E♭ seventh chord (E♭7)

E♭ seventh is a 4-note dominant seventh chord: E♭ – G – B♭ – D♭. It sounds tense: it wants to resolve to another chord. Here it is on guitar, piano and ukulele, with fingering and audio. Also called D♯ seventh (D♯7).

NotesE♭ – G – B♭ – D♭
Formula1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7
SymbolE♭7 · E♭dom7
EnharmonicD♯ seventh (D♯7)

E♭ seventh on guitar

Barre at fret 6 (A shape)
Barre at fret 11 (E shape)

How to place your fingers (barre at fret 6)

Barre fret 6 with your index finger, from the 5th to the 1st string.
Finger 3 (ring) on fret 8 of the 4th string (D).
Finger 4 (pinky) on fret 8 of the 2nd string (B).
Do not play the 6th string: strum from the 5th.

The numbers inside the dots are the fingers of your left hand: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring and 4 pinky. The colored dots mark the root (E♭). The other positions let you change chords without jumping along the neck, or give you a higher-pitched sound.

E♭ seventh on piano

In root position, play E♭ – G – B♭ – D♭ from bottom to top with fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5 of your right hand. With your left hand you usually play just the root (E♭) or the root and the fifth.

Inversions

First inversion: G – B♭ – D♭ – E♭
Second inversion: B♭ – D♭ – E♭ – G
Third inversion: D♭ – E♭ – G – B♭

E♭ seventh on ukulele

Open position
From fret 6

Standard tuning G – C – E – A (the G string is the high one). Is your ukulele in tune? Use the ukulele tuner.

Notes and intervals of E♭ seventh

E♭1 · root
G3 · major third
B♭5 · perfect fifth
D♭♭7 · minor seventh

It's the dominant chord (V7): it sets up the arrival at the tonic and is the foundation of blues, son and many song endings.

Progressions with E♭7

A dominant that resolves: V7 – I

E♭7 is the fifth degree of A♭ major: its tension wants to resolve to A♭.

The ii–V–I: ii7 – V7 – Imaj7

The most common cadence in jazz and bossa nova.

Which keys contain E♭ seventh?

E♭7 belongs to 2 keys: in each one it plays a different role depending on the degree (the Roman numeral).

Key	Degree
A♭ major	V7
F natural minor	VII7

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the E-flat seventh chord?

E♭ seventh (E♭7) has 4 notes: E♭ (root), G (major third), B♭ (perfect fifth), D♭ (minor seventh).

How do you play E♭ seventh on guitar?

The most common shape uses a barre at fret 6: x 6 8 6 8 6 (from the 6th to the 1st string). Barre fret 6 with your index finger, from the 5th to the 1st string. Place finger 3 (ring) at fret 8 on the 4th string (D). Place finger 4 (pinky) at fret 8 on the 2nd string (B). Do not play the 6th string: strum from the 5th.

Is E♭7 the same as D♯7?

Yes: E♭ seventh and D♯ seventh sound the same and are played the same way (they are enharmonic). The spelling depends on the song’s key; you will see both names in scores and songbooks.

What is the chord symbol for E♭ seventh?

It's written E♭7; you may also see E♭dom7. Letter notation names the notes C, D, E, F, G, A and B.

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