As the leading-tone chordF major
- vii°7E°7
- IF
Every note pulls inward into F by a semitone or a tone. This is the chord's primary function.
E Diminished 7 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The E Diminished 7 chord is built on the root note E. Its notes are E, G, B♭ and D♭.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Diminished seventh chords are pure tension, built from three stacked minor thirds. The shape repeats every three frets and every three keys, so any note in it can act as the root, which is exactly why composers use it to pivot into distant keys.
- Notes
- E · G · B♭ · D♭
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5 · °7
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 6 · 9
- Note
- E
- Quality
- Diminished 7
- Symbol
- E°7
E Diminished 7 on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play E Diminished 7 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on E, index finger on G, middle finger on B♭ and little finger on D♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard B♭ and D♭ are black keys 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
- D♭°7
E Diminished 7 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 7 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Strings 6, 3 and 1 ring open.
E · G · B♭ · D♭
Try E Diminished 7 on the virtual piano
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E Diminished 7 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | G | |
| ♭5 | Diminished fifth | 6 | B♭(Bb) | |
| °7 | Diminished seventh | 9 | D♭(Db) |
How to use the E Diminished 7 chord
The E Diminished 7 chord is built from a root, a minor third, a diminished fifth and a diminished seventh. Start at the root E and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: E, G, B♭ and D♭. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Diminished seventh chords work as passing chords between two diatonic chords a whole step apart, and as the vii°7 leading to the tonic. Jazz, ragtime, gypsy jazz and classical music all use them to move sideways.
How E Diminished 7 differs from similar chords
E°7 adds a diminished seventh to E°, while Em7♭5 adds a minor seventh a half step higher. Every interval inside E°7 is a minor third, so the chord repeats itself every three semitones. There are only three different diminished seventh chords, and each one goes by four names.
Where E Diminished 7 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.
Standing in for C7♭9F major
- V7♭9E°7
- IF
Stated plainly: E Diminished 7 here is C7♭9 without its root. A substitution is only shown when the copy names it.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the E Diminished 7 chord?
- The E Diminished 7 chord contains E, G, B♭ and D♭ (E, G, Bb and Db in plain text).
- Is the E Diminished 7 chord major or minor?
- E Diminished 7 is a diminished seventh chord. Diminished seventh chords are pure tension, built from three stacked minor thirds. The shape repeats every three frets and every three keys, so any note in it can act as the root, which is exactly why composers use it to pivot into distant keys.
- How do you play E Diminished 7 on piano?
- Place your fingers on E, G, B♭ and D♭ 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♭ and D♭ are black keys and E and G are white.
- How do you play E Diminished 7 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Strings 6, 3 and 1 ring open.
- What chords work well with E Diminished 7?
- E Diminished 7 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.