Ebm7 Chord on Guitar (E flat minor seventh)
Ebm7 is a minor seventh chord with a soft, smooth and a little melancholic sound. It contains the notes Eb – Gb – Bb – Db (minor chord + minor seventh). Below you will find 3 ways to play it on guitar.
How to play Ebm7
Position 1: x 6 8 6 7 6
- low E: don't play
- A: fret 6
- D: fret 8
- G: fret 6
- B: fret 7
- high E: fret 6
Position 2: 11 13 11 11 11 11
- low E: fret 11
- A: fret 13
- D: fret 11
- G: fret 11
- B: fret 11
- high E: fret 11
Position 3: x x 1 3 2 2
- low E: don't play
- A: don't play
- D: fret 1
- G: fret 3
- B: fret 2
- high E: fret 2
This chord has no easy open shape, so it is usually played as a barre chord. Press the barre with the side of your index finger, keep your thumb behind the neck, and check each string one by one until all of them ring clearly.
Chord theory
A minor seventh chord adds a minor seventh to a minor triad. It keeps the darker colour of the minor chord but sounds softer and more open.
Degrees: 1 = Eb, ♭3 = Gb, 5 = Bb, ♭7 = Db
Using Ebm7 in songs
Minor sevenths are everywhere in soul, R&B, jazz and bossa nova. A minor chord in a song can often be replaced by its minor seventh version to make it sound smoother.