Guitar · key of E♭ minor

Chords in the key of E♭ minor

The seven chords in the key of E♭ minor are E♭m, Fdim, G♭, A♭m, B♭m, C♭ and D♭. G♭, C♭ and D♭ are the major chords (III, VI and VII), E♭m, A♭m and B♭m are the minor chords (i, iv and v), and Fdim is diminished (ii°). Its relative major is G♭ major, which uses the same seven chords. The same key is sometimes written D♯ minor.

Key

Scale

The chords of E♭ minor
Numeral	Triad	Notes	Seventh chord	Notes	Number	Role
i	E♭mhome	E♭ G♭ B♭	E♭m7home	E♭ G♭ B♭ D♭	1m	tonic
ii°	Fdimthe edge	F A♭ C♭	Fm7♭5the edge	F A♭ C♭ E♭	2°	supertonic
III	G♭daylight	G♭ B♭ D♭	G♭maj7daylight	G♭ B♭ D♭ F	3	mediant
iv	A♭msoft fall	A♭ C♭ E♭	A♭m7soft fall	A♭ C♭ E♭ G♭	4m	subdominant
v	B♭msoft fall	B♭ D♭ F	B♭m7soft fall	B♭ D♭ F A♭	5m	dominant
VI	C♭cinematic	C♭ E♭ G♭	C♭maj7cinematic	C♭ E♭ G♭ B♭	6	submediant
VII	D♭heroic	D♭ F A♭	D♭7heroic	D♭ F A♭ C♭	7	subtonic
V	B♭the pull	B♭ D F	B♭7the pull	B♭ D F A♭	5	often used in place of B♭m

Sound

Strum or arpeggiate any chord, tap a note to hear it, drag the strip under a picture to play it further up the neck, or pick another inversion. Library opens the chord there, with every other way to play it.

E♭m

LibraryStandard

i · tonic

Fdim

LibraryStandardThumb

ii° · supertonic

G♭

LibraryFamousStandard

III · mediant

A♭m

LibraryStandard

iv · subdominant

B♭m

LibraryStandard

v · dominant

C♭

LibraryStandard

VI · submediant

D♭

LibraryStandard

VII · subtonic

Chord progressions in E♭ minor

Press a chord to hear it and see its shape, or Play to hear the progression on guitar. The colours say what each chord does in the key.

Sound Pattern Tempo85

↓ · ↓ ↑ · ↑ ↓ ↑ · Down, down-up, up-down-up: the campfire strum, also called the calypso strum.

Colours

home, minorthe pullthe edgeheroiccinematicsoft falldaylight

What each chord does in its key. Press a chord to hear it and read more.

The minor key’s three chords

i | iv | v | i

Key Chord chart

i–iv–v–i, the minor key’s own three chords.

The epic minor progression

i | VI | III | VII

Key Chord chart

i–VI–III–VII, the sound of film scores and rock anthems.

The Andalusian cadence

i | VII | VI | V

Key Chord chart

Stepping down to a major fifth chord, heard in flamenco and in many rock songs.

To the relative major

i | iv | VII | III

Key Chord chart

i–iv–VII–III, a minor progression that lands on the relative major.

Climbing back home

i | VI | VII | i

Key Chord chart

i–VI–VII–i, common in rock and metal.

The minor ii–V–i

iiø7 | V7 | i7 | i7

Key Chord chart

The minor turnaround of jazz, in seventh chords.

The major fifth chord

In a minor key the fifth chord is often played major, B♭ or B♭7 in place of B♭m. Its third is the leading note of the harmonic minor scale, a half step below E♭, and it pulls back to E♭m more strongly.

The relative major: G♭ major

G♭ major (also written F♯ major) has the same notes and the same seven chords as E♭ minor, starting from F♯. A song in one often moves to the other. The parallel major, E♭ major, starts on the same note with a different set of chords.

Play it with a capo

E♭ minor takes barre chords on guitar. A capo lets you play it with the open shapes of an easier key:

Capo 1, the shapes of D minor: Dm, Edim, F, Gm, Am, B♭ and C
Capo 6, the shapes of A minor: Am, Bdim, C, Dm, Em, F and G

The E♭ minor scale and key signature

The notes of E♭ minor are E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭. Its key signature has six flats: E♭, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭ and D♭. Each chord of the key is built from these notes, a third apart: a chord on every note of the scale. See the E♭ minor scale on the guitar neck, and the E♭ minor pentatonic.

Keys nearby

On the circle of fifths, B♭ minor and G♯ minor sit on either side of E♭ minor. Each shares six of its seven notes, which makes them the easiest keys to change to.

Every key

C D♭D E♭E F F♯G A♭A B♭B

C minor C♯ minor D minor E♭ minor E minor F minor F♯ minor G minor G♯ minor A minor B♭ minor B minor

All twenty-four on one page: chords in every key. To print these chords, open them as a chord chart, or make your own in the chord chart maker. This key on bass, ukulele, mandolin and banjo.