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E♭ diminished chord on guitar (E♭dim)
Also called or written E♭dim or E♭°
E♭ diminished contains the notes E♭, G♭, and B♭♭. The 6th fret shape is movable and mutes both E strings.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5
- Root positionE♭–G♭–B♭♭E♭dim×-6-7-8-7-×
- First inversionG♭–B♭♭–E♭E♭dim/G♭2-0-1-2-×-×
- Second inversionB♭♭–E♭–G♭E♭dim/B♭♭×-×-×-2-4-2
How do you play an E♭ diminished chord on guitar?
E♭ diminished is played at the 6th fret as × 6 7 8 7 ×: index finger on the A string at fret 6, middle finger on the D string at fret 7, pinky finger on the G string at fret 8 and ring finger on the B string at fret 7. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 2 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 7 | 3 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
IntermediateThe 6th fret shape demands a four-fret stretch and precise muting of both E strings, making it intermediate.
11th fret
E♭ diminished is played at the 11th fret as 11 12 13 11 × ×: index finger on the low 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. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 12 | 3 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 4 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 11 | 2 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
E♭dim/G♭ inversion · open position
E♭ diminished is played in open position as 2 0 1 2 × ×: middle finger on the low 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. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 2 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | open | — | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 3 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
E♭dim/G♭ inversion · fret 2
E♭ diminished is played at the 2nd fret as × × 4 2 4 2: ring finger on the D string at fret 4, index finger on the G string at fret 2, pinky finger on the B string at fret 4 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 2. 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) | 4 | 3 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 1 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 4 | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 2 | G♭ (♭3) |
E♭dim/G♭ inversion · fret 7
E♭ diminished is played at the 7th fret as × 9 7 8 7 ×: pinky finger on the A string at fret 9, index finger on the D string at fret 7, ring finger on the G string at fret 8 and middle finger on the B string at fret 7. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 4 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 1 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 3 | E♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 7 | 2 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ diminished is built from the formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, giving E♭, G♭, and B♭♭. The double-flatted fifth creates the chord's unstable quality. Compare it to E♭ minor, which raises the fifth to B♭.
What goes wrong with E♭ diminished?
- Letting the low E string ring out, adding an E that is not part of E♭ diminished.
- Flattening the pinky on the G string, causing the 8th fret note to buzz.
- Strumming the high E string, which introduces an outside note.
When to use it
E♭ diminished functions as the vii° chord in F♯ major, leading to F♯ major. It also works as a passing chord between E♭ minor and F♯ major. Use it in jazz or classical for a tense, unresolved color.
Changing to and from E♭ diminished
- Slide the 6th fret shape up one fret to the 7th fret to get E diminished.
- Move to E♭ minor by lifting the pinky from the G string's 8th fret and playing the 8th fret on the B string instead.
Which voicing to use
The 6th fret shape is the most common and keeps the root E♭ in the bass. The 11th fret shape repeats the voicing higher. The E♭dim/F♯ inversions place G♭ in the bass, softening the root emphasis.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ diminished written?
E♭ diminished is written as E♭° or E♭dim. On a keyboard, use Eb for the root. 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 double-flatted fifth (B♭♭), while E♭ minor has a perfect fifth (B♭). The diminished fifth creates a more dissonant, tense sound.
Why are both E strings muted in the 6th fret shape?
The open E strings are not chord tones of E♭ diminished. Muting them keeps the voicing clean and prevents an unwanted major second clash.