The Eb major scale and key signature
The key of Eb major has three flats: Bb, Eb, and Ab. The scale is Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C - D. Its relative minor is C minor, which shares the same key signature.
Every chord in the key is built by stacking thirds on each scale note using only notes from the scale. That gives seven chords, called the diatonic chords.
The seven diatonic triads
| Numeral | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I | Eb major | Eb - G - Bb |
| ii | F minor | F - Ab - C |
| iii | G minor | G - Bb - D |
| IV | Ab major | Ab - C - Eb |
| V | Bb major | Bb - D - F |
| vi | C minor | C - Eb - G |
| vii° | D diminished | D - F - Ab |
The pattern of major, minor, and diminished chords is the same in every major key: I, IV, and V are major, ii, iii, and vi are minor, and vii° is diminished.
Seventh chords in Eb major
Adding a fourth note a third above gives the seventh-chord version of each:
| Numeral | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Imaj7 | Ebmaj7 | Eb - G - Bb - D |
| ii7 | Fm7 | F - Ab - C - Eb |
| iii7 | Gm7 | G - Bb - D - F |
| IVmaj7 | Abmaj7 | Ab - C - Eb - G |
| V7 | Bb7 | Bb - D - F - Ab |
| vi7 | Cm7 | C - Eb - G - Bb |
| viiø7 | Dm7b5 | D - F - Ab - C |
The V chord becomes a dominant seventh (Bb7), which is the one that pulls hardest back to Eb.
Playing the chords on piano
Eb major is a comfortable key on piano because the chords fit the hand well. The Eb triad is black, white, black (Eb - G - Bb), and Ab major (Ab - C - Eb) has the same black, white, black shape. Bb major (Bb - D - F) is black, white, white. Many teachers introduce keys with black notes early because the longer fingers fall naturally on them, though this varies by player.
A few tips:
- Start with root position triads, then use inversions to keep your hand in one area.
- Play the left-hand root alone while your right hand plays the chord.
- Say the note names aloud so you remember which notes are flat.
Common progressions in Eb major
All of these use chords from the key. For the numbers, see good chord progressions to know.
- I-V-vi-IV: Eb - Bb - Cm - Ab
- I-vi-IV-V: Eb - Cm - Ab - Bb
- ii-V-I: Fm7 - Bb7 - Ebmaj7
- I-vi-ii-V: Eb - Cm - Fm - Bb (read more in our I vi ii V guide)
- I-IV-V: Eb - Ab - Bb
Related keys
Closely related keys share most of their notes. For Eb major those include:
- C minor, the relative minor, with the same three flats. See what chords go with C minor.
- Bb major (two flats), the key of the V chord. See the B flat major scale on piano.
- Ab major (four flats), the key of the IV chord.
If a song modulates, it often moves to one of these neighbors.
Eb major vs E major (and D# major)
Eb major and E major are different keys. Eb is a half step lower and has three flats, while E major has four sharps. The chords are different: Eb, Fm, Gm, Ab, Bb, Cm versus E, F#m, G#m, A, B, C#m.
The note Eb is the same key on the piano as D#, so the scale could in theory be spelled as D# major. That key would need a complicated key signature with double sharps, so musicians almost always use Eb major instead.
Borrowed chords and the “forbidden chord”
You may see the phrase “forbidden chord” in searches. It is not a standard theory term, and people use it for different things, sometimes jokingly for a chord that sounds unusually dissonant. Treat it as slang. A more useful idea is borrowed chords, taken from the parallel minor (Eb minor) for color. Common choices are the iv chord (Abm) and the bVI chord (Cb), though these are more advanced and worth saving until the basic seven chords feel comfortable.