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E♭ chord on bass (E♭ major)
Also called or written E♭, E♭maj, E♭M or E♭ chord
E♭ major contains the notes E♭, G, and B♭. This intermediate shape stretches the fretting hand across four frets, making clean note separation the main challenge.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5
- Root positionE♭–G–B♭E♭11-13-13-12
- First inversionG–B♭–E♭E♭/G3-1-1-0
- Second inversionB♭–E♭–GE♭/B♭×-1-1-0
How do you play an E♭ major chord on bass?
E♭ major is played at the 11th fret as 11 13 13 12: index finger on the E string at fret 11, ring finger on the A string at fret 13, pinky finger on the D string at fret 13 and middle finger on the G string at fret 12.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 11 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (A) | 13 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (D) | 13 | 4 | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | 12 | 2 | G (3) |
IntermediateThe stretch from the index finger on the 11th fret to the pinky on the 13th fret requires wide finger independence.
E♭/G inversion · 3-1-1-0
E♭ major is played in open position as 3 1 1 0: ring finger on the E string at fret 3, index finger on the A string at fret 1 and middle finger on the D string at fret 1. The G string rings open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 3 | 3 | G (3) |
| 3 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (D) | 1 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | open | — | G (3) |
E♭/G inversion · 3-1-1-3
E♭ major is played at the 1st fret as 3 1 1 3: ring finger on the E string at fret 3, index finger on the A string at fret 1, middle finger on the D string at fret 1 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 3.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 3 | 3 | G (3) |
| 3 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (D) | 1 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | 3 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
E♭/G inversion · 15-13-13-15
E♭ major is played at the 13th fret as 15 13 13 15: ring finger on the E string at fret 15, index finger on the A string at fret 13, middle finger on the D string at fret 13 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 15.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 15 | 3 | G (3) |
| 3 (A) | 13 | 1 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (D) | 13 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | 15 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
E♭/B♭ inversion
E♭ major is played in open position as × 1 1 0: index finger on the A string at fret 1 and middle finger on the D string at fret 1. The G string rings open. The E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (D) | 1 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | open | — | G (3) |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ major is built from the formula 1, 3, 5: root E♭, major third G, and perfect fifth B♭. The major third, four semitones above the root, gives the chord its bright, stable quality. Lower that third by one semitone to G♭ and you get E♭ minor, the parallel minor with a darker sound.
What goes wrong with E♭ major?
- Letting the ring finger flatten onto the 2nd string, causing a buzz.
- Not pressing the pinky firmly enough on the 2nd string, producing a muted note.
When to use it
E♭ major appears as the I chord in the I–IV–V–I progression E♭–A♭–B♭–E♭ in E♭ major. It also works as the IV chord in B♭ major and the V chord in A♭ major. Use E♭ major for horn-friendly keys in jazz, funk, and R&B bass lines.
Changing to and from E♭ major
- Sliding the shape down two frets to the 9th fret gives C♯ major.
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 10th fret gives D major.
Which voicing to use
The 11th fret voicing puts the root E♭ in the bass, giving a solid, grounded sound. For a lighter feel, use the E♭/G inversion, which places the third in the bass and adds forward motion. The E♭/B♭ inversion with the fifth in the bass works well when you want a less assertive low end.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ major written in chord charts?
E♭ major is written as E♭, E♭maj, or E♭M. The ASCII root is Eb, so you may see Eb major. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between E♭ major and E♭ minor?
E♭ major has a major third (G), while E♭ minor has a minor third (G♭). This single note changes the chord from bright to dark. The fifth, B♭, is the same in both chords.
Can I play E♭ major in a lower register?
Yes, the E♭/G inversion at the 3rd fret on the 4th string and 1st fret on the 3rd and 2nd. Strings omits the high G string. This voicing sits lower and works well when the bass needs to stay out of the guitar's range.