bass chord

E Diminished Chord on Bass

The E Diminished Chord (E, G, A#) shown across the full 4-string bass fretboard. Tap any note to hear it, or open it in BassMapper to play along with a MIDI file. Free, no account needed.

notesEGA#
formula · 1 ♭3 ♭5 · root: E
fretstap a note to hear it ♪
bass fretboard diagramhighlighted notes: E, G, A#0123456789101112GDAEGA#EGEGA#A#EGEGA#Eenter notes in the field below, e.g. C, F#, Bb
open in BassMapper: play along with MIDI →

About the Diminished Chord

A diminished chord stacks the root, flat 3rd, and flat 5th: a tense, unstable sound that rarely sits still. On bass it's mostly a transitional color, used to pull one chord toward the next, especially in jazz and passing-chord movement.

The fretboard above shows the E Diminished Chord in every position at once. Open it in BassMapper and drop in a MIDI file to watch the chord light up on the neck in real time as a song plays.

questions

What notes are in the E Diminished Chord?

The E Diminished Chord contains E, G, A#.

What does the Diminished Chord sound like?

Tense and unstable: a suspenseful, unresolved sound that wants to move on immediately.

How do I play the Diminished Chord on bass?

Treat it as a bridge, not a destination: use it briefly to connect two stable chords, resolving up or down by a half step.

more chords in E

E Major ChordE Minor ChordE Dominant 7th ChordE Major 7th ChordE Minor 7th ChordE Augmented ChordE Sus2 ChordE Sus4 Chord

Diminished Chord in other keys

C Diminished ChordC# Diminished ChordD Diminished ChordD# Diminished ChordF Diminished ChordF# Diminished ChordG Diminished ChordG# Diminished ChordA Diminished ChordA# Diminished ChordB Diminished Chord
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