E♭ major chord on guitar (E♭)

E♭ is E♭, G and B♭. The usual shape is x-x-1-3-4-3. Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.

x-x-1-3-4-3 · movable · medium

Notes: E♭ · G · B♭
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5
First shape: x-x-1-3-4-3

How to play E♭ on guitar

Shape 1, x-x-1-3-4-3, reading from the low E string on the left:

E♭: index finger, 1st fret of the D string.
B♭: middle finger, 3rd fret of the G string.
G: ring finger, 3rd fret of the high E string.
E♭: pinky finger, 4th fret of the B string.
Strum from the D string down; the low E and A strings stay silent.

This shape uses your pinky. It feels weak at first; press with the tip and let the finger stay curved.
A four-fret stretch: drop your wrist a little and point your thumb up the back of the neck.
Only four strings sound, so strum from the string marked first and aim your pick at the treble strings.

Other ways to play E♭

11-13-13-12-11-11: barre shape at the 11th fret, medium. Built on the E open shape with the barre as a movable nut; the root is on the 6th string.
x-6-8-8-8-6: barre shape at the 6th fret, medium. The root is on the A string; it's the A shape moved up the neck.

Capo shortcuts for E♭

A capo turns an open chord into E♭: capo on the 1st fret and play the open D shape (x-x-0-2-3-2), capo on the 3rd fret and play the open C shape (x-3-2-0-1-0) or capo on the 6th fret and play the open A shape (x-0-2-2-2-0). Handy when the rest of the song's chords also have open shapes in that position.

E♭ chord changes

These are the changes you'll meet most often with E♭, using the first shape of each chord.

A♭ (IV in E♭ major): E♭ (x-x-1-3-4-3) to A♭ (4-6-6-5-4-4): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 4th fret, the middle finger goes to the G string, 5th fret, move the ring finger to 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
B♭ (V in E♭ major): E♭ (x-x-1-3-4-3) to B♭ (x-1-3-3-3-1): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 1st fret, the middle finger slides across to the D string at the same fret, the ring finger goes to the G string, 3rd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. B♭ carries over from one chord to the other. B♭ on guitar
Cm (vi in E♭ major): E♭ (x-x-1-3-4-3) to Cm (x-3-1-0-1-3): your index finger stays put, the middle finger goes to the B string, 1st fret, move the ring finger to the A string, 3rd fret, move the pinky finger to the high E string, 3rd fret. The two chords share E♭ and G, which is why the change sounds smooth. Cm on guitar

E♭ is a major triad: bright, settled and stable. Major chords are the backbone of most songs; E♭ is home in E♭ major and a common IV or V in the keys around it. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

Getting E♭ under your fingers

Before strumming, play x-x-1-3-4-3 note by note: E♭ then B♭ then E♭ then G. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Next, alternate x-x-1-3-4-3 and 11-13-13-12-11-11, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

Written D♯, it's the same chord with the same frets.

Where E♭ shows up

In E♭ major, I–V–vi–IV on guitar is E♭ (x-x-1-3-4-3), B♭ (x-1-3-3-3-1), Cm (x-3-1-0-1-3) and A♭ (4-6-6-5-4-4). About the pop progression.

In E♭ major, I–IV–V on guitar is E♭ (x-x-1-3-4-3), A♭ (4-6-6-5-4-4) and B♭ (x-1-3-3-3-1). About the three-chord progression.

In E♭ major, I–vi–IV–V on guitar is E♭ (x-x-1-3-4-3), Cm (x-3-1-0-1-3), A♭ (4-6-6-5-4-4) and B♭ (x-1-3-3-3-1). About the 50s progression.

E♭ on piano and ukulele

E♭ on piano and ukulele uses the same 3 notes in a different layout. See all three together.

Close to E♭

Other major chords

E♭ on guitar: questions

What notes are in E♭ on guitar?

E♭, G and B♭. In the x-x-1-3-4-3 shape the strings play E♭ (D string), B♭ (G string), E♭ (B string) and G (high E string), so E♭ is doubled.

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

E♭ has no open-string shape in standard tuning, so every version needs a barre or a stretch. Start with x-x-1-3-4-3. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and a capo can make it easier in some songs.

Is E♭ a barre chord on guitar?

Not in its common form: x-x-1-3-4-3 needs no barre. The barre versions come later, higher on the neck.

Which string does E♭ start on?

In the x-x-1-3-4-3 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♭. Updated September 2026.