E-flat dominant seventh chord (Eb7)
The E♭ dominant seventh chord (E♭7) is a dominant seventh chord: a major triad with a minor seventh on top, E♭, G, B♭ and D♭ (root, major third, perfect fifth and minor seventh).
It is the V7 in A♭ major and the VII7 in F minor, and it wants to resolve to A♭ major, a perfect fourth higher.
Below: voicings, notes on the fretboard, ukulele, piano, inversions and progressions.
How to play E♭ dominant seventh on guitar
There are 3 guitar voicings.
Frets from the 6th string to the 1st: x = not played, 0 = open string.
- Voicing 1: x-6-5-6-4-x, with E♭ in the bass (fingers x-3-2-4-1-x).
- Voicing 2: 11-13-11-12-11-11, movable E-shape barre chord at fret 11, with E♭ in the bass.
- Voicing 3: x-6-8-6-8-6, movable A-shape barre chord at fret 6, with E♭ in the bass.
Notes of the E♭ dominant seventh chord on the fretboard
E♭ dominant seventh has 4 notes: E♭, G, B♭ and D♭. This is where they fall on each string, from the nut to the 12th fret (fret number in parentheses):
- String 6 (E): G (3) · B♭ (6) · D♭ (9) · E♭ (11)
- String 5 (A): B♭ (1) · D♭ (4) · E♭ (6) · G (10)
- String 4 (D): E♭ (1) · G (5) · B♭ (8) · D♭ (11)
- String 3 (G): G (0) · B♭ (3) · D♭ (6) · E♭ (8) · G (12)
- String 2 (B): D♭ (2) · E♭ (4) · G (8) · B♭ (11)
- String 1 (E): G (3) · B♭ (6) · D♭ (9) · E♭ (11)
Formula and intervals of E♭ dominant seventh
Its formula is 1-3-5-♭7; in semitones from the root, 0-4-7-10.
- E♭: Root, the note that gives the chord its name
- G: Major third (M3), 4 semitones above E♭
- B♭: Perfect fifth (P5), 7 semitones above E♭
- D♭: Minor seventh (m7), 10 semitones above E♭
E♭ dominant seventh on ukulele
- Ukulele (G C E A): 3-3-3-4, barre at fret 3; it sounds B♭, E♭, G and D♭.
E♭ dominant seventh on piano
- Keys: E♭4, G4, B♭4 and D♭5.
Inversions of E♭ dominant seventh
Each inversion puts a different note in the bass.
- Root position: E♭, G, B♭ and D♭, with E♭ in the bass.
- First inversion (E♭7/G): G, B♭, D♭ and E♭, with G in the bass.
- Second inversion (E♭7/B♭): B♭, D♭, E♭ and G, with B♭ in the bass.
- Third inversion (E♭7/D♭): D♭, E♭, G and B♭, with D♭ in the bass.
Keys that use E♭ dominant seventh
E♭ dominant seventh appears in 3 major and minor keys.
| Key | Degree | Function |
|---|---|---|
| A♭ major (4 flats) | V7 | Dominant |
| F minor (4 flats) | VII7 | Subtonic |
| G♯ minor (harmonic minor, 5 sharps) | V7 (written D♯7) | Dominant |
Progressions with E♭ dominant seventh
- Jazz ii–V–I in A♭ major (ii7–V7–Imaj7): B♭m7 – E♭7 – A♭maj7
- 12-bar blues in A♭ major (I7–IV7–V7): A♭7 – D♭7 – E♭7
- Minor cadence in G♯ minor (i–iv–V7): G♯m – C♯m – D♯7
E♭ dominant seventh or D♯ dominant seventh?
E♭ dominant seventh (E♭7) and D♯ dominant seventh (D♯7) are the same chord with two names: they sound the same and use the same frets.
The spelling depends on the key: it is written E♭ dominant seventh in flat keys and D♯ dominant seventh in sharp keys.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the E♭ dominant seventh chord?
E♭, G, B♭ and D♭: root, major third, perfect fifth and minor seventh. Its formula is 1-3-5-♭7.
Which keys use E♭ dominant seventh?
Mainly as the V7 in A♭ major and the VII7 in F minor. In total it appears in 3 major and minor keys.
Is D♯ dominant seventh the same chord as E♭ dominant seventh?
Yes: D♯ dominant seventh and E♭ dominant seventh sound the same and are played the same way. It is written E♭ dominant seventh in flat keys and D♯ dominant seventh in sharp keys.
What chord does E♭ dominant seventh resolve to?
As a dominant seventh, E♭ dominant seventh (E♭, G, B♭ and D♭) resolves naturally to A♭ major: its third rises a half step to the new tonic and its seventh falls to the third of the next chord.