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

Ukulele Chords in the Key of E♭ Minor

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♭m3321the home chord
ii°Fdim4542rare — a passing chord
IIIG♭3124the relative major
ivA♭m4342the step away from home
vB♭m3111the natural, gentler dominant
VIC♭4322bright against the minor home
VIID♭1114a 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 ukulele they are 3321, 4342 and 3111: E♭m with four fingers, A♭m with four fingers and B♭m with a barre at the 1st fret and one more finger.

The easy way: a capo at the 1st fret

E♭ minor is not a friendly key on ukulele — E♭m, Fdim, G♭, A♭m, B♭m and C♭ need a barre or a fourth finger. Clamp a capo at the 1st fret and play the chords of D minor instead: every shape sounds 1 semitone higher, so the Dm shape sounds E♭m, the Gm shape sounds A♭m and the Am 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♭71211the major dominant, borrowed from the harmonic minor
i7E♭m76666home, softened
iv7A♭m71322the 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 ukulele?

6 of its six everyday chords — E♭m, Fdim, G♭, A♭m, B♭m and C♭ — need a barre or four fingers on ukulele. The usual way round that is a capo at the 1st fret, playing the chord shapes of D minor.

Strum them yourself

The playable ukulele puts the chords of a key in a row: tap one to hold it, and drag across the strings.

Play the Virtual Ukulele