Ebm 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.
Ebm is built from Eb, Gb and Bb. Eb is the root, Gb the minor third and Bb the fifth. Said aloud, its notes are E flat, G flat and B flat.
String by string, low to high, it plays Eb, Bb, Eb, Gb and Bb. Eb rings twice across the five strings, and it is the root. It runs from Eb on string 5 up to Bb on string 1.
You play Ebm with a barre at fret 6. Avoid string 6. Your hand covers three frets, from 6 to 8. This page has three positions. The others start at frets 1 and 11.
Change only string 2 in Ebm and you have Eb. Ebm and Gb have Gb and Bb in common. Abm shares one position with this shape. D#m is the same chord under another name.
You will find Ebm in five different keys. In Gb major it is the vi, in Db major the ii and in B major the iii. The rest appear in the key list. Further down there is a song that uses it.
Eb 1Gb ♭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 7. 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 Ring finger, 2nd String (B) at fret 4 with your Pinky finger, 1st String (High E) at fret 2 with your Middle 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.
| 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: Ebm → Abm · Ab · Bbm
No finger is shared: place the bass on string 5 first, then the rest of the shape.
Ebm sits in the scale of 5 keys.
Well-known songs where this chord plays a clear role
The questions that come up most when playing this chord
To play the Ebm 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 Ebm 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 Ebm chord is constructed using the 1 - ♭3 - 5 formula (Minor Triad). Its constituent pitches are Eb, Gb, Bb.
To prevent fret buzz on the Ebm 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.
"Superstition" (Stevie Wonder, 1972). Part of the main riff (Ebm).
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