Eb7

Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db, a dominant seventh. The shape this page opens on is written xx1323, lowest string first.

Also written Ebdom7 or Eb dominant 7. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 6 common shapes for Eb7 on the guitar, and 34 derived voicings in 4 families.

In which keys. Every note of Eb7 belongs to F minor (the ♭VII) and Ab major (the V).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: xx1323, x6564x, x68686, xx8889, 11-10-8-8-8-9, 11-13-11-12-11-11.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Eb7 has x656xx, 11-10-11-x-x-x, x6x02x, x6x68x, 11-x-11-12-x-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Eb7 has x1102x, xx1323, x4534x, xx5646, 6656xx, x6868x, xx8889, 9-10-8-8-x-x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Eb7 has 3x132x, x4x343, 6x564x, x6x686, x-10-x-8-11-9, 9x888x, x-13-x-12-14-11, 11-x-11-12-11-x.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. Eb7 has x45340, 6x5640, x6560x, x44000, xx5600, x4300x.

Tensions. A shell of Eb7, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the b9 (Fb), the 9 (F), the #9 (F#), the #11 (A), the b13 (Cb) and the 13 (C).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.