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E diminished 7 chord

E diminished 7 Diminished & augmented family

Dramatic, suspenseful, silent-film villain.

Easiest shape1 of 5

Square: the root. In colour: the diminished 7th, which gives the chord its sound.

Change a finger and see what it becomes

Built from

Eroot
Gminor 3rd
B♭flat 5th
D♭diminished 7th

Every note is three frets from the next, so the chord has no centre and can slide anywhere.

Tension: Can't stay

Hear it in a progression

Passing chord
Slides between two chords, old-time and jazzy. In E♭ major.
Capo and transpose
Leading home
Maximum suspense, then release. In F minor.
Capo and transpose

Where it goes next

Thinking in F major, where it is the vii° chord.

F
I. Its top note leads up one fret, straight home.
Am
iii. Settles onto iii.

Sounds close

C♯dim7
The same four notes, named from another root. Both have E, G, B♭ and D♭.
C7
Shares 3 of its notes. Both have E, G and B♭.
E♭7
Shares 3 of its notes. Both have G, B♭ and D♭.
F♯7
Shares 3 of its notes. Both have E, B♭ and D♭.

Keys it lives in