E♭ natural minor
Six flats, B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭. Seven notes: E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭. Try the key’s seven chords in different places on the neck. Press a shape to hear it and see its notes.
D♯ and E♭ are the same pitch. This scale is written as E♭ natural minor. Both spellings need the same number of accidentals. Here we use the flat spelling for minor, as on our circle of fifths.
Across one chord in different positions. Down the chords in one position. | ||||
| iMainE♭mE♭ · G♭ · B♭ | ||||
| ii°F°F · A♭ · C♭ | ||||
| IIIMainG♭G♭ · B♭ · D♭ | ||||
| ivA♭mA♭ · C♭ · E♭ | ||||
| vB♭mB♭ · D♭ · F | ||||
| VIMainC♭C♭ · E♭ · G♭ | ||||
| VIIMainD♭D♭ · F · A♭ |
Sounds good
Three patterns to try
Walk up to A♭m. Strum E♭m, pick F and G♭ on the way up, land on A♭m. Listen to how the bass connects the chords.
Triads on the top three strings. Three notes, three places, all E♭m. Try them when a full six-string chord feels too busy.
- LowFrets 2–4
- MiddleFrets 6–8
- HighFret 11
Same chords, higher. The four main chords in frets 1 to 4, then again in frets 6 to 9. Listen to how the higher voicings change the sound.
Exercises in E♭ minor
Four drills, with a click
Play along with the metronome. The neck above highlights each step.
- Four chords in one positionE♭m – G♭ – C♭ – D♭ without leaving frets 3 to 7.70 bpmLevel 1
- Climb with one chordE♭m in all four places, low to high. Hear it brighten.60 bpmLevel 1
- Walk up to A♭mStrum E♭m, then walk the bass F – G♭ into A♭m.90 bpmLevel 2
- Scale, then chordsPlay the scale in frets 6 to 9, then the four chords there.70 bpmLevel 2
Why six flats
B♭ minor with C lowered
- E♭
- F
- G♭
- A♭
- B♭
- C♭
- D♭
- E♭
- F
- G♭
- A♭
- B♭
- C
- D♭
E♭ minor is B♭ minor with C lowered to C♭.
Harmonic minor
Harmonic minor change
Raising the seventh to D changes B♭m to B♭ major on the fifth degree.