E♭ Chord on Guitar
Notes E♭ G B♭. Start with the 4-string E♭ (x x 1 3 4 3, a D shape moved up one fret), then the A-shape barre at fret 6.
Chord · E♭ major
D-shape, 4 strings (fret 1) · x x 1 3 4 3
movable, no open strings
A-shape barre (fret 6) · x 6 8 8 8 6
barre, movable
E-shape barre (fret 11) · 11 13 13 12 11 11
barre, movable
1 E♭3 G5 B♭
- String 6 (low E): muted, do not play
- String 5 (A): muted, do not play
- String 4 (D): index (1), fret 1
- String 3 (G): middle (2), fret 3
- String 2 (B): pinky (4), fret 4
- String 1 (high e): ring (3), fret 3
- Barre: index finger flat across strings 5 to 1 at fret 6
- String 6 (low E): muted, do not play
- String 5 (A): index (1), fret 6
- String 4 (D): ring (3), fret 8
- String 3 (G): ring (3), fret 8
- String 2 (B): ring (3), fret 8
- String 1 (high e): index (1), fret 6
- Barre: index finger flat across strings 6 to 1 at fret 11
- String 6 (low E): index (1), fret 11
- String 5 (A): ring (3), fret 13
- String 4 (D): pinky (4), fret 13
- String 3 (G): middle (2), fret 12
- String 2 (B): index (1), fret 11
- String 1 (high e): index (1), fret 11
Notes and formula
| Degree | Note | Interval from E♭ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E♭ | root |
| 3 | G | major 3rd |
| 5 | B♭ | perfect 5th |
Formula 1 3 5 (major). Same chord as D♯: same pitches, same shapes.
Also written Eb, E flat major, D♯, D sharp major.
More on this chord type: Barre chords
Capo shapes that sound as E♭
Open shapes you may already know, moved up with a capo.
D shape + capo 1
C shape + capo 3
A shape + capo 6
Need the capo fret for a whole song? Capo calculator: any song key, any shapes. New to the capo? How to use a capo.
Progressions with E♭
| Key · progression | Chords | Listen |
|---|---|---|
| E♭ major I–V–vi–IV | E♭ – B♭ – Cm – A♭ | |
| E♭ major I–IV–V–I | E♭ – A♭ – B♭ – E♭ | |
| A♭ major I–vi–IV–V | A♭ – Fm – D♭ – E♭ | |
| A♭ major vi–IV–I–V | Fm – D♭ – A♭ – E♭ | |
| G minor i–VI–III–VII | Gm – E♭ – B♭ – F |
Keys that contain E♭
| Key | E♭ is the |
|---|---|
| E♭ major | I |
| A♭ major | V |
| B♭ major | IV |
| G minor | VI |
| C minor | III |
| F minor | VII |
Minor keys here use the natural minor scale.
Playing E♭: what goes wrong
A wide grip near the nut
The 4-string E♭ spans frets 1 to 4 with the index on string 4 and the pinky on string 2. Frets are widest there; learning the same grip higher up first (it is F at fret 3) makes the stretch easier.
Capo instead
With a capo on fret 1 the open D shape sounds as E♭, and with a capo on fret 3 the open C shape does. For a whole song in E♭ that is often easier than barre chords.
Related chords
Learn and practise E♭
- Metronomepractise the change to E♭ at 60 BPM
- How to read chord chartsstrings, frets, fingers, x and o
- Chord finder (chord namer)name any other shape you find
FAQ
What notes are in E♭?
E♭, G, B♭: the 1, 3, 5 of the E♭ major chord. D♯ is the same chord spelt with a sharp.
Is E♭ the same as D♯?
Yes, same pitches and shapes. E♭ is the usual name; D♯ major is rare on chord sheets.