Ebmaj7

Ebmaj7 is Eb, G, Bb and D, a major seventh. The shape this page opens on is written xx1333, lowest string first.

Also written EbM7, EbΔ7, EbΔ, Ebma7 or Eb major 7. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for Ebmaj7 on the guitar, and 33 derived voicings in 4 families.

In which keys. Every note of Ebmaj7 belongs to C minor (the ♭III), Eb major (the I), G minor (the ♭VI) and Bb major (the IV).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: xx1333, x65333, x6574x, x68786, x-x-x-8-8-10, x-x-8-8-8-10, 11-13-12-12-11-11, x-x-13-15-15-15.

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. Ebmaj7 has x657xx, 11-10-12-x-x-x, x6x03x, x6x78x, 11-x-12-12-x-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Ebmaj7 has x1103x, xx1333, x5534x, 6657xx, x6878x, x-x-8-8-8-10, 10-10-8-8-x-x, x-x-12-12-11-11.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Ebmaj7 has 3x133x, x5x343, 6x574x, x6x786, x-10-x-8-11-10, 10-x-8-8-8-x, x-13-x-12-15-11, 11-x-12-12-11-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. Ebmaj7 has 6600xx, xx0066, 6x006x, 3300xx, 3x004x.

Tensions. A shell of Ebmaj7, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 9 (F), the #11 (A) 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.