭ in the bass for a root-position sound. The E♭dim/F♯ inversion starts on G♭ at the 1st fret, giving a lighter, more open feel.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ diminished written?
E♭ diminished is written E♭° or E♭dim. The root is typed as Eb in ASCII. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between E♭ diminished and E♭ minor?
E♭ diminished has a diminished 5th (B♭♭), while E♭ minor has a perfect 5th (B♭). The lowered fifth creates the diminished chord's tense quality.
Can E♭ diminished be played in a lower register?
Yes, the E♭dim/F♯ inversion at the 2nd fret uses all four strings, starting on G♭. It is easier to reach than the 11th fret position.