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E diminished 7th chord on guitar (Edim7)
Also called or written Edim7 or E°7
E diminished 7th is built from E, G, B♭, and D♭. The open voicing uses all six strings with no muting.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7
- Root positionE–G–B♭–D♭Edim70-1-2-0-2-0
- First inversionG–B♭–D♭–EEdim7/G3-1-2-0-2-0
- Second inversionB♭–D♭–E–GEdim7/B♭×-1-2-0-2-0
- Third inversionD♭–E–G–B♭Edim7/D♭×-4-2-3-2-3
How do you play an E diminished 7th chord on guitar?
E diminished 7th is played in open position as 0 1 2 0 2 0: index finger on the A string at fret 1, middle finger on the D string at fret 2 and ring finger on the B string at fret 2. The low E, G and high e strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | open | — | E (1) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 2 | E (1) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 3 | D♭ (6) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | E (1) |
AdvancedThe open voicing requires precise fretting on three strings while keeping three open strings ringing clearly.
Open · G on top
E diminished 7th is played in open position as 0 1 2 0 2 3: index finger on the A string at fret 1, middle finger on the D string at fret 2, ring finger on the B string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. The low E and G strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | open | — | E (1) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 2 | E (1) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 3 | D♭ (6) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (♭3) |
2nd fret
E diminished 7th is played at the 2nd fret as × × 2 3 2 3: index finger on the D string at fret 2, ring finger on the G string at fret 3, middle finger on the B string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 1 | E (1) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 3 | B♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 2 | D♭ (6) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (♭3) |
5th fret
E diminished 7th is played at the 5th fret as × 7 5 6 5 6: barre your index finger across fret 5, pinky finger on the A string at fret 7, middle finger on the G string at fret 6 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 6. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 7 | 4 | E (1) |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 1 (barre) | G (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 2 | D♭ (6) |
| 2 (B) | 5 | 1 (barre) | E (1) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 3 | B♭ (♭5) |
6th fret
E diminished 7th is played at the 6th fret as × 7 8 6 8 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, middle finger on the A string at fret 7, ring finger on the D string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 8. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 7 | 2 | E (1) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 3 | B♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (6) |
| 2 (B) | 8 | 4 | G (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (♭5) |
Why it sounds like that
E diminished 7th stacks three minor 3rds on E: 1, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7. The diminished 5th between E and B♭ gives the chord its tense quality. Compare it with E minor 7th flat 5th, which has a ♭7 instead of a ♭♭7.
What goes wrong with E diminished 7th?
- Flattening the index finger onto the G string, muting the open note.
- Pressing the middle finger too hard on the D string, causing the note to go sharp.
- Letting the ring finger touch the high E string, muting the open note.
When to use it
E diminished 7th often functions as a leading-tone chord in F major or F minor, resolving to F major or F minor. Its tense sound suits classical cadences and jazz turnarounds. Try it before F major or F minor.
Changing to and from E diminished 7th
- Move to <a href="/guitar/e-flat-dim-7-chord">E♭ diminished 7th</a> by sliding the shape down one fret to the 1st fret.
- Shift to <a href="/guitar/f-dim-7-chord">F diminished 7th</a> by moving the fretted notes up one fret while keeping the open strings.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing keeps E in the bass and is the easiest to play. The 5th fret barre version offers a higher register with the same bass note but more sustain.
Other E chords
Common questions
How is E diminished 7th written?
E diminished 7th is written E°7 or Edim7.
What is the difference between E diminished 7th and E minor 7th flat 5th?
E diminished 7th has a ♭♭7 (D♭), while E minor 7th flat 5th has a ♭7 (D). The diminished 7th chord is more dissonant and symmetrical.
Why does E diminished 7th sound unstable?
E diminished 7th contains two diminished 5th intervals, creating strong tension. The chord wants to resolve, usually to a chord a half step above one of its notes.