Eb7 Piano Chord

Eb7 is the E flat dominant seventh chord. It has four notes: E flat, G, B flat and D flat. Three of them are black keys and only the G is white.

1E♭2G3B♭5D♭C4C5

E♭ at the bottom, then G and B♭ and D♭. Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1. The black keys are E♭ and B♭ and D♭.

How to play Eb7 on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the E♭ above middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): E♭
  3. Index finger (2): G
  4. Middle finger (3): B♭
  5. Little finger (5): D♭
  6. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 3, 2, 1 an octave lower, or just E♭ on its own as a bass note.

With three fingers on black keys and one on a white key in the middle, the hand naturally sits deep in the keyboard. That position is more comfortable than it looks on paper.

Inversions of Eb7

The same 4 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are Eb7; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionG B♭ D♭ E♭
Eb7 piano chord diagram, first inversion, G B♭ D♭ E♭
Lighter than root position and less final. A third in the bass tips the chord forward, which is why it usually sits between two other chords rather than at the end of a line.
Second inversionB♭ D♭ E♭ G
Eb7 piano chord diagram, second inversion, B♭ D♭ E♭ G
Open and slightly unresolved. A fifth in the bass makes the chord sound like a step on the way somewhere, which is mostly how it is used.
Third inversionD♭ E♭ G B♭
Eb7 piano chord diagram, third inversion, D♭ E♭ G B♭
The most restless of the four. The seventh is the note that wants to move, and putting it underneath the whole chord makes that pull impossible to miss.

If it sounds wrong

The white note is wrong
The second note is G, the only white key in the chord. If the chord sounds odd, check that finger first.
The top note is D natural
It has to be D flat, the black key to its left. D natural would give Ebmaj7.
The black keys sound uneven
They are narrower than white keys. Aim each fingertip at the centre of its key rather than the edge.

What makes it an Eb7

E♭ · G · B♭ · D♭ 1 3 5 ♭7

Eb7 is an E flat major triad, E flat G B flat, with a D flat added: the flat seventh.

It is the V7 of A flat, and the IV chord of a blues in B flat. Like most flat key sevenths it belongs to jazz, soul and horn arrangements.

Eb7 vs Eb

Eb7 is E flat major with a D flat on top. The extra note turns a resting chord into one that leans toward A flat.

It also changes the hand: E flat major has one white key in the middle, and E flat 7 keeps that shape and adds a black key above it.

Questions about Eb7

Which notes are in an Eb7 chord on piano?

E flat, G, B flat and D flat. Only G is a white key.

What fingers do you use for Eb7?

Right hand: thumb on E flat, index on G, middle on B flat, little finger on D flat. Left hand: 5, 3, 2, 1.

Is Eb7 hard to play?

Less than it looks. Three black keys give the hand a natural deep position, and only the second finger comes forward.

What is the difference between Eb7 and Ebmaj7?

The top note. Eb7 has D flat and pulls to A flat; Ebmaj7 has D natural and rests.

Where is the Eb7 chord used?

As the V7 of A flat and the IV chord of a blues in B flat.

Chords to learn next

Other Eb chords