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E♭ major 7th chord on ukulele (E♭maj7)
Also called or written E♭maj7 or E♭M7
E♭ major 7th is built from E♭, G, B♭, and D. This 8th-fret grip is a wide stretch, and the E♭maj7/B♭ inversion requires a barre across the 3rd fret.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 7
- Root positionE♭–G–B♭–DE♭maj73-3-3-5
- First inversionG–B♭–D–E♭E♭maj7/G7-7-6-6
- Second inversionB♭–D–E♭–GE♭maj7/B♭8-10-10-10
- Third inversionD–E♭–G–B♭E♭maj7/D7-7-6-6
How do you play an E♭ major 7th chord on ukulele?
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.
Full note and interval breakdown
| 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) |
AdvancedThe index finger at fret 8 and pinky at fret 10 force a wide stretch, and the three fingers on fret 10 must fit without muting each other.
3rd fret
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.
Full note and interval breakdown
| 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♭maj7/G inversion
E♭ major 7th is played at the 6th fret as 7 7 6 6: ring finger on the G string at fret 7, pinky finger on the C string at fret 7, index finger on the E string at fret 6 and middle finger on the A string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 7 | 3 | D (7) |
| 3 (C) | 7 | 4 | G (3) |
| 2 (E) | 6 | 1 | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (A) | 6 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ major 7th stacks a major 3rd, perfect 5th, and major 7th above E♭. The major 7th interval is what separates it from E♭ major, which stops at the perfect 5th.
What goes wrong with E♭ major 7th?
- The ring finger touches the A string, muting the pinky's note.
- The index finger presses too far from the fret, making the G string buzz.
- The middle finger leans on the E string, dulling its sound.
When to use it
E♭ major 7th works as the I chord in E♭ major, such as E♭–A♭–B♭–E♭ (I–IV–V–I). It also fits the I–V–vi–IV progression E♭–B♭–C minor–A♭. Use it for jazz, gospel, or any style that embraces flat keys and warm major colors.
Changing to and from E♭ major 7th
- Sliding the shape down two frets to the 6th fret gives C♯ major 7th.
- From E♭ major, lift the pinky and add the middle and ring fingers on fret 10 for E♭ major 7th.
Which voicing to use
The 8th fret voicing puts E♭ in the bass for a root-position sound. The E♭maj7/B♭ inversion at frets 3-3-3-5 places the 5th in the bass, giving a lighter, more open feel.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ major 7th written?
E♭ major 7th is written E♭M7 or E♭maj7. On a keyboard, the root is typed as Eb. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Why does my E♭ major 7th sound out of tune?
Check that the middle and ring fingers are not bending the strings sideways. The three fingers on fret 10 must press straight down, and the pinky must clear the E string.
Can I use the E♭maj7/B♭ inversion as a substitute?
Yes, but it has B♭ in the bass, which makes it less stable than the root position. Use it when you want a passing chord that leads to E♭ major.