E♭ major (E♭) chord on mandolin

Major triad on E♭: the notes of the E♭ chord are E♭ – G – B♭. The same chord with a different spelling: D♯ major (D♯).

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

Position 3medium

Position 5easy

Position 8medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the E♭ chord sounds like

A major triad sounds stable and bright: root, major third and perfect fifth. Most songs are built on major chords – in a major key, chords I, IV and V are all major.

Notes of the E♭ chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	E♭	root
3	G	major third (4 semitones)
5	B♭	perfect fifth (7 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape, barre at fret 1

String 1 (E): fret 3, ring finger (G5)
String 2 (A): fret 1, index finger (B♭4)
String 3 (D): fret 1, index finger (E♭4)
String 4 (G): open (G3)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 1; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 3

String 1 (E): fret 6, little finger (B♭5)
String 2 (A): fret 6, little finger (E♭5)
String 3 (D): fret 5, ring finger (G4)
String 4 (G): fret 3, index finger (B♭3)

Position 5

String 1 (E): fret 6, ring finger (B♭5)
String 2 (A): fret 6, middle finger (E♭5)
String 3 (D): fret 5, index finger (G4)
String 4 (G): open (G3)

Tuning: G D A E, like a violin; every note is a pair of strings that you fret together. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The E♭ chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

E♭ major: I (tonic)
A♭ major: V (dominant)
B♭ major: IV (subdominant)
F minor: VII
C minor: III
G minor: VI

Similar chords and substitutes

If E♭ is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

Cm – relative minor: two shared notes, a common stand-in for the tonic
Gm – mediant minor (iii): two shared notes
E♭maj7 – a softer, jazzier tonic colour
E♭sus4 – suspended version that resolves back to this chord

Richer versions

E♭7 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
E♭maj7 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
E♭6 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
E♭add9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the E♭ chord?

E♭, G, B♭. The root is E♭; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, perfect fifth.

What is the easiest way to play E♭ on mandolin?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”, rated easy. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

How is the E♭ chord written?

The chord symbol is E♭ (also written Eb), and its full name is E♭ major.