Read left to right, 6th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string, x is a string you do not play.
- Index finger on the 1st fret of the D string (4th).
- Middle finger on the 3rd fret of the G string (3rd).
- Ring finger on the 3rd fret of the B string (2nd).
- Little finger on the 3rd fret of the high E string (1st).
- Do not play the low E and A strings: start the strum from the D string.
String by string
What each string does in this shape, and which note of the chord it sounds. This is what to listen for when you pluck them one at a time.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | In the chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th (low E) | not played | — | — | — |
| 5th (A) | not played | — | — | — |
| 4th (D) | fret 1 | index | E♭3 | root |
| 3rd (G) | fret 3 | middle | B♭3 | fifth |
| 2nd (B) | fret 3 | ring | D4 | major seventh |
| 1st (high E) | fret 3 | little | G4 | third |
One string at a time: a chord strummed into a microphone is several notes at once, and a single string is something the page can hear exactly. A string in tune but on the wrong fret, or deadened by the finger beside it, shows up here and not on a tuner. Tap a string to check it again.
3 other ways to play E♭maj7
The same 4 notes, somewhere else on the neck. A different shape puts a different note on top, so each one colours the chord slightly differently — and one of them is usually nearer the chord you are coming from.
- x68786A barre at the 6th fret and three more fingers
- x65333A barre at the 3rd fret and two more fingers
- 11-10-8-8-8-10A barre at the 8th fret and three more fingers
If the usual shape is too hard for now
xx1033 is E♭maj7 without the full barre — fewer strings, the same chord. It is a real voicing, not a cheat, and plenty of players keep using it.
Holding it cleanly
The 2 lowest strings are left out, because their open notes are not in the chord. Aim the strum to start below them, or let the tip of a fretting finger rest against the unwanted string to keep it quiet.
The notes in E♭maj7
A major seventh chord is built from the root (1), 3, 5 and 7 of its root’s major scale. From E♭ that gives E♭ – G – B♭ – D. A major chord with the note a semitone under its root added: soft, open, and at rest.
The same root, other chords: E♭ major, E♭m, E♭7, E♭m7, E♭sus2, E♭sus4, E♭dim, E♭aug.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a E♭maj7 chord?
E♭ major seventh is four notes: E♭ – G – B♭ – D — the root, 3, 5 and 7 of the E♭ major scale. On guitar the shape xx1333 sounds E♭3, B♭3, D4 and G4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play E♭maj7 on guitar?
The usual shape is xx1333 — a shape at the 1st fret, with four fingers. If that is out of reach for now, xx1033 is the same chord without the full barre.
Is E♭maj7 the same chord as D♯maj7?
Yes — on guitar they are the same frets and the same sound. E♭ and D♯ are two names for one pitch, and which name a songbook prints depends on the key: a piece in a sharp key writes D♯maj7, a piece in a flat key writes E♭maj7.
What is the difference between E♭maj7 and E♭7?
E♭maj7 has the natural seventh (D), a semitone below the root; E♭7 flattens it another semitone. E♭maj7 is soft and at rest; E♭7 is restless and leads somewhere. A songbook that says E♭7 does not mean E♭maj7.