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♭.
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.
E Diminished on piano
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 thumb on E, middle finger on G, and little finger on B♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
E Diminished on guitar
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. This one is a barre shape: keep the index finger flat across the fretboard and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram.
Play the chord
E Diminished chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | G |
| ♭5 | Tritone | 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.
Common progressions
The E Diminished chord works beautifully in these progressions. Click a chord name to jump to its page.
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.
Related chords to E Diminished
Once E Diminished feels comfortable, the chords below open up new progressions. Each one shares notes, keys or a harmonic function with it, which is what makes it the natural place to go next.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the E Diminished chord?
Is the E Diminished chord major or minor?
How do you play E Diminished on piano?
How do you play E Diminished on guitar?
What chords work well with E Diminished?
Keep exploring
Deepen your understanding of the E Diminished chord with our other music theory tools.