Banjo Edim chord (Open G)E diminished on the 5-string banjo: 5 3 5 5, and 3 more shapes

Edim chord chart for 5-string banjo in Open G tuning: 5 3 5 5, from the 3rd fret, with the short 5th string marked
Edim (E diminished) on the 5-string banjo, Open G: 5 3 5 5, string 4 to string 1. Fingers are numbered on the dots; copper marks the root; the green ring on the left is the 5th string, solid when it’s in the chord.

Frets, string 4 to string 1: 5 3 5 5 (from the 3rd fret)

  1. String 4 (D): 5th fret, middle finger, G
  2. String 3 (G): 3rd fret, index finger, B♭
  3. String 2 (B): 5th fret, ring finger, E
  4. String 1 (D): 5th fret, little finger, G
  5. String 5, the short g: open, G, in the chord

Sounds: G B♭ E G  ·  Edim is E, G, B♭ (1 · ♭3 · ♭5)

Found in: C mixolydian (iii°), G dorian (vi°), D minor (ii°), F major (vii°)

The 5th string: the short g is the minor 3rd of Edim, so let it ring.

With a capo: on the 2nd fret it’s 0 1 3 3 (frets counted from the capo), an open Ddim shape. Spike the 5th string at the 7th fret to keep it in tune with the capo.

Open G tuning: gDGBD, the short 5th string first, then strings 4 to 1.

Hear it in the app ›

The app starts in open G, so it opens on these shapes.

More Edim shapes

  1. 5fr124gGGEB♭5 0 5 8
    5fr
  2. 8fr1211gB♭EGB♭8 9 8 8
    8fr
  3. 11fr3214gEGB♭E14 12 11 14
    11fr

Other E chords in Open G

EEmE7Em7Emaj7E6Esus4Esus2EdimEaug

Other diminished chords

GdimAdimDdimCdimBdimEdimFdimB♭dim

Edim in other tunings

Double CSawmillOpen DC Tuning

All Open G banjo chords · Printable chart (PDF) · How to tune · The app