Ebm7 Eb minor seventh chord
- Notes
- Eb Gb Bb Db
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 b7
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 10 above the root
- Also written
- D#m7 (D# F# A# C#)
- Other symbols
- Ebmin7, Eb−7
Eb to Gb is a minor third (3 semitones), Gb to Bb is a major third (4 semitones), Bb to Db is a minor third (3 semitones). A minor triad plus a minor seventh (Db). With Gb in the bass the same four notes are read as F#6 (also written Gb6).
Ebm7 on the piano
Root position from Eb4: Eb4, Gb4, Bb4, Db5. Middle C is C4.
Ebm7 on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has Eb as its lowest note.
x 6 8 6 7 6 (low E to high e)
Sounds Eb3 Bb3 Db4 Gb4 Bb4
11 13 11 11 11 11 (low E to high e)
Sounds Eb3 Bb3 Db4 Gb4 Bb4 Eb5
The barre shapes are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play minor seventh chords on other roots.
Inversions of Ebm7
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | Eb Gb Bb Db | Ebm7 | |
| 1st inversion | Gb Bb Db Eb | F#6 (also written Gb6; also read as Ebm7/Gb) | |
| 2nd inversion | Bb Db Eb Gb | Ebm7/Bb | |
| 3rd inversion | Db Eb Gb Bb | Ebm7/Db |
Where Ebm7 fits
Ebm7 is ii7 in Db major, iii7 in Cb major, vi7 in Gb major. As ii7 it is the first chord of the ii–V–I that ends countless jazz and pop phrases: Ebm7 → Ab7 → Dbmaj7.