Ebdim Guitar Chord

Ebdim is the E flat diminished chord, a diminished triad. It has three notes: E♭, G♭ and A. You will also see it written D#dim, and that spelling explains its favorite job: sitting between D and E minor, one fret from each, as in the verse of Blackbird. The standard shape starts at the 1st fret and uses four fingers, no barre.

The Ddim grip one fret up the neck: root on the D string, pinky stretched to the 4th fret of the B string. Movable to any root.

How to play Ebdim, step by step

Index finger: 1st fret, D string
Middle finger: 2nd fret, G string
Ring finger: 2nd fret, high E string
Pinky finger: 4th fret, B string
Strum from the D string down, skipping the two lowest strings.

This is the open Ddim grip moved up one fret, with the pinky now fretting what used to be the open string. Learn it here and you can slide it to any root.

More ways to play Ebdim

There are 2 common Ebdim shapes in total: the standard one at the top of the page, plus these, easiest first. You only ever need one. Tap any card to hear it.

Ebdim guitar chord diagram, compact, frets 6 to 8, played x6787x — Compact, frets 6 to 8

If it rattles or goes quiet

Pinky note on the B string buzzes: The pinky sits two frets above the other fingers, and the stretch pulls it away from the 4th fret. Turn your wrist out slightly so the pinky lands close behind its fret.
High E note vanishes: The stretched pinky leans back onto the high E and mutes the ring finger's note. Arch the pinky and check the top two strings one at a time.
Low strings ring underneath: The low E and A are not in the chord. Aim the strum at the top four strings, or drape your thumb over the low E as insurance.

What makes it an Ebdim

E♭ · G♭ · A 1 ♭3 ♭5

Ebdim is a stack of two minor thirds: E♭ to G♭, then up three more frets. The top note is strictly spelled B double flat, which is the same pitch as A, so charts simply write A. Compared to E♭ minor the fifth has shrunk by one fret, and that is the entire source of the chord's tense, suspended-in-air quality.

Spelled as D#dim it is the leading tone chord of E: D♯ pulls up to E. That is exactly how Blackbird uses it, walking D, Ebdim, Em with the bass climbing a fret at a time. Outside that move it appears in E major and E minor songs wherever a writer wants the harmony to climb chromatically.

Ebdim vs Ebm

E♭m is E♭, G♭, B♭. Ebdim keeps the root and third but lowers the fifth to A (strictly B double flat). One fret of difference splits their jobs completely: E♭m is a stable, dark chord that can carry a section, while Ebdim refuses to sit still and exists to connect, usually up a fret to E or Em. On guitar E♭m generally wants a barre; Ebdim never does, which makes the diminished chord the easier grab of the two.

Ebdim chord questions

What songs use Ebdim?

Blackbird by The Beatles is the classic case: the verse walks D, Ebdim, Em, with the diminished chord bridging the two. The same one fret climb shows up in many songs in E minor and G major.

Are Ebdim and D#dim the same chord?

Yes, identical notes and identical shapes. D#dim is the more logical name when it resolves to E, but both are common on charts.

What is the difference between Ebdim and Ebdim7?

Ebdim is the three note triad on this page. Ebdim7 adds a diminished seventh (C) for four notes and a thicker sound. A plain dim or ° symbol on a chart means the triad.

Is Ebdim hard to play?

The awkward part is the pinky sitting two frets above the other fingers. There is no barre, and once that stretch settles, the same grip plays every diminished chord up the neck.

Why does the diagram show A instead of Bbb?

Strict theory spells the flat fifth of E♭ as B double flat, but that is the same pitch as A. Diagrams use A because nobody thinks in double flats mid song.