E-flat Piano Chords
Here we can explore every chord built on E-flat, the second black key of each group of two. The root stays the same from chord to chord; what changes is the distance from E-flat to the notes stacked above it, and that is what gives each chord its own quality and unique sound. Because E-flat is a black key, the right thumb and the left 5th finger start on a black key in root position, so the hand sits further in toward the fallboard than it does for chords built on white keys.
The 9 chords built on E-flat
Triads built on E-flat
Four triads can be built on E-flat. Each is three notes stacked in thirds, and they differ only in their third and fifth:
- E-flat major (E♭): E-flat, G, B-flat
- E-flat minor (E♭m): E-flat, G-flat, B-flat, with the third lowered to G-flat
- E-flat diminished (E♭°): E-flat, G-flat, B-double-flat, with the fifth lowered as well, to B-double-flat
- E-flat augmented (E♭+): E-flat, G, B, with the fifth of the major chord raised to B
Try playing them in that order and listening to how a single changed note changes the sound of the whole chord.
Seventh chords built on E-flat
Adding a seventh on top of a triad gives the five seventh chords built on E-flat:
- E-flat dominant 7th (E♭7): the major triad with a minor seventh, E-flat, G, B-flat, D-flat
- E-flat major 7th (E♭maj7): the major triad with a major seventh, E-flat, G, B-flat, D
- E-flat minor 7th (E♭m7): the minor triad with a minor seventh, E-flat, G-flat, B-flat, D-flat
- E-flat half-diminished 7th (E♭ø7): the diminished triad with a minor seventh, E-flat, G-flat, B-double-flat, D-flat
- E-flat diminished 7th (E♭°7): the diminished triad with a diminished seventh, E-flat, G-flat, B-double-flat, D-double-flat
A few of these notes have names that may look unusual: B-double-flat is played on A and D-double-flat is played on C. Each chord keeps its notes on every other letter name, which is what makes it read as a stack of thirds on the staff.
Each chord’s own page shows it in every inversion, with fingering, keyboard charts, notation, and audio.
E-flat chords and keys
All of these chords grow from the same root, E-flat. The chords that belong together in a key are a different family, built on each note of the scale; for those, see E-flat major piano chords and E-flat minor piano chords.