Explore chords · Guitar
E♭ major 7th chord on guitar (E♭maj7)
Also called or written E♭maj7 or E♭M7
E♭ major 7th contains E♭, G, B♭, and D. The 1st fret position is an advanced grip that requires muting two strings and stretching across four frets.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 7
- Root positionE♭–G–B♭–DE♭maj7×-×-1-3-3-3
- First inversionG–B♭–D–E♭E♭maj7/G3-1-1-0-3-×
- Second inversionB♭–D–E♭–GE♭maj7/B♭×-1-1-0-3-3
- Third inversionD–E♭–G–B♭E♭maj7/D×-5-5-3-4-3
How do you play an E♭ major 7th chord on guitar?
E♭ major 7th is played at the 1st fret as × × 1 3 3 3: index finger on the D string at fret 1, middle finger on the G string at fret 3, ring finger on the B string at fret 3 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 | 2 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 3 | D (7) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (3) |
AdvancedThe 1st fret position requires muting two strings while stretching the pinky to the 3rd fret on the high e string.
6th fret
E♭ major 7th is played at the 6th fret as × 6 8 7 8 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, ring finger on the D string at fret 8, middle finger on the G string at fret 7 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) | 7 | 2 | D (7) |
| 2 (B) | 8 | 4 | G (3) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
11th fret
E♭ major 7th is played at the 11th fret as 11 13 12 12 11 11: barre your index finger across fret 11, pinky finger on the A string at fret 13, middle finger on the D string at fret 12 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) | 12 | 2 | 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♭ major 7th is played at the 13th fret as × × 13 15 15 15: index finger on the D string at fret 13, middle finger on the G string at fret 15, ring finger on the B string at fret 15 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 | 2 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 15 | 3 | D (7) |
| 1 (e) | 15 | 4 | G (3) |
E♭maj7/G inversion
E♭ major 7th is played in open position as 3 1 1 0 3 ×: ring 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 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) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (3) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (7) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ major 7th is built from the formula 1, 3, 5, 7. The major 7th interval from E♭ to D gives the chord its lush, sophisticated quality. Compare it to E♭ major, which stops at the perfect 5th.
What goes wrong with E♭ major 7th?
- The low E or A string rings out, adding unwanted bass notes.
- The pinky fails to press the high e string cleanly, causing a buzz.
- The index finger touches the G string, deadening it.
When to use it
E♭ major 7th is the tonic in E♭ major. Use it in progressions like E♭–A♭–B♭–E♭, the I–IV–V–I, or E♭–B♭–Cm–A♭, the I–V–vi–IV. It suits jazz ballads, R&B, and gospel.
Changing to and from E♭ major 7th
- From E♭ major 7th to E major 7th: slide the whole shape up one fret, keeping the same finger pattern.
- From E♭ major 7th to F major 7th: slide the whole shape up two frets, keeping the same finger pattern.
Which voicing to use
The 1st fret position is the most compact, but the 6th fret barre gives a fuller sound with the root on the A string. The 11th fret barre offers a higher register with the root on the low E string. The E♭maj7/G inversion puts the third in the bass for a softer, more ambiguous feel.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ major 7th written?
E♭ major 7th is written as E♭M7 or E♭maj7. The ASCII root is Eb. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between E♭ major 7th and E♭ dominant 7th?
Its verified note order explains the sound without relying on outside harmony. The major 7th sounds more resolved and less bluesy.
Why does the 1st fret E♭ major 7th shape mute the low E and A strings?
The low E and A strings are muted because their open tuning notes are outside the chord. Muting them keeps the voicing clean.
Can E♭ major 7th be played as a barre chord?
Yes, the 6th fret position is a barre chord with the root on the A string. It is movable and useful for higher voicings.