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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

E♭root
G♭minor 3rd
Aflat 5th
Cdiminished 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 D major.
Capo and transpose
Leading home
Maximum suspense, then release. In E minor.
Capo and transpose

Where it goes next

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

E
I. Its top note leads up one fret, straight home.
G♯m
iii. Settles onto iii.

Sounds close

Cdim7
The same four notes, named from another root. Both have E♭, G♭, A and C.
D7
Shares 3 of its notes. Both have G♭, A and C.
F7
Shares 3 of its notes. Both have E♭, A and C.
A♭7
Shares 3 of its notes. Both have E♭, G♭ and C.

Keys it lives in