The seven chords of E♭ major
One chord on each note of the scale, built from the scale’s own notes. Capital numerals are major chords, small ones minor, and ° is diminished.
- IE♭xx1343the home chord
- iiFm133111leads to V
- iiiGm310033a softer stand-in for I
- IVA♭466544the step away from home
- VB♭x13331pulls back to I
- viCmx35543the relative minor
- vii°Ddimxx0131rare — a passing chord
The three to learn first
E♭ is home — the chord the song starts from and ends on. A♭ is the step away, and B♭ is the one that pulls back home. On guitar they are xx1343, 466544 and x13331: E♭ with four fingers, A♭ with a barre at the 4th fret and three more fingers and B♭ with a barre at the 1st fret and three more fingers.
The easy way: a capo at the 1st fret
E♭ major is not a friendly key on guitar — E♭, Fm, Gm, A♭, B♭ and Cm need a barre or a fourth finger. Clamp a capo at the 1st fret and play the chords of D major instead: every shape sounds 1 semitone higher, so the D shape sounds E♭, the G shape sounds A♭ and the A shape sounds B♭.
Progressions in E♭ major
The orders these chords are most often played in. Press play to hear each one strummed, a bar to a chord.
Three chords, and thousands of folk, blues, country and rock songs.
The four-chord pop progression.
The 1950s doo-wop turnaround.
The jazz cadence: two steps toward home, then home.
The sevenths
Four-note versions of the same chords. B♭7 is the one worth learning first: it is B♭ with one note added, and it pulls toward E♭ harder than the plain chord does.
The scale behind the chords
E♭ major is the notes E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D. Every chord above uses only those seven notes, which is why they sound as if they belong together — and why a melody in E♭ major fits over any of them. Its relative minor is C minor, which has the same notes and the same chords with a different home.
The nearest keys are a fifth either side: B♭ major and A♭ major. Each shares six of this key’s seven notes, which is why songs change key to them so often.
Frequently asked questions
What chords are in the key of E♭ major?
E♭ (I), Fm (ii), Gm (iii), A♭ (IV), B♭ (V), Cm (vi), Ddim (vii°). They are the seven chords you get by stacking thirds on each note of the E♭ major scale — E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, C, D — using only notes of that scale.
What are the three main chords in E♭ major?
E♭, A♭ and B♭ — the chords on the first, fourth and fifth notes of the scale. E♭ is home, A♭ moves away from it and B♭ pulls back. A great many songs use only these three.
What is the relative minor of E♭ major?
C minor. The two keys share all seven notes and all seven chords, in a different order: what is vi in E♭ major is the home chord of C minor. A song can move between them without any chord sounding out of place.
Is E♭ major an easy key on guitar?
6 of its six everyday chords — E♭, Fm, Gm, A♭, B♭ and Cm — need a barre or four fingers on guitar. The usual way round that is a capo at the 1st fret, playing the chord shapes of D major.