Explore chords · Guitar
E♭ chord on guitar (E♭ major)
Also called or written E♭, E♭maj, E♭M or E♭ chord
E♭ major contains the notes E♭, G, and B♭. The 6th fret barre shape is a common barre chord for intermediate players.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5
- Root positionE♭–G–B♭E♭×-6-8-8-8-6
- First inversionG–B♭–E♭E♭/G3-1-1-0-×-×
- Second inversionB♭–E♭–GE♭/B♭6-6-8-8-8-6
How do you play an E♭ major chord on guitar?
E♭ major is played at the 6th fret as × 6 8 8 8 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, middle finger on the D string at fret 8, ring finger on the G 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 | 2 | B♭ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 3 | E♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 8 | 4 | G (3) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
IntermediateThe index barre must fret the A string and high e cleanly while the other fingers stretch to the 8th fret.
11th fret
E♭ major is played at the 11th fret as 11 13 13 12 11 11: barre your index finger across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 13 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 4 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 2 | G (3) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
E♭/G inversion · 3-1-1-0-×-× — the easy shape, no barre
E♭ major is played in open position as 3 1 1 0 × ×: ring finger on the low 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. The B and high e strings stay 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) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
E♭/G inversion · 3-1-1-3-×-×
E♭ major is played at the 1st fret as 3 1 1 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 G string at fret 3. The B and high e strings stay 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) | 3 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
E♭/G inversion · ×-×-5-3-4-3
E♭ major is played at the 3rd fret as × × 5 3 4 3: pinky finger on the D string at fret 5, index finger on the G string at fret 3, ring finger on the B string at fret 4 and middle 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) | 5 | 4 | G (3) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 1 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 3 | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 2 | G (3) |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ major is built from the formula 1, 3, 5, with the major third G giving it its bright quality. Compare it to E♭ minor, which lowers the third to G♭.
What goes wrong with E♭ major?
- Letting the low E string sound through, which is outside the chord.
- Not pressing the barre hard enough, causing the high e to buzz.
When to use it
E♭ major is the tonic in E♭ major, so it anchors progressions like E♭–A♭–B♭, the I–IV–V. It also appears in A♭ major and B♭ major keys. Use it for jazz, blues, and pop.
Changing to and from E♭ major
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 5th fret gives D major.
- From E♭ major to A♭ major, move the barre to the 4th fret and adjust the other fingers to the A♭ shape.
Which voicing to use
The 6th fret barre shape is the standard, but the E♭/G inversion with G in the bass offers an easier grip. The 11th fret barre shape gives a higher voicing.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ major written?
E♭ major is written as E♭, E♭maj, or E♭M. On a keyboard, use the ASCII root Eb. 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 changes the chord from bright to somber.
Why is the low E string muted in the 6th fret E♭ major shape?
The low E is not a chord tone, so it must be muted to avoid a dissonant sound.