E-flat major chord (Eb)
The E♭ major chord (E♭) is a major triad made of E♭, G and B♭: root, major third and perfect fifth.
It is the I in E♭ major and the IV in B♭ major; its relative minor is C minor, and B♭ dominant seventh leads into it as its V7.
Below: voicings, notes on the fretboard, ukulele, piano, inversions and progressions.
How to play E♭ major on guitar
There are 2 guitar voicings.
Frets from the 6th string to the 1st: x = not played, 0 = open string.
- Voicing 1: x-6-8-8-8-6, barre at fret 6, with E♭ in the bass (fingers x-1-3-3-3-1).
- Voicing 2: 11-13-13-12-11-11, movable E-shape barre chord at fret 11, with E♭ in the bass.
Notes of the E♭ major chord on the fretboard
E♭ major has 3 notes: E♭, G and B♭. This is where they fall on each string, from the nut to the 12th fret (fret number in parentheses):
- String 6 (E): G (3) · B♭ (6) · E♭ (11)
- String 5 (A): B♭ (1) · E♭ (6) · G (10)
- String 4 (D): E♭ (1) · G (5) · B♭ (8)
- String 3 (G): G (0) · B♭ (3) · E♭ (8) · G (12)
- String 2 (B): E♭ (4) · G (8) · B♭ (11)
- String 1 (E): G (3) · B♭ (6) · E♭ (11)
Formula and intervals of E♭ major
Its formula is 1-3-5; in semitones from the root, 0-4-7.
- E♭: Root, the note that gives the chord its name
- G: Major third (M3), 4 semitones above E♭
- B♭: Perfect fifth (P5), 7 semitones above E♭
E♭ major on ukulele
- Ukulele (G C E A): 0-3-3-1; it sounds G, E♭, G and B♭.
E♭ major on piano
- Keys: E♭4, G4 and B♭4.
Inversions of E♭ major
Each inversion puts a different note in the bass.
- Root position: E♭, G and B♭, with E♭ in the bass.
- First inversion (E♭/G): G, B♭ and E♭, with G in the bass.
- Second inversion (E♭/B♭): B♭, E♭ and G, with B♭ in the bass.
Keys that use E♭ major
E♭ major appears in 7 major and minor keys.
| Key | Degree | Function |
|---|---|---|
| E♭ major (3 flats) | I | Tonic |
| B♭ major (2 flats) | IV | Subdominant |
| A♭ major (4 flats) | V | Dominant |
| C minor (3 flats) | III | Mediant |
| G minor (2 flats) | VI | Submediant |
| F minor (4 flats) | VII | Subtonic |
| G♯ minor (harmonic minor, 5 sharps) | V (written D♯) | Dominant |
Progressions with E♭ major
- Pop progression in E♭ major (I–V–vi–IV): E♭ – B♭ – Cm – A♭
- Pop progression starting on vi in E♭ major (vi–IV–I–V): Cm – A♭ – E♭ – B♭
- Three-chord progression in E♭ major (I–IV–V): E♭ – A♭ – B♭
- Turnaround in E♭ major (I–vi–ii–V): E♭ – Cm – Fm – B♭
- Minor pop progression in G minor (i–VI–III–VII): Gm – E♭ – B♭ – F
E♭ major or D♯ major?
E♭ major (E♭) and D♯ major (D♯) are the same chord with two names: they sound the same and use the same frets.
The spelling depends on the key: it is written E♭ major in flat keys and D♯ major in sharp keys.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the E♭ major chord?
E♭, G and B♭: root, major third and perfect fifth. Its formula is 1-3-5.
Which keys use E♭ major?
Mainly as the I in E♭ major and the IV in B♭ major. In total it appears in 7 major and minor keys.
Is D♯ major the same chord as E♭ major?
Yes: D♯ major and E♭ major sound the same and are played the same way. It is written E♭ major in flat keys and D♯ major in sharp keys.
What is the relative minor of E♭ major?
C minor. E♭ major and C minor are the tonic chords of two relative keys, which share the same key signature and the same scale notes.