Build the sound
Play E – G – B♭ – D♭ individually, then choose a shell voicing above. Sing the highest note before playing the chord.
Voicings · E°7 · Guitar
E°7 voicings on guitar
E°7 is spelled E – G – B♭ – D♭ (1 ♭3 ♭5 𝄫7) — passing chords between diatonic chords, and as a 7♭9 without its root. Here are 3 ways to voice it on guitar: drop 2, drop 3, shell. Every diagram is playable — press play to hear the chord, or “roll it” to hear the voices one by one, low to high.
The voicings
3 ways to play E°7.
SoundRoot in gold, other voices in teal. Tap any note.
Drop 2
B♭ · E · G · D♭Take the close voicing and drop its second-highest voice an octave. The most-used four-note voicing on guitar and in piano left hands. Strings E-A-D-G, frets 6-7-5-6 (position 3).
Drop 3
G · E · B♭ · D♭Drop the third-highest voice of the close voicing an octave: a wide, open sound. Strings E-D-G-B, frets 3-2-3-2.
Shell (1–7–3)
E · D♭ · GRoot, seventh and third only. The fifth is dropped — it adds nothing to the chord's identity — leaving a light, clear voicing. Strings D-B-e, frets 2-2-3.
Your next 10 minutes
Make E Diminished 7th part of your playing
Change the top note
Compare the displayed voicings of E°7. Notice which note is highest in each. Repeat the two shapes with the smallest comfortable hand movement, leaving a beat of silence between them.
Comp with space
Play E°7 on beats 2 and 4 at 60 bpm for four bars, then on the “and” of beat 2 for four bars. Keep the same notes while changing the rhythm. Mute unused strings and test each fretted note for buzz.
Listen for this: The chord tones are E, G, B♭, D♭. passing chords between diatonic chords, and as a 7♭9 without its root. A fuller voicing is not automatically better: leave room for the melody and bass.
Understand the sound
E°7: from a pattern to a musical choice
What gives E°7 its identity?
Successive chord tones are separated by minor thirds. The seventh is a diminished seventh, not a major sixth in the chord’s theoretical spelling, even when they share a piano key.
Here the third is G, and degree 𝄫7 is D♭. Play E in the bass and compare these voices individually before combining them.
Choose a useful voicing
Start with the smallest displayed shape you can play cleanly. Move its highest note into a comfortable register and listen for a clear melody above the chord.
Sound the strings separately before playing them together. If a note is muted, adjust the finger angle instead of squeezing harder.
Your guitar checkpoint
Start with E on string 5, fret 7. The next note G is on string 5, fret 10. Name both notes aloud before playing, then find the same two pitches in another octave.
Before moving on, close the diagram and name the notes: E · G · B♭ · D♭. Then play a two-bar phrase from memory and leave two bars of silence.
Behind the voicings
Every E°7 chord tone on the fretboard.
Reference
E°7 — chord tones & function.
| Chord tone | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | unison |
| ♭3 | G | minor 3rd |
| ♭5 | B♭ | diminished 5th |
| 𝄫7 | D♭ | diminished 7th |
Arpeggio: E°7 arpeggio on guitar. Scale: E Diminished (whole–half).
Take it to the bandstand.Practice Radio streams endless changes to comp E°7 through all twelve keys, with the chord and scale shown live — plus ear-training and call & response modes.
▶ Open Practice RadioCommon questions
E°7 voicings FAQ.
What notes are in E°7?
E, G, B♭, D♭ — chord tones 1 ♭3 ♭5 𝄫7.
What is the easiest E°7 voicing on guitar?
The shell voicing (root, seventh, third) on strings D, B, e: three notes, one comfortable shape, and it still sounds unmistakably like E°7.
What is a drop-2 voicing?
Start from the close voicing E G B♭ D♭ and drop the second note from the top an octave: B♭ – E – G – D♭. It spreads the chord so it fits the hand — and on guitar it fits four adjacent strings.
Where does E°7 appear?
E°7 is passing chords between diatonic chords, and as a 7♭9 without its root. Its character is symmetrical, restless.
Keep going
Diminished 7th voicings in every other key.
Same chord on piano · Diminished 7th hub.
Other chords from E