E♭ minor 7 chordE♭m7

Built from

• E♭root
• G♭minor 3rd
• B♭5th
• D♭flat 7th

The flat 7th softens the minor 3rd, so the sadness turns into something relaxed.

Hear it in a progression

• Epic minor

  Film scores and stadium anthems. In E♭ minor.

  Capo and transpose

  1. E♭m7i
  2. C♭VI
  3. G♭III
  4. D♭VII

• Minor cadence

  Dark, then a strong pull home. In E♭ minor.

  Capo and transpose

  1. E♭m7i
  2. A♭miv
  3. B♭7V7
  4. E♭m7i

• Andalusian cadence

  Flamenco and surf rock, stepping down. In E♭ minor.

  Capo and transpose

  1. E♭m7i
  2. D♭VII
  3. C♭VI
  4. B♭V

Where it goes next

Thinking in E♭ minor, where it is the i7 chord.

• C♭maj7

  VImaj7. Opens up into something bittersweet.

• A♭m7

  iv7. Goes darker still.

• D♭7

  VII7. Steps down: a rock and folk staple.

• G♭maj7

  IIImaj7. Brightens into the relative major.

Sounds close

• G♭maj7

  Relative major 7: same notes but one. Both have G♭, B♭ and D♭.

• G♭

  Contains its relative major whole. Both have G♭, B♭ and D♭.

• G♭7

  Shares 3 of its notes. Both have G♭, B♭ and D♭.

• Bmaj7

  Shares 3 of its notes. Both have E♭, G♭ and B♭.

Scales that fit

Notes you can play over this chord, simplest first.

• E♭ minor
• E♭ minor pentatonic
• E♭ blues
• E♭ dorian

Keys it lives in

• E♭ minoras i7
• G♯ minoras v7
• B♭ minoras iv7
• F♯ majoras vi7
• D♭ majoras ii7
• B majoras iii7