Diminished chord tones create an air of uneasiness. And whether you find them through guitar lessons or articles like this one, these guitar chord types can really revolutionize your playing! Today we’ll be looking at two types of E diminished guitar chords.
Table of Contents
- What’s E Diminished?
- What’s E Diminished 7?
- How to Play the E Diminished Chord
- How to Play the E Diminished 7 Chord
- Keep Learning New Guitar Chords!
- FAQ
What’s E Diminished?
The E dim chords we’ll cover here are based on the E dim chord triad: a root note, minor (flattened) third, and diminished (flattened) fifth. To get these scale degrees, we need the E major scale:
E – F# – G# – A – B – C# – D#
Our root note is E. The third degree is G# – G sharp guitar chord, and minor thirds are lowered by a half step, so our minor third is G. Our fifth is B. We flatten this one to get Bb. So an E diminished chord contains E, G, and Bb.
What’s E Diminished 7?
A diminished seventh chord uses a diminished triad but adds a seventh that has been flattened twice. As we can see above, the seventh scale degree is D#. We flatten that twice to get Db. So an E dim seventh chord contains the notes E, G, Bb, and Db.
How to Play the E Diminished Chord
Of all guitar chord charts of the E diminished chord, this is probably the easiest one. Here are the suggested finger positions with names of notes:
- Place your first finger on the fifth string at the first fret (Bb).
- Place your middle finger on the fourth string at the second fret (E).
- Mute or skip the first and second strings and play the other strings open (E, G).
How to Play the E Diminished 7 Chord
Here’s how to play the E dim 7 guitar chord (with names of notes):
- Place your first finger on the fifth string at the first fret (Bb).
- Place your middle finger on the fourth string at the second fret (E).
- Place your ring finger on the second string at the second fret (Db).
- Mute or skip the sixth string and play the other strings open (G, E).
Keep Learning New Guitar Chords!
You don’t see the Edim chord or other diminished chords as often as major or minor chords. But part of being a well-rounded guitarist is knowing a range of voicings and chord types. Don’t be afraid to keep exploring diminished chord charts!
FAQ
Still have some questions? Here are some common ones:
The easiest way to play an E diminished chord is by placing your index finger on the fifth string at the first fret and your middle finger on the fourth string at the second fret. You then mute or skip the first and second strings.
A dim chord (or diminished chord) is a three-note or four-note chord that includes a root, a flattened third, and a flattened fifth.
The E diminished 7 builds on the E diminished chord. It includes a root note, flat third, flat fifth, and a seventh that is flattened twice.
Chords in the key of E include A, E, B, F#m, G#m, C#m, and D#dim.
