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E♭ diminished major 7th chord on bass (E♭dimMaj7)
Also called or written E♭dimMaj7, E♭dimM7, E♭°M7, E♭ augmented minor seventh or E♭ minor seventh sharp five
E♭ diminished major 7th contains E♭, G♭, B♭♭, and D. The 11th-fret shape places the root on the 4th string and requires a wide stretch.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, 7
- Root positionE♭–G♭–B♭♭–DE♭dimMaj711-12-12-11
- First inversionG♭–B♭♭–D–E♭E♭dimMaj7/G♭no shape on this instrument
- Second inversionB♭♭–D–E♭–G♭E♭dimMaj7/B♭♭no shape on this instrument
- Third inversionD–E♭–G♭–B♭♭E♭dimMaj7/Dno shape on this instrument
How do you play an E♭ diminished major 7th chord on bass?
E♭ diminished major 7th is played at the 11th fret as 11 12 12 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 12 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) | 12 | 4 | D (7) |
| 1 (G) | 11 | 2 | G♭ (♭3) |
AdvancedE♭ diminished major 7th requires the ring finger and pinky to fret adjacent strings at the same fret while the index and middle hold the lower fret.
Why it sounds like that
E♭ diminished major 7th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, 7. The diminished 5th between E♭ and B♭♭ creates a tritone that gives the chord its dark color. The major 7th D is a leading tone that resolves upward to E♭. Compare with E♭ minor 7th flat 5th, which has D♭ instead of D.
What goes wrong with E♭ diminished major 7th?
- Letting the ring finger flatten onto the 2nd string, which deadens the G♭.
- Pressing the index finger too hard, causing the 4th string to buzz against the fret.
- Allowing the pinky to drift sharp, making the 2nd string note sound out of tune.
When to use it
E♭ diminished major 7th works as a passing chord in E♭ minor, often between E♭ minor and E♭ minor 7th. Its tense sound suits jazz ballads and dramatic film cues. Use it to add chromatic motion on the bass.
Changing to and from E♭ diminished major 7th
- Sliding the shape down two frets to the 9th fret gives C♯ diminished major 7th.
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 10th fret gives D diminished major 7th.
Which voicing to use
The 11th-fret position places the root E♭ on the 4th string, giving a solid low foundation. The shape is movable, so sliding it up or down changes the chord while keeping the same fingering.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ diminished major 7th written?
E♭ diminished major 7th is written E♭°M7 or E♭dimM7. The root is E♭, with ASCII spelling Eb. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between E♭ diminished major 7th and E♭ minor 7th flat 5th?
E♭ diminished major 7th has a major 7th (D), while E♭ minor 7th flat 5th has a minor 7th (D♭). The major 7th creates a leading tone that pulls strongly to the octave.
Can E♭ diminished major 7th be played in an open position?
No, the supplied voicing is at the 11th fret. The chord contains no open strings, so it can be moved to any fret to change the root.