Explore chords · Guitar
E♭ augmented major 7th chord on guitar (E♭augMaj7)
Also called or written E♭augMaj7, E♭augM7, E♭+M7, E♭M7#5, E♭maj+7, E♭ augmented major seventh or E♭ major seventh sharp five
E♭ augmented major 7th contains E♭, G, B, and D. The 5th fret voicing skips the B string, leaving a gap between the G and high e strings.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♯5, 7
- Root positionE♭–G–B–DE♭augMaj7×-6-5-7-×-7
- First inversionG–B–D–E♭E♭augMaj7/G3-2-1-0-3-×
- Second inversionB–D–E♭–GE♭augMaj7/B×-2-1-0-3-3
- Third inversionD–E♭–G–BE♭augMaj7/D×-5-5-4-4-×
How do you play an E♭ augmented major 7th chord on guitar?
E♭ augmented major 7th is played at the 5th fret as × 6 5 7 × 7: middle finger on the A string at fret 6, index finger on the D string at fret 5, ring finger on the G string at fret 7 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 7. The low E and B strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 1 | G (3) |
| 3 (G) | 7 | 3 | D (7) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | 7 | 4 | B (♯5) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach the 7th fret on the high e string while the index finger holds the 5th fret on the D string, creating a wide stretch.
9th fret
E♭ augmented major 7th is played at the 9th fret as 11 10 9 × × 10: pinky finger on the low E string at fret 11, middle finger on the A string at fret 10, index finger on the D string at fret 9 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 10. The G and B strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 4 | E♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 2 | G (3) |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 1 | B (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | muted | — | — |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 3 | D (7) |
10th fret
E♭ augmented major 7th is played at the 10th fret as 11 10 12 × 12 10: barre your index finger across fret 10, middle finger on the low E string at fret 11, ring finger on the D string at fret 12 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 12. The G string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 1 (barre) | G (3) |
| 4 (D) | 12 | 3 | D (7) |
| 3 (G) | muted | — | — |
| 2 (B) | 12 | 4 | B (♯5) |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 1 (barre) | D (7) |
11th fret
E♭ augmented major 7th is played at the 11th fret as 11 × 12 12 12 11: barre your index finger across fret 11, middle finger on the D string at fret 12, ring finger on the G string at fret 12 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 12. The A string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 12 | 2 | D (7) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 3 | G (3) |
| 2 (B) | 12 | 4 | B (♯5) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
E♭augM7/G inversion
E♭ augmented major 7th is played in open position as 3 2 1 0 3 ×: ring finger on the low E string at fret 3, middle finger on the A string at fret 2, index finger on the D string at fret 1 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 3. The G string rings open. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 3 | G (3) |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 2 | B (♯5) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (3) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (7) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ augmented major 7th is built from the formula 1, 3, ♯5, 7. The augmented 5th, B, is what separates it from the E♭ major 7th, where the 5th is B♭. The major 3rd and major 7th remain unchanged.
What goes wrong with E♭ augmented major 7th?
- Letting the low E string ring instead of muting it.
- Letting the B string ring instead of muting it.
- Fretting the high e string with the ring finger instead of the pinky, causing the note to go flat.
When to use it
E♭ augmented major 7th works as a substitute for E♭ major 7th when the melody moves to the ♯5. It fits jazz ballads and passages that need a brighter, more restless major sound.
Changing to and from E♭ augmented major 7th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 4th fret gives D augmented major 7th.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 6th fret gives E augmented major 7th.
Which voicing to use
The 5th fret voicing keeps E♭ in the bass and is the default. The 9th fret voicing repeats the same shape an octave higher, while the E♭augM7/G inversion on the 1st fret puts G in the bass.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ augmented major 7th written?
E♭ augmented major 7th is written E♭+M7, M7#5, maj+7, or E♭augM7. The ASCII root is Eb. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between E♭ augmented major 7th and E♭ augmented?
E♭ augmented major 7th adds the major 7th, D, to the E♭ augmented triad E♭–G–B. The 7th creates a leading tone back to E♭ major.
Why does the B string get muted?
The B string is muted to preserve the intended voicing, not because it clashes. B is a chord tone, but playing it would change the bass note.