Ukulele · major

E♭ Chord on Ukulele

Eb Major is Eb, G, Bb — the 1-3-5 pattern of a major chord. There are 2 ways to play it on ukulele, ranked below from easiest to hardest.

There is no open Eb shape on ukulele — every version sits up the neck. The one marked “A Shape (movable) (6th fret)” below is the friendliest grip, so start there.

Start here — A Shape (movable) (6th fret)

Sits at fret 6 — tighter and brighter than the low shapes, and high enough to keep out of the way of anyone playing the open version underneath.

A Shape (movable) (6th fret)

Press play to hear Eb the way this shape actually sounds.

Every way to play it — 2 shapes, easiest first

Same chord in all of them. What changes is how much your hand has to do and where on the neck it sits.

A Shape (movable) (6th fret)
Way 1 of 2
A Shape (movable) (6th fret)
Easiest here· intermediate· the standard shape
Sits at fret 6 — tighter and brighter than the low shapes, and high enough to keep out of the way of anyone playing the open version underneath.
G Shape (movable) (8th fret)
Way 2 of 2
G Shape (movable) (8th fret)
intermediate
Sits at fret 8 — tighter and brighter than the low shapes, and high enough to keep out of the way of anyone playing the open version underneath.

What beginners get wrong

Moving in and out of it

The shape above: A Shape (movable) (6th fret).

Where you will meet it: Eb Major (I), Ab Major (V), Bb Major (IV), G Minor (VI), C Minor (III).

Listening: each shape above has its own play button, and each one plays the notes that shape actually produces — not a generic triad.

Songs that turn on this chord

Hey JudeThe Beatlesoutro — the borrowed ♭VII

Eb on other instruments

Same notes, different hands. Every link below is a real page with diagrams and audio.

Guitar

E♭ on guitar

1 voicing · easiest is intermediate

Piano

E♭ on piano

3 voicings · easiest is beginner

Bass

E♭ on bass

1 voicing · easiest is intermediate

Mandolin

E♭ on mandolin

1 voicing · easiest is intermediate

Banjo

E♭ on banjo

1 voicing · easiest is intermediate

Or see Eb Major on every instrument at once.

Chords next door

Same root, different colour — and all of them playable on ukulele.

E♭m

Eb Minor

E♭dim

Eb Diminished

E♭aug

Eb Augmented

E♭sus2

Eb Suspended 2nd

E♭sus4

Eb Suspended 4th

E♭5

Eb Power Chord

Eb on Ukulele — questions people ask

What is the easiest way to play Eb on ukulele?

“A Shape (movable) (6th fret)” — which we rate intermediate — is the easiest Eb shape on ukulele. Sits at fret 6 — tighter and brighter than the low shapes, and high enough to keep out of the way of anyone playing the open version underneath. There is no open Eb on ukulele, so a barre is unavoidable; this is the least demanding one.

What notes are in the Eb Major chord?

Eb Major is Eb, G, Bb — the 1-3-5 interval pattern of a major chord. Every voicing on this page uses those notes and nothing else; they just appear in a different order and octave.

How many ways can you play Eb on ukulele?

This page has 2 Eb voicings for ukulele, ranked from easiest to hardest: A Shape (movable) (6th fret), G Shape (movable) (8th fret). They all sound like Eb; the differences are how hard they are to hold and how high they sit.

What can I play instead of Eb?

The nearest stand-ins on ukulele that keep the same root are Eb5, Ebsus4, Ebsus2. They keep the root and the fifth and only change what sits in the middle, so most songs still work — but check the swap against the melody, because the note you removed may be the one the tune is singing.

Can I play Eb on other instruments?

Yes. Eb is the same set of notes everywhere; only the fingering changes. This site has diagrams and audio for it on guitar, piano, bass, mandolin, banjo.

Learn the theory behind Eb

The shape gets your fingers there. These explain why it sounds the way it does.

Chord Progressions Explained

Major triads are the building blocks. This is how they get strung into songs.

7 min read

Major and Minor Scales — Built from Intervals, Felt in Songs

Where the three notes come from, and why the stack sounds bright.

5 min read

Key Signatures: Read Any Key in Two Seconds

Every key this chord sits in, and the signature that gives it away.

6 min read