Eb guitar chord (D#)

E♭ major · D♯ · E♭maj · E♭M

The Eb guitar chord, also written D#, is played xx1343, starting at the 1st fret. Its notes are Eb, G and Bb.

Eb chord at the 1st fret (xx1343)

Fingering: xx1343
Fingers: – – 1 2 4 3
Difficulty: Medium
Position: 1st fret

Eb chord at the 3rd fret (x65343)

Fingering: x65343
Fingers: – 4 3 1 2 1
Difficulty: Hard
Position: 3rd fret

Eb barre chord, 6th fret (x68886)

Fingering: x68886
Fingers: – 1 2 3 4 1
Difficulty: Hard
Position: barre chord, 6th fret

Eb chord at the 8th fret (x-x-8-8-8-11)

Fingering: x-x-8-8-8-11
Fingers: – – 1 1 1 4
Difficulty: Medium
Position: 8th fret

PNG PDF

Notes in the Eb major chord

The Eb chord is made of E♭ · G · B♭. Its formula is 1–3–5.

Note	Degree	Interval from Eb
E♭	1	root
G	3	major third
B♭	5	perfect fifth

How to play the Eb guitar chord

Put your first finger on the 1st fret of the D string.
Put your second finger on the 3rd fret of the G string.
Put your third finger on the 3rd fret of the high E string.
Put your fourth finger on the 4th fret of the B string.
Strum from the D string down and leave the low E and A strings out.

That is the 1st fret shape, xx1343. It is rated medium: 4 fingers, 4 strings, a 4-fret stretch.

Why your Eb chord buzzes or sounds muted

Low E and A strings are not part of this Eb shape. Start your strum on the D string, or rest your thumb on the unused strings to keep them quiet.

The shape spans 4 frets. Keep your thumb low behind the neck so your fingers can spread, and place the widest finger first.

Eb barre chord

Eb has 1 barre shape here: x68886 (barre at the 6th fret).

A barre shape has no open strings, so it moves. Slide it up one fret and you are playing E.

Songs that use Eb

Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Green Day): Fm Ab Eb Bb
Roxanne (The Police): Gm Dm Eb F Cm
Purple Rain (Prince): Bb Gm F Eb
Mad World (Gary Jules): Fm Ab Eb Bb

Chord names only, as the songs are usually charted for guitar. Recordings may use a capo or another key.

Keys with the Eb chord

Eb is the I chord in Eb major, V chord in Ab major and IV chord in Bb major. In minor keys it is the III chord in C minor, VII chord in F minor and VI chord in G minor.

All major guitar chords

Every Eb chord on guitar

Eb guitar chord questions

How do you play an Eb chord on guitar?

Play xx1343, reading from the low E string to the high E string. An x means the string is not played and a 0 means it rings open. The fingers used are - - 1 2 4 3.

What notes are in the Eb chord?

The Eb major chord has 3 notes: Eb, G and Bb. Its formula is 1–3–5, counted from the Eb major scale.

What keys is the Eb chord in?