Read left to right, 4th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string.
- Index finger on the 1st fret of the A string (1st).
- Middle finger on the 4th fret of the C string (3rd).
- Let the G and E strings ring open.
String by string
What each string does in this shape, and which note of the chord it sounds. This is what to listen for when you pluck them one at a time.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | In the chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th (G) | open | — | G4 | minor third |
| 3rd (C) | fret 4 | middle | E4 | root |
| 2nd (E) | open | — | E4 | root |
| 1st (A) | fret 1 | index | B♭4 | flat fifth |
One string at a time: a chord strummed into a microphone is several notes at once, and a single string is something the page can hear exactly. A string in tune but on the wrong fret, or deadened by the finger beside it, shows up here and not on a tuner. Tap a string to check it again.
3 other ways to play Edim
The same 3 notes, somewhere else on the neck. A different shape puts a different note on top, so each one colours the chord slightly differently — and one of them is usually nearer the chord you are coming from.
- 0-10-0-10A shape at the 10th fret · two fingers
- 0767A shape at the 6th fret · three fingers
- 0467A shape at the 4th fret · three fingers
Holding it cleanly
2 strings ring open next to fretted ones. Arch the fingers so they come down on their tips — a finger lying flat will deaden the open string beside it, and the chord loses a note without sounding obviously wrong.
It spans 4 frets. Bring the elbow in and let the hand turn slightly toward the body of the ukulele; the stretch comes from the hand opening, not from the fingers reaching.
The notes in Edim
A diminished chord is built from the root (1), ♭3 and ♭5 of its root’s major scale. From E that gives E – G – B♭. Two minor thirds stacked: tense and unstable, a passing chord between two steadier ones.
The same root, other chords: E major, Em, E7, Emaj7, Em7, Esus2, Esus4, Eaug.
Keys that use Edim
Edim is built from the notes of 2 keys. Each link is that key’s full set of ukulele chords — the ones that sound right next to this one.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a Edim chord?
E diminished is three notes: E – G – B♭ — the root, ♭3 and ♭5 of the E major scale. On ukulele the shape 0401 sounds G4, E4, E4 and B♭4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play Edim on ukulele?
The usual shape is 0401 — an open-position shape, with two fingers. It is already about as easy as this chord gets.
What is the difference between Edim and Em?
One note. Edim is Em with its fifth lowered a semitone, to B♭. That flattened fifth is a tritone above the root — the most unstable interval there is — which is why Edim never sounds like a place to stop.
What keys is Edim in?
Edim is one of the seven chords of F major (as vii°) and D minor (as ii°).