E♭m7 chord on guitar

E♭m7 is E♭, G♭, B♭ and D♭. The usual shape is x-x-1-3-2-2. Tap Play, then slow it down.

x-x-1-3-2-2 · movable · medium

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

How to play E♭m7 on guitar

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

This shape uses your pinky. It feels weak at first; press with the tip and let the finger stay curved.
Aim the strum at the thinner strings only; the lower ones are marked × for a reason.

Other ways to play E♭m7

11-13-11-11-11-11: barre shape at the 11th fret, medium. Root on the 6th string: move it up or down and it names a different minor seventh chord.
x-6-8-6-7-6: barre shape at the 6th fret, medium. Root on the 5th string, so it pairs well with the 6th-string shape a few frets away.

Capo shortcuts for E♭m7

A capo turns an open chord into E♭m7: capo on the 1st fret and play the open Dm7 shape (x-x-0-2-1-1), capo on the 4th fret and play the open Bm7 shape (x-2-0-2-0-2) or capo on the 6th fret and play the open Am7 shape (x-0-2-0-1-0). Handy when the rest of the song's chords also have open shapes in that position.

E♭m7 chord changes

Songs rarely hold E♭m7 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.

A♭7 (V in D♭ major): E♭m7 (x-x-1-3-2-2) to A♭7 (4-6-4-5-4-4): 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, the ring finger goes to the A string, 6th fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. E♭ and G♭ carry over from one chord to the other. A♭7 on guitar
F♯maj7 (IV in D♭ major): E♭m7 (x-x-1-3-2-2) to F♯maj7 (2-4-3-3-2-2): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 2nd fret, move the middle finger to the D string, 3rd fret, the ring finger goes to the G string, 3rd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. Listen for G♭, B♭ and D♭, which stay put while the rest moves. F♯maj7 on guitar
C♯maj7 (I in D♭ major): E♭m7 (x-x-1-3-2-2) to C♯maj7 (x-4-6-5-6-4): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 4th fret, move the middle finger to the G string, 5th fret, your ring finger lands on the D 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 D♭, which is why the change sounds smooth. C♯maj7 on guitar

E♭m7 is a minor seventh chord: a minor triad plus a minor seventh. E♭m7 is the easy-going minor, common as the ii chord right before a dominant seventh. The slow arpeggio button above makes that quality easy to hear.

Getting E♭m7 under your fingers

Pick shape 1 one string at a time, low to high: E♭, B♭, D♭, G♭. Every note should ring clearly; if one thuds, adjust that finger before you strum. Next, alternate x-x-1-3-2-2 and 11-13-11-11-11-11, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

D♯m7 is another spelling of E♭m7. Same shape, same sound.

E♭m7 in context

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

E♭m7 on piano and ukulele

The same notes on another instrument: E♭m7 on piano and E♭m7 on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.

Next to try on guitar

Other minor seventh chords

E♭m7 on guitar: questions

What notes are in E♭m7 on guitar?

E♭, G♭, B♭ and D♭. In the x-x-1-3-2-2 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♭m7 on guitar?

No open-string E♭m7 exists in standard tuning; x-x-1-3-2-2 is the place to start. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and a capo is worth trying when the song allows.

Is E♭m7 a barre chord on guitar?

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

Which string does E♭m7 start on?

In the x-x-1-3-2-2 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.

Every shape above plays only E♭, G♭, B♭ and D♭, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.