Eb7 Guitar Chord

Eb7 is the E flat dominant seventh chord, also written D#7. It has four notes: E♭, G, B♭ and D♭. The standard shape is a barre at the 6th fret, but the friendliest version on this page is a four string shape sitting right at the first three frets, with no barre at all.

The A7 grip barred at fret 6, mid neck where frets are closer together and the barre is kinder than near the nut.

How to play Eb7, step by step

Index finger: press flat across the A to high E strings at fret 6
Ring finger: 8th fret, D string
Pinky finger: 8th fret, B string
Strum from the A string down, skipping the low E.

Do not overlook the no barre shape below: it lives at frets 1 to 3, needs no barre, and is the quickest way to get Eb7 under your fingers today.

More ways to play Eb7

There are 3 common Eb7 shapes in total: the standard one at the top of the page, plus these, easiest first. You only ever need one. Tap any card to hear it.

Eb7 guitar chord diagram, easier, no barre, played xx1323 — Easier, no barre

Eb7 guitar chord diagram, barre at fret 11, played 11 13 11 12 11 11 — Barre at fret 11

If the fret 6 barre will not speak

G string is missing from the chord: Between the ring and pinky, the G string is fretted by the barre alone. If either finger sags, it lands on the G. Keep both arched on their tips.
The fret 8 notes buzz: Ring and pinky are reaching two frets past the barre, so they tend to land short. Place each one just behind the 8th fret wire, not in the middle of the fret.
Low E hums underneath: It is not in the chord. Extend the index tip a little past the A string to rest on the low E, or simply start your strum one string lower.

What makes it an Eb7

E♭ · G · B♭ · D♭ 1 3 5 ♭7

Eb7 is an E flat major triad (E♭, G, B♭) with a minor seventh (D♭) stacked on top. The D♭ and the G are the engine: they squeeze inward and land on the notes of an A flat chord, so Eb7 is the V7 of Ab major and Ab minor. Guitarists meet Eb7 mostly in jazz standards, soul and gospel, where flat keys are the norm because that is where the horns live. It is also the home chord of blues in Eb.

Eb vs Eb7

Both are barre chords at the 6th fret. E flat major fills the 8th fret with a mini barre or three stacked fingers; Eb7 uses just ring and pinky there, leaving a gap where the seventh rings through on the G string. That gap is the whole difference: Eb sits still, Eb7 leans toward Ab. If your Eb major works, Eb7 asks slightly less of your hand.

Eb7 chord questions

Is D#7 the same as Eb7?

Yes. One chord, two spellings. Flat keys write Eb7; in sharp key contexts the same notes get labeled D#7.

Can I play Eb7 without a barre?

Yes, and unusually for a flat key chord, the no barre shape sits at the very bottom of the neck: frets 1 to 3 on the middle four strings.

What does Eb7 resolve to?

A flat. Eb7 is the dominant (V) chord of Ab major and Ab minor.

Why do I rarely see Eb7 in guitar songbooks?

Eb7 has no open strings to help it, so guitar friendly keys avoid it. It belongs to the flat keys of jazz, soul and horn arrangements, where it is completely routine.

Is Eb7 hard to play?

The barre shapes take the usual barre practice, but the four string shape at the 1st fret is genuinely easy: one finger per string, no stretch, no barre.