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 high E string (1st).
- Little finger on the 4th fret of the B string (2nd).
- 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 4 | little | E♭4 | root |
| 1st (high E) | fret 3 | ring | 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♭
The same 3 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.
- x68886A barre at the 6th fret and three more fingers
- x65343A barre at the 3rd fret and three more fingers
- 11-10-8-8-8-11A barre at the 8th fret and three more fingers
Holding it cleanly
It spans 4 frets. Bring the elbow in and let the hand turn slightly toward the body of the guitar; the stretch comes from the hand opening, not from the fingers reaching.
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♭
A major chord is built from the root (1), 3 and 5 of its root’s major scale. From E♭ that gives E♭ – G – B♭. Bright and settled — the chord a song in a major key comes home to.
The same root, other chords: E♭m, E♭7, E♭maj7, E♭m7, E♭sus2, E♭sus4, E♭dim, E♭aug.
Keys that use E♭
E♭ is built from the notes of 6 keys. Each link is that key’s full set of guitar chords — the ones that sound right next to this one.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a E♭ chord?
E♭ major is three notes: E♭ – G – B♭ — the root, 3 and 5 of the E♭ major scale. On guitar the shape xx1343 sounds E♭3, B♭3, E♭4 and G4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play E♭ on guitar?
The usual shape is xx1343 — a shape at the 1st fret, with four fingers. It is already about as easy as this chord gets.
Is E♭ the same chord as D♯?
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♯, a piece in a flat key writes E♭.
What is the difference between E♭ and E♭m?
One note. E♭ has a major third (G); E♭m lowers it a semitone. That single fret is the whole difference between the two sounds.
What keys is E♭ in?
E♭ is one of the seven chords of E♭ major (as I), A♭ major (as V), B♭ major (as IV), C minor (as III), F minor (as VII) and G minor (as VI).