Chords in the Key of E♭ Minor — Guitar Chord Chart

The key of E♭ minor has 6 flats, and its seven chords are E♭m, Fdim, G♭, A♭m, B♭m, C♭, D♭. Start with E♭m, A♭m, B♭m: they are the three a song in E♭ minor cannot do without. Every diagram below plays when you press it.

The seven chords of E♭ minor

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♭mxx1342the home chord
ii°Fdim12310xrare — a passing chord
IIIG♭244322the relative major
ivA♭m466444the step away from home
vB♭mx13321the natural, gentler dominant
VIC♭x24442bright against the minor home
VIID♭x46664a whole step under home

The three to learn first

E♭m is home — the chord the song starts from and ends on. A♭m is the step away, and B♭m is the one that pulls back home. On guitar they are xx1342, 466444 and x13321: E♭m with four fingers, A♭m with a barre at the 4th fret and two more fingers and B♭m with a barre at the 1st fret and three more fingers.

The easy way: a capo at the 6th fret

E♭ minor is not a friendly key on guitar — E♭m, Fdim, G♭, A♭m, B♭m and C♭ need a barre or a fourth finger. Clamp a capo at the 6th fret and play the chords of A minor instead: every shape sounds 6 semitones higher, so the Am shape sounds E♭m, the Dm shape sounds A♭m and the Em shape sounds B♭m.

Progressions in E♭ minor

The orders these chords are most often played in. Press play to hear each one strummed, a bar to a chord.

i – iv – V7E♭m – A♭m – B♭7

The minor three-chord song, with the major dominant.

i – VI – III – VIIE♭m – C♭ – G♭ – D♭

The four-chord pop progression, started from its minor chord.

i – VII – VI – V7E♭m – D♭ – C♭ – B♭7

The descending “Andalusian” line.

The sevenths

Four-note versions of the same chords. B♭7 is the one worth learning first: it is B♭m with one note added, and it pulls toward E♭m harder than the plain chord does.

V7B♭7x13131the major dominant, borrowed from the harmonic minor
i7E♭m7xx1322home, softened
iv7A♭m7464444the step away, softened

The scale behind the chords

E♭ minor is the notes E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C♭ – D♭. Every chord above uses only those seven notes (except B♭7, which raises the seventh), which is why they sound as if they belong together — and why a melody in E♭ minor fits over any of them. Its relative major is F♯ major, which has the same notes and the same chords with a different home.

The nearest keys are a fifth either side: B♭ minor and G♯ minor. 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♭ minor?

E♭m (i), Fdim (ii°), G♭ (III), A♭m (iv), B♭m (v), C♭ (VI), D♭ (VII). They are the seven chords you get by stacking thirds on each note of the E♭ minor scale — E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭ — using only notes of that scale. Songs in E♭ minor also use B♭7, the major dominant, which borrows one note from outside it.

What are the three main chords in E♭ minor?

E♭m, A♭m and B♭m — the chords on the first, fourth and fifth notes of the scale. E♭m is home, A♭m moves away from it and B♭m pulls back. A great many songs use only these three.

What is the relative major of E♭ minor?

F♯ major. The two keys share all seven notes and all seven chords, in a different order: what is III in E♭ minor is the home chord of F♯ major. A song can move between them without any chord sounding out of place.

Is E♭ minor an easy key on guitar?

6 of its six everyday chords — E♭m, Fdim, G♭, A♭m, B♭m and C♭ — need a barre or four fingers on guitar. The usual way round that is a capo at the 6th fret, playing the chord shapes of A minor.

Guitar Chords in the Key of E♭ Minor