What E♭ major is built from
Counting up in semitones from E♭:
| Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|
| E♭ | root | 0 |
| G | major third | 4 |
| B♭ | perfect fifth | 7 |
Move all three of those the same distance and you get the same chord on another root — that is what the major triad formula 0 – 4 – 7 means.
How to play E♭ major
Leave the low E string out. Lay your first finger flat across fret 6 and let the other fingers take the notes above it. The shape runs from fret 6 to fret 8.
All four strings are played. Nothing is higher than fret 3, so it sits in first position.
Play E♭, G and B♭ together. That is one white key and two black.
Numbers in the grids are frets. Where a number is printed beside a grid, that is the fret the top row stands for; otherwise the thick bar at the top is the nut. A circle above a string means play it open, a cross means leave it out.
Guitar, string by string
| Guitar string | Stopped at | Sounds |
|---|---|---|
| low E | not played | — |
| A | fret 6 | E♭ |
| D | fret 8 | B♭ |
| G | fret 8 | E♭ |
| B | fret 8 | G |
| top E | fret 6 | B♭ |
Ukulele, string by string
| Ukulele string | Stopped at | Sounds |
|---|---|---|
| G | fret 3 | B♭ |
| C | fret 3 | E♭ |
| E | fret 3 | G |
| A | fret 1 | B♭ |
E♭ major on the stave
The same three notes written on a treble stave, spelled the way a major triad is spelled — one letter for every other step, with whichever accidental reaches the pitch. That is why it reads E♭, G and B♭, and not the same sounds written some other way.
Which keys E♭ major belongs to
| Key | Relative minor | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| E♭ major | C minor | I |
| A♭ major | F minor | V |
| B♭ major | G minor | IV |
Each row is a key whose scale contains every note of E♭ major. A major key and its relative minor use the same seven notes, so the chord belongs to both.
Chords that sit next to E♭ major
The seven triads built on the scale of E♭ major. These are the chords E♭ major is most often played alongside, because they are made from the same seven notes. The small numeral is the degree each one stands on.
Other chords on E♭
Same root, different notes above it.
E♭ minor is its parallel: same root, same fifth, and only the third between them.
Chords straight off a recording
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