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E♭ diminished major 7th chord on ukulele (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 8th fret shape is the same four-finger stretch as A, moved up six frets.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, ♭5, 7
How do you play an E♭ diminished major 7th chord on ukulele?
E♭ diminished major 7th is played at the 8th fret as 8 9 10 9: index finger on the G string at fret 8, middle finger on the C string at fret 9, pinky finger on the E string at fret 10 and ring finger on the A string at fret 9.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 8 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (C) | 9 | 2 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (E) | 10 | 4 | D (7) |
| 1 (A) | 9 | 3 | G♭ (♭3) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach fret 10 on the E string while the ring finger holds fret 9 on the A string, a two-fret stretch.
E♭dimM7/G♭ inversion
E♭ diminished major 7th is played at the 5th fret as 7 6 5 6: pinky finger on the G string at fret 7, middle finger on the C string at fret 6, index finger on the E string at fret 5 and ring finger on the A string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 7 | 4 | D (7) |
| 3 (C) | 6 | 2 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (E) | 5 | 1 | B♭♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (A) | 6 | 3 | E♭ (1) |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ diminished major 7th is built 1, ♭3, ♭5, 7. The diminished 5th between E♭ and B♭♭ is a tritone, and the major 7th D is a leading tone to E♭. Compare it with E♭ minor 7th flat 5th, which has D♭ instead of D.
What goes wrong with E♭ diminished major 7th?
- Letting the pinky flatten and deaden the A string.
- Pressing the index finger too far from the fret, causing the G string to buzz.
When to use it
E♭ diminished major 7th works as a passing chord in E♭ minor, resolving to E♭ minor or E♭ major. Its leading tone suits gypsy minor and chromatic lines.
Changing to and from E♭ diminished major 7th
- Slide the shape down one fret to the 7th fret to reach D diminished major 7th.
Which voicing to use
The 8th fret position keeps E♭ in the bass. The E♭dimM7/C♯♯ inversion puts D in the bass, creating a tense sound with the leading tone on the bottom.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ diminished major 7th written?
E♭ diminished major 7th is written E♭°M7 or E♭dimM7. The ASCII root spelling is 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. E♭ minor 7th flat 5th has a minor 7th, D♭.
Why does E♭ diminished major 7th use B♭♭ instead of A?
E♭ diminished major 7th uses B♭♭ because the diminished 5th from E♭ is six semitones, and B♭♭ is the correct spelling in an E♭ context.