E♭ minor chord on piano (E♭m)
E♭m is E♭, G♭ and B♭. E♭ sits on the black key between D and E. Tap Play, then slow it down.
root position · E♭–G♭–B♭ · right hand 1-3-5
- Notes
- E♭ · G♭ · B♭
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5
How to play E♭m on piano
Count keys (black and white) from E♭: 3 half steps up to G♭ then 4 half steps up to B♭. That's the whole chord: 3 keys.
- Right hand: 1 on E♭, 3 on G♭ and 5 on B♭.
- Left hand: 5 on E♭, 3 on G♭ and 1 on B♭.
- On the keyboard it's black, black and black keys.
E♭m inversions
- root position: E♭–G♭–B♭. Fingers 1-3-5.
- 1st inversion: G♭–B♭–E♭, G♭ lowest. RH 1-2-5.
- 2nd inversion: B♭–E♭–G♭, B♭ lowest. Right hand 1-3-5.
Nobody plays every chord in root position. The inversions let E♭m sit wherever the previous chord left your hand.
Moving between E♭m and its neighbours
Songs rarely hold E♭m for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.
- A♭ (V in D♭ major): E♭m to A♭: play A♭ in 2nd inversion (E♭–A♭–C) and E♭ stays under the same finger, while G♭ moves up to A♭ and B♭ up to C. A♭ on piano
- F♯ (IV in D♭ major): E♭m to F♯: play F♯ in 2nd inversion (C♯–F♯–A♯) and F♯ and A♯ stay under the same fingers, while E♭ moves down to C♯. F♯ on piano
- C♯ (I in D♭ major): E♭m to C♯: play C♯ in root position (C♯–E♯–G♯), while E♭ moves down to C♯, G♭ down to E♯ and B♭ down to G♯. C♯ on piano
E♭m has the gentle, slightly melancholy sound of a minor chord. A minor chord softens a progression. Try E♭m right after E♭ major to hear how much one note changes. Play it solid and then broken to hear the difference.
Practice E♭m in two minutes
Play E♭m broken, one key at a time: E♭, G♭, B♭, G♭, E♭. Then press the keys together and check that all 3 sound at the same volume. Next, walk up through E♭–G♭–B♭ → G♭–B♭–E♭ → B♭–E♭–G♭ without lifting your eyes to your hand.
The keys of E♭m
E♭m is a minor chord, 1–♭3–5 from E♭. Root position, from the bottom: how E♭m is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| E♭ | black key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| G♭ | black key | RH 3 · LH 3 | minor third |
| B♭ | black key | RH 5 · LH 1 | perfect fifth |
D♯m is another spelling of E♭m. Same keys, same sound.
Keys and progressions with E♭m
In E♭ minor, i–VI–III–VII on piano is E♭m (E♭–G♭–B♭), B (B–D♯–F♯), F♯ (F♯–A♯–C♯) and C♯ (C♯–E♯–G♯). About the minor anthem.
In E♭ minor, i–iv–V on piano is E♭m (E♭–G♭–B♭), G♯m (G♯–B–D♯) and B♭ (B♭–D–F). About the minor cadence.
In E♭ minor, i–VII–VI–V on piano is E♭m (E♭–G♭–B♭), C♯ (C♯–E♯–G♯), B (B–D♯–F♯) and B♭ (B♭–D–F). About the Andalusian cadence.
E♭m on guitar and ukulele
The same notes on another instrument: E♭m on guitar and E♭m on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.
Next to try on piano
Other minor chords
E♭m on piano: questions
What notes are in E♭m on piano?
E♭, G♭ and B♭: E♭ (black key), G♭ (black key) and B♭ (black key). Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1.
How do you play E♭m on piano?
Press E♭, G♭ and B♭ together, all black keys. Right hand: 1 on E♭, 3 on G♭ and 5 on B♭.
What are the inversions of E♭m?
1st inversion (G♭–B♭–E♭) and 2nd inversion (B♭–E♭–G♭), after root position (E♭–G♭–B♭). Only the lowest note changes.
What does E♭m look like on the keyboard?
black, black and black keys.
Shapes and sound are generated from the notes E♭, G♭ and B♭ and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.