Learn which notes are part of the E diminished chord and how to play it in root position, 1st inversion, and 2nd inversion on the piano.
What is the E Diminished Chord on the Piano?
The symbol for the E diminished chord is Edim.
The notes of the Edim chord are E – G – A#.
The Edim chord is a triad because it has three notes: root (E), minor third (G), and diminished fifth (A#).
How to Play the E Diminished Chord on the Piano?
Below you can see how to play the notes of the E diminished chord on the piano in root position:
You can see that the first note from the left is E (the root), the second note is G (the minor third), and the third note is A# (the diminished fifth).
What is the Lowest Note in the E diminished Chord?
Assuming that you are playing the Edim chord in root position the lowest note is E.
How Can You Remember the Edim Chord?
Here is how to remember the notes of the E diminished chord:
- Start from the first note of the chord (the root) that for the E diminished chord is E.
- To find the second note of the chord calculate a minor third from the root (G).
- Then to find the third note of the chord calculate the diminished fifth from the root (A#).
This applies if you are playing the E diminished chord in root position.
What is the 1st Inversion of the E diminished Chord?
The 1st inversion of the Edim chord starts with the note G.
The picture below shows how to play the notes of the E diminished chord on the piano in the first inversion:
In the 1st inversion, you shift the root of the Edim chord (E) one octave higher compared to the root position.
The notes of the Edim chord in the 1st inversion are G – A# – E.
How Do You Play the 2nd Inversion of the Edim Chord?
The 2nd inversion of the Edim chord starts with the note A#.
Below you can see how to play the notes of the second inversion of the E diminished chord on the piano:
In the 2nd inversion, you also shift the third of the Edim chord (G) up one octave.
The notes of the 2nd inversion of the Edim chord are A# – E – G.
The Edim chord is a triad (a chord with three notes) and it doesn’t have a third inversion because it would be the same as the root position.
Learn Other E Chords
The following articles show you how to play other E chords: