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Guitar chords · Diminished 7th

E°7 chord on guitar (Edim7)

E°7 (E ) has four notes: E, G, B♭ and D♭, the , ♭3, ♭5 and 𝄫7.

Shapes

How to play E°7

Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the ; the other numbers are the chord tones.

E°7 has an , and one : the A shape at 7. A movable shape keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the , on the lowest played string, names the chord.

  • Open (E shape)

    ♭5R𝄫7EB♭EGD♭E
  • A shape · fret 7

    6fr××R♭5𝄫7♭3EB♭D♭G
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes E°7 diminished 7th

A chord stacks three minor 3rds, so every note is the same distance from the next. It is the vii°7 of the and pulls hard to the chord a above its .

  • 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
  • 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
  • 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.

The ♭3rd, the ♭5th and the 𝄫7th make E°7 a chord.

  1. ERroot
  2. G♭3essential
  3. B♭♭5essential
  4. D♭𝄫7essential
EADGBE0135791215EEEEEEEEEGB♭D♭GB♭D♭GB♭GB♭D♭GB♭D♭GB♭D♭GB♭D♭GB♭D♭G
  • E, the root
  • Other chord tones

E°7 usually resolves up a to F or Fm, the chord it leads into. Its four notes are evenly spaced, so the same shape also works as G°7, A♯°7 and C♯°7, leading to A♭, B and D.

Keys

Keys with E°7

E°7 belongs to one key: F minor (vii°7, ).

Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work

Slash chords

E°7 over another bass note

A keeps E°7 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • E°7/G

    E°7 with its ♭3rd, G, in the bass: the first inversion.

  • E°7/B♭

    E°7 with its ♭5th, B♭, in the bass: the second inversion.

  • E°7/D♭

    E°7 with its 𝄫7th, D♭, in the bass: the third inversion.

Questions

E°7, in short

What notes are in the E°7 chord?
E°7 (E ) has four notes: E, G, B♭ and D♭, the , ♭3, ♭5 and 𝄫7.
How do you play E°7 on guitar?
E°7 has an , and one : the A shape at 7.
What key is E°7 in?
E°7 belongs to one key: F minor (vii°7, ).
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