E♭7 chord on guitar

E♭7 is E♭, G, B♭ and D♭. The usual shape is x-x-1-3-2-3. Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.

x-x-1-3-2-3 · movable · medium

Notes: E♭ · G · B♭ · D♭
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7
First shape: x-x-1-3-2-3

How to play E♭7 on guitar

Shape 1, x-x-1-3-2-3, reading from the low E string on the left:

Index finger: D string, 1st fret (E♭).
Middle finger: B string, 2nd fret (D♭).
Ring finger: G string, 3rd fret (B♭).
Pinky: high E string, 3rd fret (G).
Don't play the low E and A strings: start your strum on the D string.

Your little finger has a job in this shape; it gets stronger in a week or two of short daily practice.
Aim the strum at the thinner strings only; the lower ones are marked × for a reason.

Other ways to play E♭7

11-13-11-12-11-11: barre shape at the 11th fret, medium. Built on the E7 open shape with the barre as a movable nut; the root is on the 6th string.
x-6-8-6-8-6: barre shape at the 6th fret, medium. This is the open A7 shape with a barre behind it, root on the 5th string.

E♭7 the capo way

No barre needed if a capo is allowed: capo on the 1st fret and play the open D7 shape (x-x-0-2-1-2), capo on the 3rd fret and play the open C7 shape (x-3-2-3-1-0), capo on the 4th fret and play the open B7 shape (x-2-1-2-0-2) or capo on the 6th fret and play the open A7 shape (x-0-2-0-2-0). The chord sounds as E♭7 because the capo raises every string by a half step.

Changing from E♭7 to the chords around it

The chords E♭7 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

A♭ (the V7 pulls home a fifth below): E♭7 (x-x-1-3-2-3) to A♭ (4-6-6-5-4-4): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 4th fret, move the middle finger to the G string, 5th fret, your ring finger lands on the A string, 6th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. The two chords share E♭, which is why the change sounds smooth. A♭ on guitar
A♭maj7 (I in A♭ major): E♭7 (x-x-1-3-2-3) to A♭maj7 (4-6-5-5-4-4): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 4th fret, your middle finger lands on the D string, 5th fret, the ring finger goes to the G string, 5th fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. The two chords share E♭ and G, which is why the change sounds smooth. A♭maj7 on guitar
Fm7 (vi in A♭ major): E♭7 (x-x-1-3-2-3) to Fm7 (1-3-1-1-1-1): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 1st fret, move the middle finger to the A string, 3rd fret. The two chords share E♭, which is why the change sounds smooth. Fm7 on guitar

E♭7 is a dominant seventh chord: a major triad with a flattened seventh on top. Use E♭7 where you want motion: it leans toward the chord a fifth below and turns up on almost every blues. On guitar you hear it best picked slowly, string by string.

Getting E♭7 under your fingers

Before strumming, play x-x-1-3-2-3 note by note: E♭ then B♭ then D♭ then G. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Next, alternate x-x-1-3-2-3 and 11-13-11-12-11-11, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

D♯7 is another spelling of E♭7. Same shape, same sound.

Where E♭7 shows up

In E♭ major, I7–IV7–V7 (12 bars) on guitar is E♭7 (x-x-1-3-2-3), A♭7 (4-6-4-5-4-4) and B♭7 (x-1-3-1-3-1). About the 12-bar blues.

In A♭ major, ii–V–I on guitar is B♭m7 (x-1-3-1-2-1), E♭7 (x-x-1-3-2-3) and A♭maj7 (4-6-5-5-4-4). About the jazz cadence.

E♭7 on piano and ukulele

The same notes on another instrument: E♭7 on piano and E♭7 on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.

Next to try on guitar

Other dominant seventh chords

E♭7 on guitar: questions

What notes are in E♭7 on guitar?

E♭, G, B♭ and D♭. In the x-x-1-3-2-3 shape the strings play E♭ (D string), B♭ (G string), D♭ (B string) and G (high E string).

What's the easiest way to play E♭7 on guitar?

No open-string E♭7 exists in standard tuning; x-x-1-3-2-3 is the place to start. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and in many songs a capo can take over part of the work.

Is E♭7 a barre chord on guitar?

Not usually: x-x-1-3-2-3 needs no barre. There are barre versions further up the neck, shown below it.

Which string does E♭7 start on?

In the x-x-1-3-2-3 shape the lowest string you play is the D string at the 1st fret, which is E♭, the root. Skip the low E and A strings.

Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside E♭7. Updated September 2026.