Ebdim Piano Chord

E flat diminished is the Ebdim piano chord. It has three notes: E flat, G flat and A. It is an E flat minor chord with the fifth lowered by one key.

1E♭3G♭5AC4C5

E♭ at the bottom, then G♭ and A. Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1. The black keys are E♭ and G♭.

How to play Ebdim on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the E♭ above middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): E♭
  3. Middle finger (3): G♭
  4. Little finger (5): A
  5. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 3, 1 an octave lower, or just E♭ on its own as a bass note.

The top note is written A rather than B double flat, because A is the key you play and the name every chart prints.

Inversions of Ebdim

The same 3 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are Ebdim; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionG♭ A E♭
Ebdim piano chord diagram, first inversion, G♭ A E♭
Lighter than root position and less final. A flat third in the bass tips the chord forward, which is why it usually sits between two other chords rather than at the end of a line.
Second inversionA E♭ G♭
Ebdim piano chord diagram, second inversion, A E♭ G♭
Open and slightly unresolved. A fifth in the bass makes the chord sound like a step on the way somewhere, which is mostly how it is used.

If it sounds wrong

The top note is B flat
That gives E flat minor. E flat diminished needs A, one key lower.
The thumb keeps sliding
It is on a black key. Move the whole hand into the keyboard so the thumb sits comfortably rather than reaching back.
The chord sounds unstable
It should. Resolve it upward to E major, or back into E flat minor.

What makes it an Ebdim

E♭ · G♭ · A 1 ♭3 ♭5

E flat diminished is E flat, G flat and A: the root, the flat third and the flat fifth. Written strictly the top note is B double flat, which is the key called A.

It is the leading tone chord of E, and a passing chord in flat keys. Two minor thirds stacked, like every diminished triad.

Ebdim vs Ebm

The top note. E flat minor has B flat; E flat diminished lowers it to A.

E flat minor is an all black chord; lowering the fifth brings one finger forward onto a white key, so the two feel quite different under the hand.

Questions about Ebdim

Which notes are in a Ebdim chord on piano?

E flat, G flat and A. It is a minor chord with the fifth lowered by one key.

What is the difference between Ebdim and E flat minor?

The top note. E flat minor has a normal fifth; Ebdim lowers it by one key to A. That single change turns a sad chord into a tense one.

How does a diminished chord resolve?

Usually up by one key. Ebdim leans toward E major, and playing the two in a row is the quickest way to hear why: every note of the diminished chord is a half step or a whole step from where it wants to go.

Is Ebdim hard to play?

No. It is three notes with an even shape, since a diminished triad is two minor thirds stacked. The intervals are the same size, which makes the hand position symmetrical and easy to remember.

Chords to learn next

Other Eb chords