E diminished chord (Edim)
Edim is E, G and B♭: 1–♭3–♭5 built on E. Below: guitar, piano and ukulele, each playable.
On guitar
0-1-2-0-x-0 · open · medium
- Notes
- E · G · B♭
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5
- First shape
- 0-1-2-0-x-0
Edim on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · E–G–B♭ · right hand 1-3-5
- Notes
- E · G · B♭
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5
Edim on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
3-4-3-1 · movable · medium
- Notes
- E · G · B♭
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · ♭5
- First shape
- 3-4-3-1
Edim and the chords around it
The moves below are the ones you'll meet most, shown for guitar and piano.
- Edim → F (leads up a half step)
Guitar: Edim (0-1-2-0-x-0) to F (1-3-3-2-1-1): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 1st fret, the middle finger slides across to the G string at the same fret, the ring finger comes down on the A string, 3rd fret, the pinky finger comes down on the D string, 3rd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go.
Piano: Edim to F: play F in root position (F–A–C), while E moves up to F, G up to A and B♭ up to C. F - Edim → Fm (leads up a half step)
Guitar: Edim (0-1-2-0-x-0) to Fm (1-3-3-1-1-1): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the A string, 3rd fret, the ring finger comes down on the D string, 3rd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once.
Piano: Edim to Fm: play Fm in root position (F–A♭–C), while E moves up to F, G up to A♭ and B♭ up to C. Fm - Edim → Am (iii in F major)
Guitar: Edim (0-1-2-0-x-0) to Am (x-0-2-2-1-0): your middle finger stays put, move the index finger to the B string, 1st fret, the ring finger comes down on the G string, 2nd fret. E carries over from one chord to the other.
Piano: Edim to Am: play Am in 2nd inversion (E–A–C) and E stays under the same finger, while G moves up to A and B♭ up to C. Am
How Edim is built
Edim is a diminished triad: two minor thirds stacked. It sounds tense and unstable and rarely stays long. Its most common job is to lead up a half step, so Edim usually moves to F or Fm.
Start on E, count 3 half steps up to G then 3 half steps up to B♭.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | root | 0 | |
| G | minor third | 3 | |
| B♭ | diminished fifth | 6 |
Keys and progressions with Edim
Edim belongs to 2 keys: vii° in F major and ii° in D minor.
Chords close to Edim
- Edim and Em differ by one note: B♭ in Edim, B in Em. They share E and G. Em
Chords that share most of their notes with Edim: C7, C♯dim7, Edim7, Em7♭5, Gm6, Gdim7.
Every E chord
E diminished chord: questions
What notes are in the E diminished chord?
E, G and B♭. Edim is built 1–♭3–♭5 from E: G is the minor third and B♭ is the diminished fifth.
How do you play Edim on guitar?
The usual shape is 0-1-2-0-x-0 (open). All 3 guitar shapes.
How do you play Edim on piano?
Play E, G and B♭ with right-hand fingers 1-3-5. E sits just right of the pair of black keys. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play Edim on ukulele?
3-4-3-1 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is Edim in?
Edim belongs to 2 keys: vii° in F major and ii° in D minor.
What's the difference between Edim and Em?
Edim and Em differ by one note: B♭ in Edim, B in Em. They share E and G.
Diagrams and sound come from the same data, tested so they match. Updated September 2026.