E♭m, minor chord
E♭, G♭ and B♭
- Root
- E♭
- Minor third
- G♭
- Perfect fifth
- B♭
Formula
1 ♭3 5 (3, 7 half steps above E♭)
Fingering in root position
| Notes | E♭ | G♭ | B♭ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 1 |
E♭ minor inversions
E♭ minor has 2 inversions. Each one keeps the same notes and puts a different one at the bottom, so your hand can stay close to the chord before or after it.
E♭m
Root position
| Notes | E♭ | G♭ | B♭ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 1 |
E♭m/G♭
First inversion
| Notes | G♭ | B♭ | E♭ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 1 |
E♭m/B♭
Second inversion
| Notes | B♭ | E♭ | G♭ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 2 | 1 |
Keys with E♭ minor
Roman numerals give a chord's place in a key: capitals for major chords, small letters for minor, ° for diminished. E♭ minor appears as:
- i in E♭ minor
- vi in G♭ major
- ii in D♭ major
- iv in B♭ minor
How E♭ minor is built
E♭ is the root, G♭ the minor third and B♭ the perfect fifth.
A minor chord is a root, the minor third 3 half steps above it and the perfect fifth 7 half steps above it. Raise the middle note by one key and E♭ minor becomes E♭ major.
Every chord takes every other letter of the alphabet, so the letters of E♭ minor are E, G, B. That is why it is spelled E♭, G♭ and B♭.
Find E♭ minor yourself
Without looking at the diagrams, find the chord on the keyboard, then each inversion. Saying the notes out loud as you tap them helps them stick.
Step 1 of 3
Tap the notes of E♭ minor, in any octave and any order.
Practice E♭ minor in real music
MasterPiano gives you new music to read at your level and listens as you play, through a MIDI keyboard or your device's microphone, marking each note right or wrong.
Start freeQuestions
What notes are in the E♭ minor chord?
E♭ minor (E♭m) has three notes: E♭, G♭ and B♭. E♭ is the root, G♭ the minor third and B♭ the perfect fifth.
What fingers do you use for E♭ minor on piano?
In root position, play E♭, G♭ and B♭ with right hand fingers 1, 3 and 5 (thumb, middle finger and little finger) and left hand fingers 5, 3 and 1. The fingers change a little in each inversion; every inversion on this page shows its own.
What are the inversions of E♭ minor?
E♭ minor has 2 inversions, one for each note other than the root at the bottom. First inversion (E♭m/G♭): G♭, B♭ and E♭. Second inversion (E♭m/B♭): B♭, E♭ and G♭.
Is E♭ minor the same as D♯ minor?
On the piano, yes: they use the same keys. They are written differently, because a chord takes every other letter: E♭ minor is E♭, G♭ and B♭ and D♯ minor is D♯, F♯ and A♯. Both are used: the key of E♭ minor has 6 flats and the key of D♯ minor has 6 sharps.