Key guide
E♭ major: scale, key signature and chords
E♭ major has three flats (B♭, E♭, A♭). Its scale is E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, C, D — play the scale and every chord below.
- Key signature
- B♭ E♭ A♭ — three flats
- Scale notes
- E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C D
- Relative minor
- C minor
- Parallel minor
- D♯ minor (enharmonic spelling of E♭ minor)
- Dominant key
- B♭ major
- Subdominant key
- A♭ major
- On the piano
- 3 black keys and 4 white in the scale
The E♭ major scale
The E♭ major scale uses the notes E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, C, D, the major-scale pattern of whole and half steps (W–W–H–W–W–W–H) starting on E♭. Each letter name appears once, which is why the accidentals are written as B♭, E♭, A♭ rather than as their enharmonic equivalents.
| Degree | Note | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E♭ | tonic |
| 2 | F | supertonic |
| 3 | G | mediant |
| 4 | A♭ | subdominant |
| 5 | B♭ | dominant |
| 6 | C | submediant |
| 7 | D | leading tone |
Chords in E♭ major
Stacking thirds on each note of the scale gives seven diatonic triads and seven seventh chords. The Roman numeral gives each chord’s position; the role column says what it usually does in a phrase.
| Chord | Triad | Seventh | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | E♭ G B♭ | E♭ G B♭ D | tonic |
| ii | F A♭ C | F A♭ C E♭ | predominant |
| iii | G B♭ D | G B♭ D F | tonic substitute |
| IV | A♭ C E♭ | A♭ C E♭ G | predominant |
| V | B♭ D F | B♭ D F A♭ | dominant |
| vi | C E♭ G | C E♭ G B♭ | tonic substitute |
| vii° | D F A♭ | D F A♭ C | dominant |
Chord progressions in E♭ major
Four progressions worked out in E♭ major, each one playable:
- I – V – vi – IV E♭ – B♭ – Cm – A♭The four-chord loop under a large share of pop songs.
- ii – V – I Fm – B♭ – E♭The standard jazz cadence: predominant, dominant, tonic.
- I – IV – V – I E♭ – A♭ – B♭ – E♭The plain three-chord cadence at the root of tonal harmony.
- I – vi – IV – V E♭ – Cm – A♭ – B♭The 1950s progression: tonic, relative minor, subdominant, dominant.
Keys related to E♭ major
- Relative minor: C minor — same key signature, different home note.
- Dominant: B♭ major — one step clockwise on the circle of fifths; the key most pieces in E♭ major modulate to.
- Subdominant: A♭ major — one step counter-clockwise, adding one flat (or removing one sharp).
- Parallel minor: D♯ minor (the enharmonic spelling of E♭ minor) — same tonic, opposite mode.
Questions
What are the notes in E♭ major?
The E♭ major scale is E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, C, D.
How many sharps or flats are in E♭ major?
E♭ major has three flats: B♭, E♭, A♭.
What is the relative minor of E♭ major?
The relative minor of E♭ major is C minor. The two keys share a key signature and the same seven notes, but C is the home note of the minor key.
What chords are in E♭ major?
The seven diatonic triads in E♭ major are E♭, Fm, Gm, A♭, B♭, Cm, D°.