Explore chords · Guitar
E♭ minor 7th chord on guitar (E♭m7)
Also called or written E♭m7 or E♭min7
E♭ minor 7th contains E♭, G♭, B♭, and D♭. This advanced shape mutes two strings and uses a four-finger stretch across the first three frets.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7
- Root positionE♭–G♭–B♭–D♭E♭m7×-×-1-3-2-2
- First inversionG♭–B♭–D♭–E♭E♭m7/G♭2-1-1-3-2-×
- Second inversionB♭–D♭–E♭–G♭E♭m7/B♭×-1-1-3-2-2
- Third inversionD♭–E♭–G♭–B♭E♭m7/D♭×-4-4-3-4-×
How do you play an E♭ minor 7th chord on guitar?
E♭ minor 7th is played at the 1st fret as × × 1 3 2 2: index finger on the D string at fret 1, pinky finger on the G string at fret 3, middle finger on the B string at fret 2 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 2. 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 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 2 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 3 | G♭ (♭3) |
AdvancedE♭ minor 7th requires muting two strings while stretching the pinky to the 3rd fret on the G string, all without a barre for support.
4th fret
E♭ minor 7th is played at the 4th fret as × 6 4 6 4 6: barre your index finger across fret 4, middle finger on the A string at fret 6, ring finger on the G string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 6. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 4 | 1 (barre) | G♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 3 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
6th fret
E♭ minor 7th is played at the 6th fret as × 6 8 6 7 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, pinky finger on the D string at fret 8 and ring finger on the B string at fret 7. 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 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 7 | 3 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
11th fret
E♭ minor 7th is played at the 11th fret as 11 13 11 11 11 11: barre your index finger across fret 11 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 13.
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) | 11 | 1 (barre) | G♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
13th fret
E♭ minor 7th is played at the 13th fret as × × 13 15 14 14: index finger on the D string at fret 13, pinky finger on the G string at fret 15, middle finger on the B string at fret 14 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 14. 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 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 14 | 2 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 14 | 3 | G♭ (♭3) |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ minor 7th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7. The minor 7th interval between E♭ and D♭ gives the chord its characteristic softness. Compare it to E♭ minor, which lacks the seventh and sounds more direct.
What goes wrong with E♭ minor 7th?
- The low E or A string rings out because the muting is not secure.
- The pinky flattens and mutes the B string.
- The ring finger does not press firmly enough on the high E string, causing a buzz.
When to use it
E♭ minor 7th fits minor-key soul and jazz-funk. It appears in the I–V–vi–IV progression in F♯ major, where it is the vi chord. Resolve it to E♭ minor or E♭ 5th for a smooth, mellow cadence.
Changing to and from E♭ minor 7th
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret gives E minor 7th; keep the finger positions identical.
- Sliding the shape up two frets to the 3rd fret gives F minor 7th; the stretch between index and pinky stays the same.
Which voicing to use
The 1st fret voicing is the lowest and darkest, with E♭ in the bass. The 4th fret shape uses a barre and adds the low A string for a fuller sound, while the 11th fret version is brighter and more open.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ minor 7th written?
E♭ minor 7th is written E♭min7 or E♭m7. The ASCII root is Eb, so you may see Ebmin7 or Ebm7. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Why are two strings muted in the 1st fret shape?
The open low E and A strings are not chord tones of E♭ minor 7th. Muting them keeps the root E♭ as the lowest note and prevents dissonance.
What is the difference between E♭ minor 7th and E♭ minor?
E♭ minor 7th adds the ♭7, D♭, to the E♭ minor triad. The seventh creates a softer, more ambiguous sound than the plain minor chord.
How does the 4th fret barre shape compare to the 1st fret shape?
The 4th fret shape uses a barre across the 4th fret and includes the low A string, giving a thicker texture. The 1st fret shape is lighter and more focused on the upper strings.