Eb guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.
P - i - m - a · Classic Ascending (4/4 · 4 notes · Level 1)
The thumb plays D# on the 5th and the three top strings add up to 3 different notes. All 6 arpeggios
Steady bass with uniform ascending movement.
Eb is built from Eb, G and Bb. Eb is the root, G the major third and Bb the fifth. Said aloud, its notes are E flat, G and B flat.
From the low string to the high one you hear Eb, Bb, Eb, G and Bb. Of the five strings you play, two give Eb, the note that names the chord. The lowest note is Eb on string 5 and the highest is Bb on string 1.
For Eb, your index finger barres fret 6. String 6 stays silent. Everything fits between frets 6 and 8. Besides the main one there are two more shapes, at frets 1 and 11.
Ebm is one change away. String 2 moves from fret 8 to fret 7, bringing in Gb, the minor third of Ebm. It shares two notes with Cm, Eb and G. Going to Eb7, four positions stay the same. It can also be written D#, and it sounds the same.
Eb belongs to seven keys. In Eb major it is the I, in Ab major the V and in Bb major the IV. The rest appear in the key list.
Eb 1G 3Bb 5
Root Bass (Fundamental String)5th String (A) • Fret 6 (Eb)
String Control (Muted & Active)5 / 6 • 1 X Muted
Placement tip: Barre fret 6. Press: 4th String (D) at fret 8, 3rd String (G) at fret 8, 2nd String (B) at fret 8. Don't play: 6th String (Low E).
Placement tip: Press: 4th String (D) at fret 1 with your Index finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 3 with your Middle finger, 2nd String (B) at fret 4 with your Pinky finger, 1st String (High E) at fret 3 with your Ring finger. Don't play: 6th String (Low E), 5th String (A).
Placement tip: Barre fret 11. Press: 5th String (A) at fret 13, 4th String (D) at fret 13, 3rd String (G) at fret 12.
| Item | In this chord |
|---|---|
| Frets | 6 to 8 |
| Barre | fret 6, from the 5th to the 1st string |
| Fretting fingers | 4 |
| Open | none |
| Muted | 6th |
At fret 6, only the barre sounds the 5th and 1st strings.
Listen: Eb → Eb7 · Ab · Abm
Eb sits in the scale of 7 keys.
The questions that come up most when playing this chord
To play the Eb chord on guitar, only 5 strings are played, from string 5 to string 1. Muted strings must be gently dampened with the fleshy side of a fretting finger to prevent dissonance.
The primary bass note of the Eb chord is its root note: Eb. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 5 at fret 6.
When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.
The Eb chord is constructed using the 1 - 3 - 5 formula (Major Triad). Its constituent pitches are Eb, G, Bb.
To prevent fret buzz on the Eb barre chord, roll your index finger slightly outward (about 15 degrees) to press with its harder bony edge. Position your finger directly behind the fret wire and apply gentle arm pull from your back rather than squeezing with thumb force.
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