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E♭ 7th chord on guitar (E♭7)
Also called or written E♭7, E♭, E♭ Dominant 7th or E♭ Major Minor 7th
E♭ 7th contains E♭, G, B♭, and D♭. The 1st fret shape uses four fretted notes and two muted strings, keeping the root on the D string.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, ♭7
- Root positionE♭–G–B♭–D♭E♭7×-×-1-3-2-3
- First inversionG–B♭–D♭–E♭E♭7/G3-1-1-0-2-×
- Second inversionB♭–D♭–E♭–GE♭7/B♭×-1-1-0-2-3
- Third inversionD♭–E♭–G–B♭E♭7/D♭×-4-5-3-4-3
How do you play an E♭ 7th chord on guitar?
E♭ 7th is played at the 1st fret as × × 1 3 2 3: index finger on the D string at fret 1, ring finger on the G string at fret 3, middle finger on the B string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 2 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (3) |
AdvancedThe 1st fret shape requires muting two strings while fretting four, which is awkward for beginners.
6th fret
E♭ 7th is played at the 6th fret as × 6 8 6 8 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, ring finger on the D string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 8. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 8 | 4 | G (3) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
11th fret
E♭ 7th is played at the 11th fret as 11 13 11 12 11 11: barre your index finger across fret 11, pinky finger on the A string at fret 13 and ring finger on the G string at fret 12.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 13 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 3 | G (3) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
13th fret
E♭ 7th is played at the 13th fret as × × 13 15 14 15: index finger on the D string at fret 13, ring finger on the G string at fret 15, middle finger on the B string at fret 14 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 15. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 15 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 14 | 2 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 15 | 4 | G (3) |
E♭7/G inversion
E♭ 7th is played in open position as 3 1 1 0 2 ×: pinky finger on the low E string at fret 3, index finger on the A string at fret 1, middle finger on the D string at fret 1 and ring finger on the B string at fret 2. The G string rings open. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 4 | G (3) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (3) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 3 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ 7th is built from the formula 1, 3, 5, ♭7, adding a minor seventh to the E♭ major triad. The ♭7 creates the dominant pull that defines the chord. Compare it with E♭ major, which lacks that seventh.
What goes wrong with E♭ 7th?
- Letting the A string ring, which adds a non-chord tone.
- Letting the low E string ring, which adds a non-chord tone.
- Touching the D string with the fretting hand, muting it.
When to use it
E♭ 7th is the V chord in A♭ major, appearing in progressions like A♭–D♭–E♭–A♭ (I–IV–V–I). It suits blues, rock, and jazz. Resolve it to A♭ major.
Changing to and from E♭ 7th
- Slide the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret to play E 7th.
- Move to A♭ major by lifting the pinky and placing the index on the D string, 1st fret, while keeping the other fingers.
Which voicing to use
The 1st fret shape is the default and keeps the root on the D string. The 6th fret barre shape adds the A string for a fuller sound. The E♭7/G inversion puts G in the bass for a lighter, first-inversion feel.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ 7th written?
E♭ 7th is written as E♭7 or Eb7. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Why are both low strings muted in E♭ 7th?
The low E and A strings are not chord tones of E♭ 7th, so they would add outside notes. Muting them keeps the voicing clean.
How does E♭ 7th differ from E♭ major?
E♭ 7th adds a D♭ note, the minor seventh, to the E♭ major triad. That note gives the chord its dominant tension.