What E♭m7 is built from
Counting up in semitones from E♭:
| Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|
| E♭ | root | 0 |
| G♭ | minor third | 3 |
| B♭ | perfect fifth | 7 |
| D♭ | minor seventh | 10 |
Move all four of those the same distance and you get the same chord on another root — that is what the minor seventh formula 0 – 3 – 7 – 10 means.
How to play E♭m7
Leave the low E string out. Lay your first finger flat across fret 6 and let the other fingers take the notes above it. The shape runs from fret 6 to fret 8.
All four strings are played. Nothing is higher than fret 4, so it sits in first position.
Play E♭, G♭, B♭ and D♭ together. All four are black keys.
Numbers in the grids are frets. Where a number is printed beside a grid, that is the fret the top row stands for; otherwise the thick bar at the top is the nut. A circle above a string means play it open, a cross means leave it out.
Guitar, string by string
| Guitar string | Stopped at | Sounds |
|---|---|---|
| low E | not played | — |
| A | fret 6 | E♭ |
| D | fret 8 | B♭ |
| G | fret 6 | D♭ |
| B | fret 7 | G♭ |
| top E | fret 6 | B♭ |
Ukulele, string by string
| Ukulele string | Stopped at | Sounds |
|---|---|---|
| G | fret 3 | B♭ |
| C | fret 3 | E♭ |
| E | fret 2 | G♭ |
| A | fret 4 | D♭ |
E♭m7 on the stave
The same four notes written on a treble stave, spelled the way a minor seventh is spelled — one letter for every other step, with whichever accidental reaches the pitch. That is why it reads E♭, G♭, B♭ and D♭, and not the same sounds written some other way.
Which keys E♭m7 belongs to
| Key | Relative minor | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| D♭ major | B♭ minor | ii7 |
| G♭ major | E♭ minor | vi7 |
| C♭ major | A♭ minor | iii7 |
Each row is a key whose scale contains every note of E♭m7. A major key and its relative minor use the same seven notes, so the chord belongs to both.
Chords that sit next to E♭m7
The seven triads built on the scale of D♭ major. These are the chords E♭m7 is most often played alongside, because they are made from the same seven notes. The small numeral is the degree each one stands on.
Other chords on E♭
Same root, different notes above it.
Chords straight off a recording
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