Banjo E♭ chord (Open D)E♭ major on the 5-string banjo: 1 1 1 1, and 3 more shapes

Eb chord chart for 5-string banjo in Open D tuning: 1 1 1 1, first position, with the short 5th string marked — Eb (Eb major) on the 5-string banjo, Open D: 1 1 1 1, string 4 to string 1. Fingers are numbered on the dots; copper marks the root; the green ring on the left is the 5th string, solid when it’s in the chord.

Frets, string 4 to string 1: 1 1 1 1 (first position)

String 4 (D): 1st fret, index finger (barre), E♭
String 3 (F♯): 1st fret, index finger (barre), G
String 2 (A): 1st fret, index finger (barre), B♭
String 1 (D): 1st fret, index finger (barre), E♭
String 5, the short f♯: open, F♯, not in the chord

Sounds: E♭ G B♭ E♭ · E♭ is E♭, G, B♭ (1 · 3 · 5)

Found in: C dorian (♭III), G minor (♭VI), C minor (♭III), B♭ major (IV), E♭ major (I), A♭ major (V)

The 5th string: the short f♯ rubs against the G in this shape, a semitone away: some players let it ring, some skip it.

With a capo: on the 1st fret it’s 0 0 0 0 (frets counted from the capo), an open D shape. Spike the 5th string at the 6th fret to keep it in tune with the capo.

Open D tuning: f♯DF♯AD, the short 5th string first, then strings 4 to 1.

Hear it in the app ›

The link can’t set the tuning: the app starts in open G. Choose Open D once in its Settings and it remembers.

More E♭ shapes

5 4 6 5
4fr
8 9 10 8
8fr
13 13 13 13
13fr

Other E♭ chords in Open D

E♭E♭m E♭7

Other major chords

G A D C B E F B♭E♭F♯C♯A♭

E♭ in other tunings

Open G Double C Sawmill C Tuning

All Open D banjo chords · Printable chart (PDF) · How to tune · The app