As the leading-tone chordF major
- vii°E°
- IF
Every note pulls inward into F by a semitone or a tone. This is the chord's primary function.
E Diminished Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The E Diminished chord is built on the root note E. Its notes are E, G and B♭.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Diminished chords sound unstable and suspenseful. Two stacked minor thirds create a tight, dissonant tension that composers use for passing chords, horror scores and dramatic turnarounds.
- Notes
- E · G · B♭
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 6
- Note
- E
- Quality
- Diminished
- Symbol
- E°
E Diminished on piano
3 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play E Diminished on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on E, middle finger on G and little finger on B♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard B♭ is a black key and E and G are white. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- E1
- G♭3
- B♭♭5
E Diminished on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, E Diminished is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 7 and 9. Don't play strings 6 and 1.
E · G · B♭
Play E Diminished on the online piano
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E Diminished chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | G | |
| ♭5 | Diminished fifth | 6 | B♭(Bb) |
How to use the E Diminished chord
The E Diminished chord is built from a root, a minor third and a diminished fifth. Start at the root E and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: E, G and B♭. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Diminished chords are passing tools in classical, jazz, bluegrass and film music. They're often used as vii° leading to the tonic or as chromatic passing chords between diatonic chords.
In major keys E° is the vii° in F major; in minor keys it's the ii° in D minor.
How E Diminished differs from similar chords
E° is Em with the fifth lowered by a half step, and that flat fifth is the whole difference. Add a minor seventh and you get Em7♭5, add a diminished seventh and you get the fully symmetrical E°7. On its own it is the leading-tone chord (vii°) of the major key a half step up.
Where E Diminished is used
A diminished chord is a tension chord. It works as the leading-tone chord of a key, and as a dominant seventh with its root left out.
Scales that contain E°
These scales include E° as one of their diatonic chords. Use them to find melodies and improvisation ideas that fit perfectly.
C Mixolydian
C · D · E · F · G · A · B♭
C Phrygian Dominant
C · D♭ · E · F · G · A♭ · B♭
C Lydian Dominant
C · D · E · F♯ · G · A · B♭
C Hindu
C · D · E · F · G · A♭ · B♭
D Natural Minor
D · E · F · G · A · B♭ · C
D Harmonic Minor
D · E · F · G · A · B♭ · C♯
D Aeolian
D · E · F · G · A · B♭ · C
D Harmonic Major
D · E · F♯ · G · A · B♭ · C♯
D Hindu
D · E · F♯ · G · A · B♭ · C
D Arabian
D · E · F♯ · G · A♭ · B♭ · C
E Locrian
E · F · G · A · B♭ · C · D
E Altered
E · F · G · A♭ · B♭ · C · D
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the E Diminished chord?
- The E Diminished chord contains E, G and B♭ (E, G and Bb in plain text).
- Is the E Diminished chord major or minor?
- E Diminished is a diminished chord. Diminished chords sound unstable and suspenseful. Two stacked minor thirds create a tight, dissonant tension that composers use for passing chords, horror scores and dramatic turnarounds.
- What key is the E Diminished chord in?
- In major keys E° is the vii° in F major; in minor keys it's the ii° in D minor.
- How do you play E Diminished on piano?
- Place your fingers on E, G and B♭ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard B♭ is a black key and E and G are white.
- How do you play E Diminished on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 7 and 9. Don't play strings 6 and 1.
- What chords work well with E Diminished?
- E Diminished pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.