E♭ major chordE♭

Built from

• E♭root
• Gmajor 3rd
• B♭5th

The major 3rd sits four frets above the root and makes the chord sound open and sure of itself.

Hear it in a progression

• The pop progression

  Behind countless hits. Hopeful, then bittersweet. In E♭ major.

  Capo and transpose

  1. E♭I
  2. B♭V
  3. Cmvi
  4. A♭IV

• Three-chord song

  Folk, rock and roll, campfire. In E♭ major.

  Capo and transpose

  1. E♭I
  2. A♭IV
  3. B♭V
  4. E♭I

• Doo-wop

  Fifties ballad, sweet and nostalgic. In E♭ major.

  Capo and transpose

  1. E♭I
  2. Cmvi
  3. A♭IV
  4. B♭V

Where it goes next

Thinking in E♭ major, where it is the I chord.

• A♭

  IV. Lifts away from home without leaving it.

• B♭

  V. Builds tension that wants to come back.

• Cm

  vi. Same key, sadder colour: the relative minor.

• Fm

  ii. A gentle step up that sets up the V chord.

Sounds close

• Cm7

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

• Cm

  Its relative minor: same key, sadder. Both have E♭ and G.

• Gm

  Shares two notes: a softer swap. Both have G and B♭.

• C7

  Shares 2 of its notes. Both have G and B♭.

Scales that fit

Notes you can play over this chord, simplest first.

• E♭ major
• E♭ major pentatonic
• E♭ mixolydian
• E♭ lydian

Keys it lives in

• E♭ majoras I
• A♭ majoras V
• B♭ majoras IV
• G minoras VI
• C minoras III
• F minoras VII