Also written E♭maj7 or E♭M7
E♭ major 7th is built from E♭, G, B♭, and D. The default grip uses a full barre at the 3rd fret plus a pinky stretch.
The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.
E♭ major 7th stacks a major 3rd, perfect 5th, and major 7th over E♭. The major 7th interval (E♭ to D) gives the chord its warm, lush quality. Compare it to E♭ major, which lacks the 7th.
Use E♭ major 7th as the tonic in E♭ major, such as in the I–IV–V–I progression E♭–A♭–B♭–E♭. It also works in B♭ major as the IV chord. The chord suits jazz, soul, and ballads.
The default barre shape (3-3-3-5) has E♭ in the bass and is the most direct. For a lighter sound, use the open shape (0-3-6-5), which also has E♭ in the bass but avoids the barre.
E♭ major 7th is played at the 3rd fret as 3 3 3 5: barre your index finger across fret 3 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 5.
Tip — The hardest part is holding a clean barre at the 3rd fret while the pinky reaches to the 5th fret.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 3 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 3 (C) | 3 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 2 (E) | 3 | 1 (barre) | G (3) |
| 1 (A) | 5 | 4 | D (7) |
E♭ major 7th is played in open position as 0 3 6 5: index finger on the C string at fret 3, ring finger on the E string at fret 6 and middle finger on the A string at fret 5. The G string rings open.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | open | — | G (3) |
| 3 (C) | 3 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 2 (E) | 6 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (A) | 5 | 2 | D (7) |
E♭ major 7th is played at the 6th fret as 7 7 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, middle finger on the G string at fret 7 and ring finger on the C string at fret 7.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 7 | 2 | D (7) |
| 3 (C) | 7 | 3 | G (3) |
| 2 (E) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (A) | 6 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
E♭ major 7th is played at the 8th fret as 8 10 10 10: index finger on the G string at fret 8, middle finger on the C string at fret 10, ring finger on the E string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 10.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 8 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (C) | 10 | 2 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (E) | 10 | 3 | D (7) |
| 1 (A) | 10 | 4 | G (3) |
E♭ major 7th is written as E♭M7 or E♭maj7. The ASCII root spelling is Eb. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
E♭ major 7th adds the major 7th note D to the E♭ major triad. This gives it a more sophisticated, jazzy sound.
The default shape places E♭ as the lowest note, making it a root-position voicing. This gives the chord a solid, grounded feel.