E♭ major scale on mandolin
The E♭ major scale has seven notes: E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, C and D (1 2 3 4 5 6 7). The do-re-mi scale that every other scale is measured against. Bright and settled; it fits major and maj7 chords, and the other six modes are this scale started from a different note.
| Note | E♭ | F | G | A♭ | B♭ | C | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | 1 (root) | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Step to the next | whole | whole | half | whole | whole | whole | half |
3 positions to learn it in
Each stretch here is a few frets you can play without moving the hand: the open position, then from the root on the lowest string. Press Play to hear each one, up and back down.
Chords that go with the E♭ major scale
The chords on each note of the scale that use only its notes. Play over any of them and every note fits; E♭ (E♭) is where it sounds at home.
| On the | Chord | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| root (E♭) | E♭home | E♭maj7home |
| 2 (F) | Fmrestless | Fm7restless |
| 3 (G) | Gmhalf-light | Gm7half-light |
| 4 (A♭) | A♭the door | A♭maj7the door |
| 5 (B♭) | B♭the pull | B♭7the pull |
| 6 (C) | Cmthe shadow | Cm7the shadow |
| 7 (D) | Ddimthe edge | Dm7♭5the edge |
Scales with the same notes
Its relative minor is the C minor scale: the same notes, started from C.
The chords of this key, to hear and play: chords in the key of E♭ major.
Questions
What notes are in the E♭ major scale?
E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, C and D. Its intervals from the root are 1 2 3 4 5 6 7, and the steps between its notes are W W H W W W H (W a whole step, H a half step).
What chords go with the E♭ major scale?
The chords made only of its notes: E♭, Fm, Gm, A♭, B♭, Cm and Ddim, and as seventh chords E♭maj7, Fm7, Gm7, A♭maj7, B♭7, Cm7 and Dm7♭5. E♭ is home: E♭ is the chord it sounds most settled over.
What is the relative minor of the E♭ major scale?
The C minor scale, which has the same notes started from C.
The major scale in every key
Other scales in E♭
E♭ minorE♭ minor pentatonicE♭ major pentatonicE♭ bluesE♭ DorianE♭ MixolydianE♭ LydianE♭ PhrygianE♭ harmonic minorE♭ melodic minorE♭ Phrygian dominant
Practise it on a sheet of your own in the practice sheet maker, with a metronome and a drone. Every scale: mandolin scales. This scale on guitar, bass, ukulele and banjo.