How To Play E Flat Chord On Guitar?
In today's lesson, we'll go over 5 distinct ways to play the E flat major chord or Eb chord on guitar.
We'll discover common positions, voicings, and recommend finger placements, each with its own chord diagram as well as tips to make smooth chord transitions. We'll also discuss chord theory, how it gets its name, how to use it, and some killer songs to practice to.
Eb Major Chord With (1 Finger Barre)
The easiest way to play E flat major on guitar is actually a barre chord! All you're going to do is bar across one fret with one finger.
- Simply place your first finger on the eighth fret of the 4th string and bar across strings 2 -4
Where this voicing is not in the root position, it would be considered an inversion. Inversions simply mean the root note of a chord (in this case, the Eb note) is not the bass note.
When an inversion is written, it is often referred to as a slash chord, such as Eb/Bb. This simply means play the Eb but have the Bb note as the lowest note.
Play The Eb Chord Without Barre
The next voicing for the Eb chord is a killer way to prepare your hands for barre chords. To play, place your:
- Index finger on the sixth string, 11th fret
- Third finger on the 5th string, 13th fret
- Fourth finger on the 4th string, 13th fret
- Middle finger on the 12th fret of the third string
Playing Eb Major Chord With Barre Chords
Eb Barre Chord (E Shape)
Similar to the shape above, this example is going to be exactly the same, but you will simply press your index finger to the side as your other fingers squeeze in. You will be barring across all the strings, and as far as barre chords for major chords, this is the most popular voicing.
If you can do the non barre voicing of this shape, adding in the barre should be relatively easy.
Variation 2 (A Shape)
This is going to be similar to the first Eb chord we learned, but this time, we are going to barre with your ring finger while your index finger presses on the fifth string, sixth fret.
To play this chord correctly, the thumb of your left hand (fret hand) must be in the middle of your hand, and your ring finger knuckle must be high so that it can "scoop" down and lay flat. (see video)
The last voicing we'll discuss for Eb major is also an inversion. To play, place your:
- 3rd finger on the fourth string, 3rd fret
- Second finger on second string, 2nd fret
- First finger on the third string, first fret
As you squeeze in barre with your first finger and strum from the fourth string down.
Note, the E flat major chords aren't the most popular chords when playing rock or metal, as it's quite common to tune down a 1/2 step and then play an E major. The reason is because with the down tune, it sounds the same, but you'll be able to use the lowest note on your guitar E string played open.
Need help speeding up your chords transitions?
Get my free PDF download and video training and solve this once and for all!
Beginner
How to speed up your chord changes in less than 30 days
E Flat Major Tips
Tip #1
The #1 mistake players make in learning how to play new chords is that they don't memorize them. If you have to constantly look at where to place your fingers, your mind/body won't develop proper coordination. Focus on learning just a few chords at a given time.
Tip #2
To learn the Eb major chord, play the chord very slowly so that all your fingers attack the strings simultaneously. Your chord changes will always be slow if you place your fingers on the fretboard one at a time.
Tip #3
Be sure your thumb is in the correct position. The #1 reason why players struggle with chords, have stiff fingers, think they have small hands, etc.. is due to a simple two-second fix... The thumb needs to be in the correct position. If it's on the outside of your index finger, your hand will not work properly.
Easy Songs Using E Flat Major
Greenday - American Idiot
Greenday - Holiday
Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger
Eb Major Guitar Chord Theory
Now, let’s break down the theory of the Eb chord so you can better understand how to use it.
The Eb major chord is built from the Eb major scale, also written as E flat major scale: Eb F G Ab Bb C D. When reading standard notation or charts, you'll know if the song is in the key of Eb because at the beginning of the music, the key signature will show three flats.
Now, to understand the chord formula, you need to understand "scale degrees," which is simply numbering the notes of the scale starting with the root note.
When teaching theory, guitar teachers often reference the piano due to the simplicity of the layout of piano keys especially where the E flat major scale uses a lot of black keys, but I think the illustration below will do:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Eb F G Ab Bb C D
As you can see, I have bolded the notes of the Eb major scale that are used to create an E flat major chord. In music theory, we need the 1 3 5 scale degrees of a major scale to create a major chord. You must have these three notes Eb G Bb (no more, no less) to make an Eb chord.
Now you know a few ways to play the Eb major chord and understand some Eb chord theory!
If you need help understanding keys and more in-depth theory, inside the Guitar GPS Method, I'll systematically build your skills, knowledge, and creativity in an easy to follow leveled system of gamified courses and popular songs.
Did you find this article helpful? If so, please share!