The E♭ Dominant 7th chord is a four-note chord made up of E♭, G, B♭, and D♭. It is built from a root, major third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh.
Construction
| Note | Interval | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| E♭ | Root | 1 |
| G | Major 3rd | 3 |
| B♭ | Perfect 5th | 5 |
| D♭ | Minor 7th | ♭7 |
E♭ Dominant 7th Inversions
| Position | Notes |
|---|---|
| Root Position | E♭ – G – B♭ – D♭ |
| 1st Inversion | G – B♭ – D♭ – E♭ |
| 2nd Inversion | B♭ – D♭ – E♭ – G |
| 3rd Inversion | D♭ – E♭ – G – B♭ |
Key Signature
A dominant chord points home to the key a fifth below its root: the E♭ Dominant 7th is the V (dominant) of Ab Major, so the relevant key signature is that key’s — 4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭). Spelled as a scale, these notes are Eb Mixolydian.
Order of flats
Flats are added in a fixed order — the reverse of the sharp order. Each new flat key adds the next flat on the list.
Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father
Chords in the Key of A♭ Major
These are the triads built on each degree of the A♭ major scale:
How E♭ Dominant 7th functions in a key
The same chord takes on a different harmonic role depending on the key it appears in. Here is where E♭ Dominant 7th sits diatonically across the common keys:
- In A♭ major, E♭ Dominant 7th is the V chord — the dominant.
- In F minor, E♭ Dominant 7th is the ♭VII chord — a mediant / color chord.