E♭ minor chord on ukulele (E♭m)

E♭m is E♭, G♭ and B♭. The usual shape is 3-3-2-1. Hit Play and watch each string light as it sounds.

How to play E♭m on ukulele

Shape 1, 3-3-2-1, reading from the G string on the left:

1. Index finger: A string, 1st fret (B♭).
2. Middle finger: E string, 2nd fret (G♭).
3. Ring finger: G string, 3rd fret (B♭).
4. Pinky: C string, 3rd fret (E♭).

• This shape uses your pinky. It feels weak at first; press with the tip and let the finger stay curved.
• Strum with the pad of your index finger or thumb, all four strings, across the spot where the neck meets the body.

Other ways to play E♭m

• 8-6-6-6: movable shape at the 6th fret, medium. Use it when the next chord sits nearby on the neck.
• 11-10-11-9: movable shape at the 9th fret, medium. A high voicing for when the low version is taken by another instrument.

Playing E♭m with a capo

A capo turns an open chord into E♭m: capo on the 1st fret and play the open Dm shape (2-2-1-0), capo on the 3rd fret and play the open Cm shape (0-3-3-3), capo on the 4th fret and play the open Bm shape (4-2-2-2) or capo on the 6th fret and play the open Am shape (2-0-0-0). Handy when the rest of the song's chords also have open shapes in that position.

Moving between E♭m and its neighbours

These are the changes you'll meet most often with E♭m, using the first shape of each chord.

• A♭ (V in D♭ major): E♭m (3-3-2-1) to A♭ (1-3-4-3): the index finger goes to the G string, 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the C string, 3rd fret, move the ring finger to the A string, 3rd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. E♭ carries over from one chord to the other. A♭ on ukulele
• F♯ (IV in D♭ major): E♭m (3-3-2-1) to F♯ (3-1-2-1): your index finger lands on the C string, 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the A string, 1st fret, move the ring finger to the E string, 2nd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Listen for G♭ and B♭, which stay put while the rest moves. F♯ on ukulele
• C♯ (I in D♭ major): E♭m (3-3-2-1) to C♯ (6-5-4-4): your index finger lands on the E string, 4th fret, move the middle finger to the A string, 4th fret, the ring finger goes to the C string, 5th fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. C♯ on ukulele

E♭m has the gentle, slightly melancholy sound of a minor chord. All 3 notes of E♭m fit on the ukulele's four strings, with one of them doubled. The slow arpeggio button above makes that quality easy to hear.

Practice E♭m in two minutes

Before strumming, play 3-3-2-1 note by note: B♭ then E♭ then G♭ then B♭. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Next, alternate 3-3-2-1 and 8-6-6-6, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

You may also see it as D♯m; nothing changes on the ukulele.

E♭m in context

• ii in D♭ major
• iii in B major
• vi in F♯ major
• i in E♭ minor
• iv in B♭ minor
• v in G♯ minor

In E♭ minor, i–VI–III–VII on ukulele is E♭m (3-3-2-1), B (4-3-2-2), F♯ (3-1-2-1) and C♯ (6-5-4-4). About the minor anthem.

In E♭ minor, i–iv–V on ukulele is E♭m (3-3-2-1), G♯m (4-3-4-2) and B♭ (3-2-1-1). About the minor cadence.

In E♭ minor, i–VII–VI–V on ukulele is E♭m (3-3-2-1), C♯ (6-5-4-4), B (4-3-2-2) and B♭ (3-2-1-1). About the Andalusian cadence.

E♭m on guitar and piano

E♭m on guitar and piano uses the same 3 notes in a different layout. See all three together.

Related E♭ chords on ukulele

• E♭
• E♭m7
• E♭m6
• E♭sus2
• E♭sus4
• D♯dim

Other minor chords

• Cm
• C♯m
• Dm
• Em
• Fm
• F♯m
• Gm
• G♯m
• Am
• B♭m
• Bm

Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside E♭m. Updated September 2026. Print this chord