E Diminished Guitar Arpeggio
Guitar arpeggio — fretboard diagram
E Diminished Arpeggio — Notes and Intervals
Notes: E, G, Bb
Intervals: 1P, 3m, 5d
Formula: WH-WH
Number of notes: 3
Also known as: dim, °, o
The E Diminished arpeggio contains 3 notes (E, G, Bb). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this arpeggio on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges.
When to Use the E Diminished Arpeggio
Play the E Diminished arpeggio whenever a E Diminished chord appears in a progression. Unlike scales (which include passing tones), arpeggios guarantee every note you play IS a chord tone, making your solo sound harmonically precise and intentional.
Arpeggio vs. Scale
The E Diminished arpeggio uses 3 notes (E, G, Bb) while the full scale uses 7. The arpeggio is a subset — think of it as the skeleton of the scale. Practice alternating between the arpeggio and the full scale to develop a melodic vocabulary that mixes chord tones with passing tones.
How to Play E Diminished Arpeggio on Guitar
Start the E Diminished arpeggio in open position, using the open E string as your root. With only 3 notes (E, G, Bb), this arpeggio spans wide intervals across the strings — sweep picking is an efficient way to move through it cleanly. Keep your pick angle consistent and let each note ring individually.
The E Diminished arpeggio creates a tense, unstable sound built from minor thirds. It works over Edim, Edim7, Em7b5 chords and is often used as a passing device to create dramatic tension before resolving to a stable chord.
Practice Routine
Practice the E Diminished arpeggio in different octaves, starting low and working up. Then try displacing the octaves — play the root low, the G an octave higher, and continue leaping. This trains your ear to hear the intervals (1P, 3m, 5d) in any register.
Guitar Tips
On guitar, practice the E Diminished arpeggio using string skipping — jump over a string between each note to create wider intervals. This technique produces a more pianistic, open sound compared to sweep picking and develops precise right-hand accuracy.
Related Resources
Explore E Diminished in Other Tunings
- E Diminished in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
- E Diminished in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
- E Diminished in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
- E Diminished in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
- E Diminished in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
- E Diminished in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
- E Diminished in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
- E Diminished in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
- E Diminished in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
- E Diminished in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
- E Diminished in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
- E Diminished in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
- E Diminished in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
- E Diminished in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)