E-flat Minor 7th Chord

How to play the E-flat Minor 7th Chord on the piano

Let’s go through some charts that will familiarize you with the E-flat Minor 7th Chord and how to play it in the various forms you will encounter in pieces of music. First, we’ll look at the fundamental chord and its inversions; then, we’ll explore some more complex voicings.

The E-flat Minor 7th Chord in root position

In root position, the notes of the E♭ minor 7th chord are stacked in thirds with E♭ on the bottom. The appearance on the staff is evenly spaced, as is the feeling of the space in between your fingers while playing.

E-flat Minor 7th Chord in root position
Note Order	E♭ G♭ B♭ D♭
Left Hand Fingering	5 3 2 1
Right Hand Fingering	1 2 3 5
Chord Symbol	E♭m7

The E-flat Minor 7th Chord in first inversion

In first inversion, the third of the chord (G♭) becomes the bottom note, and the root (E♭) jumps up to the top.

E-flat Minor 7th Chord in 1^st inversion
Note Order	G♭ B♭ D♭ E♭
Left Hand Fingering	5 3 2 1
Right Hand Fingering	1 2 4 5
Chord Symbol	E♭m^6/5 or E♭m7/G♭

The E-flat Minor 7th Chord in second inversion

In second inversion, the fifth of the chord (B♭) is on the bottom, and the third of the chord (G♭) goes to the top.

E-flat Minor 7th Chord in 2^nd inversion
Note Order	B♭ D♭ E♭ G♭
Left Hand Fingering	5 3 2 1
Right Hand Fingering	1 2 3 5
Chord Symbol	E♭m^4/3 or E♭m7/B♭

The E-flat Minor 7th Chord in third inversion

In third inversion, the seventh of the chord (D♭) is on the bottom, and the fifth of the chord (B♭) goes to the top.

E-flat Minor 7th Chord in 3^rd inversion
Note Order	D♭ E♭ G♭ B♭
Left Hand Fingering	5 4 2 1
Right Hand Fingering	1 2 3 5
Chord Symbol	E♭m^4/2 or E♭m7/D♭

E-flat Minor 7th Chord theory and function

The minor 7th is a minor chord with the minor seventh added, and it is one of the mellowest sounds in the harmonic vocabulary. It carries far less tension than the dominant 7th, so it can sit for a long time without needing to resolve.

The E♭ minor 7th chord is the supertonic (ii7) in D♭ major and the submediant (vi7) in G♭ major. In minor keys, it is the tonic (i7) in E♭ minor and the subdominant (iv7) in B♭ minor. On the keyboard this is the same chord as D♯ minor 7th, and the spelling follows the key. The D♯ minor 7th chord is the mediant (iii7) in B major. In minor keys, it is the dominant (v7) in G♯ minor.

Its most common home is ii7 in the cadence ii7 – V7 – I. In D♭ major that is E♭m7 – A♭7 – D♭, where the seventh, D♭, steps down to C, the leading tone. Try playing E♭m and then E♭m7 and listen to how the added note softens the chord.