E♭m: D♯/E♭ Minor Piano Chord

Root position: either hand, fingers low note to high
Hand	Notes	Fingers
Right	E♭, G♭, B♭	1-3-5
Left	E♭, G♭, B♭	5-3-1

Scale degree, note, and interval measured from the root.
Degree	Note	Interval from root	Semitones
1	E♭	Perfect unison	0
♭3	G♭	Minor third	3
5	B♭	Perfect fifth	7

Construction

E♭ Minor = Root + Minor 3rd + Perfect 5th = E♭, G♭, B♭

Note	Interval	Degree
E♭	Root	1
G♭	Minor 3rd	♭3
B♭	Perfect 5th	5

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
E♭	black	thumb (1)	little finger (5)
G♭	black	middle finger (3)	middle finger (3)
B♭	black	little finger (5)	thumb (1)

Right hand: thumb (1) on E♭, middle finger (3) on G♭, little finger (5) on B♭.

Left hand: little finger (5) on E♭, middle finger (3) on G♭, thumb (1) on B♭.

E♭ Minor Inversions

Root position
E♭ – G♭ – B♭
1st inversion (E♭m/G♭)
G♭ – B♭ – E♭
2nd inversion (E♭m/B♭)
B♭ – E♭ – G♭

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the E♭ Minor is the tonic (i) chord of E♭ Minor, which shares the signature of its relative major, G♭ Major: 6 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭).

B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭C♭

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.

B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭C♭F♭

Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father

Chords in the Key of E♭ Minor

These are the triads built on each degree of E♭ Minor:

i — E♭ Minor (minor)

Degree	Numeral	Chord	Quality
1	i	E♭ Minor	Minor
2	ii°	F Diminished	Diminished
3	III	G♭ Major	Major
4	iv	A♭ Minor	Minor
5	v	B♭ Minor	Minor
6	VI	C♭ Major	Major
7	VII	D♭ Major	Major

How E♭ Minor functions in a key

The same chord takes on a different harmonic role depending on the key it appears in. Here is where E♭ Minor sits diatonically across the common keys:

In G♭ major, E♭ Minor is the vi chord — the tonic.
In E♭ minor, E♭ Minor is the i chord — the tonic.
In D♭ major, E♭ Minor is the ii chord — a predominant.
In B♭ minor, E♭ Minor is the iv chord — a predominant.
In C♭ major, E♭ Minor is the iii chord — a mediant / color chord.
In A♭ minor, E♭ Minor is the v chord.

Scales That Include the E♭ Minor

B Major (iii)
F# Major (vi)
Db Major (ii)
G# Minor (v)
Bb Minor (iv)
Eb Minor (i)
C# Dorian (ii)
D# Phrygian (i)

E♭ Minor : Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in E♭m?

E♭m contains E♭, G♭ and B♭. The formula is 1, ♭3, 5.

How do you play E♭m on piano?

Play E♭, G♭ and B♭ together. Right hand fingers 1, 3, 5; left hand 5, 3, 1. Every note is a black key.

What are the inversions of E♭m?

3 positions: root position E♭ G♭ B♭, E♭m/G♭, E♭m/B♭.

What keys contain E♭m?

6: ii in D♭ major, i in E♭ minor, vi in G♭ major, v in G♯ minor, iv in B♭ minor, iii in B major.

What is the difference between E♭m and E♭m7?

Adds D♭. 3 of the notes are shared.

What is an easy E♭m for small hands?

The root and third only voicing, E♭3 G♭3, spans 3 semitones or about 41 mm.

What are the frequencies of E♭m?

From E♭3 at A440 in 12-TET: 155.56, 185.00, 233.08 Hz.

What is the set class of E♭m?

Prime form (037), Forte 3-11, interval vector <001110>.

How do I transpose E♭m to another key?

Keep the 1, ♭3, 5 formula on the new root. Cm is C, E♭, G; C♯m is C♯, E, G♯.

Is D♯m the same as E♭m?

Enharmonically yes: the same piano keys and the same sound, spelled differently.

E♭ Minor in detail

Exact

Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Close, root position	E♭3 G♭3 B♭3	7	96 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	G♭3 B♭3 E♭4	9	124 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	B♭3 E♭4 G♭4	8	110 mm	none	identical
Open, fifth on top	E♭2 B♭2 G♭3	15	206 mm	none	identical

Reduced

A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation	Fit
Root and third only	E♭3 G♭3	3	41 mm	omits B♭	subset

Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).

Position	Bass note	Notes in order	Figured bass	Semitones	Span
Root position	E♭	E♭3, G♭3, B♭3	5/3	7	96 mm
First inversion: E♭m/G♭	G♭	G♭3, B♭3, E♭4	6/3	9	124 mm
Second inversion: E♭m/B♭	B♭	B♭3, E♭4, G♭4	6/4	8	110 mm

One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.

Progression	Key	Role	Sequence	Voice leading
ii, V, I	D♭ major	ii	E♭m to A♭ to D♭	E♭m opens the phrase
ii°, v, i	E♭ minor	i	Fdim to B♭m to E♭m	1 tone held from B♭m
iv, i	E♭ minor	i	A♭m to E♭m	1 tone held from A♭m
i, ♭VI, ii°, v	E♭ minor	i	E♭m to C♭ to Fdim to B♭m	E♭m opens the phrase
vi, IV, I, V	G♭ major	vi	E♭m to C♭ to G♭ to D♭	E♭m opens the phrase
I, vi	G♭ major	vi	G♭ to E♭m	2 tones held from G♭
v, i	G♯ minor	v	D♯m to G♯m	E♭m opens the phrase
ii°, v, i	G♯ minor	v	A♯dim to D♯m to G♯m	1 tone held from A♯dim

Root motion, common tones and voice displacement are computed from pitch class sets. Roman numerals follow common practice functional harmony.

Which keys it belongs to

Key	Roman numeral	Function
D♭ major	ii	Predominant
E♭ minor	i	Tonic, home
G♭ major	vi	Tonic substitute
G♯ minor	v	Minor dominant
B♭ minor	iv	Subdominant
B major	iii	Tonic substitute

Classification system: common-practice functional harmony.

Change one note

Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.

Chord	Change	Formula	Common tones
E♭m7	adds D♭	1 ♭3 5 ♭7	3
E♭mMaj7	adds D	1 ♭3 5 7	3
E♭m6	adds C	1 ♭3 5 6	3
E♭	G♭ becomes G	1 3 5	2
E♭dim	B♭ becomes B♭♭	1 ♭3 ♭5	2
E♭sus2	G♭ becomes F	1 2 5	2
E♭sus4	G♭ becomes A♭	1 4 5	2
E♭maj7	G♭ becomes G, D	1 3 5 7	2
E♭7	G♭ becomes G, D♭	1 3 5 ♭7	2
E♭m7♭5	B♭ becomes B♭♭, D♭	1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7	2
E♭dim7	B♭ becomes B♭♭, D♭♭	1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭♭7	2
E♭7sus4	G♭ becomes A♭, D♭	1 4 5 ♭7	2

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
E♭3	51	155.56 Hz
G♭3	54	185.00 Hz
B♭3	58	233.08 Hz

Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {3, 6, 10}
Normal order: [3, 6, 10]
Prime form: (037)
Forte number: 3-11
Interval vector: <001110>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
E♭ to G♭	Minor third	3	3
E♭ to B♭	Perfect fifth	7	5
G♭ to B♭	Major third	4	4

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a minor applied to the root E♭, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.

E♭ Minor

Fingerings

E♭ Minor: notes and degrees