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E diminished major 7th chord on guitar (EdimMaj7)
Also called or written EdimMaj7, EdimM7, E°M7, E augmented minor seventh or E minor seventh sharp five
E diminished major 7th is built from E, G, B♭ and D♯. The open shape uses two open strings and mutes the B and high e.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, 7
- Root positionE–G–B♭–D♯EdimMaj70-1-1-0-×-×
- First inversionG–B♭–D♯–EEdimMaj7/G3-1-1-0-×-0
- Second inversionB♭–D♯–E–GEdimMaj7/B♭×-1-1-0-×-0
- Third inversionD♯–E–G–B♭EdimMaj7/D♯×-×-13-12-11-12
How do you play an E diminished major 7th chord on guitar?
E diminished major 7th is played in open position as 0 1 1 0 × ×: index finger on the A string at fret 1 and middle finger on the D string at fret 1. The low E and G strings ring open. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | open | — | E (1) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 2 | D♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
AdvancedThe index and middle fingers must fret adjacent strings at the same fret without muting the open G, while the B and high e strings stay silent.
2nd fret
E diminished major 7th is played at the 2nd fret as × × 2 3 4 3: index finger on the D string at fret 2, middle finger on the G string at fret 3, pinky finger on the B string at fret 4 and ring 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 | 2 | B♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 4 | D♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 3 | G (♭3) |
7th fret
E diminished major 7th is played at the 7th fret as × 7 8 8 8 ×: index finger on the A string at fret 7, middle finger on the D string at fret 8, ring finger on the G string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 8. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 7 | 1 | E (1) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 2 | B♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 3 | D♯ (7) |
| 2 (B) | 8 | 4 | G (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
12th fret
E diminished major 7th is played at the 12th fret as 12 13 13 12 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 12, ring finger on the A string at fret 13, pinky finger on the D string at fret 13 and middle finger on the G string at fret 12. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 12 | 1 | E (1) |
| 5 (A) | 13 | 3 | B♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 4 | D♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 2 | G (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
EdimM7/G inversion
E diminished major 7th is played in open position as 3 1 1 0 × 0: ring finger on the low E string at fret 3, index finger on the A string at fret 1 and middle finger on the D string at fret 1. The G and high e strings ring open. The B string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 3 | G (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 2 | D♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | open | — | E (1) |
Why it sounds like that
E diminished major 7th uses the formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, 7. The diminished 5th between E and B♭ creates a tritone, and the major 7th D♯ is the leading tone. Compare it to E minor 7th flat 5th, which lowers the 7th to D.
What goes wrong with E diminished major 7th?
- Letting the B string ring open and clash with the chord.
- Flattening the middle finger onto the G string and muting the ♭3.
When to use it
E diminished major 7th appears in E minor progressions as a passing chord, often moving to E minor or E major 7th. The leading tone D♯ pulls to E, so use it before an E major cadence. It suits bluesy jazz and dramatic rock.
Changing to and from E diminished major 7th
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret gives F diminished major 7th.
Which voicing to use
The open shape keeps the bass on E and is the easiest to grab. The 2nd fret shape repeats the voicing an octave higher, while the 12th fret adds a brighter register for solos.
Other E chords
Common questions
How is E diminished major 7th written?
E diminished major 7th is written E°M7 or EdimM7.
What is the difference between E diminished major 7th and E minor 7th flat 5th?
E diminished major 7th has a major 7th, D♯. E minor 7th flat 5th lowers that note to D, giving a dominant-quality chord.
Why does E diminished major 7th sound so unstable?
The diminished 5th between E and B♭ creates a tritone, and the major 7th D♯ sits a semitone below the octave. Both intervals demand resolution.