E-flat major
Major key with three flats; relative major of C minor.
What it means
E-flat major is the major key with three flats in its key signature: B-flat, E-flat, and A-flat. Its tonic is E-flat, and its relative minor is C minor. On the circle of fifths it lies three steps on the flat side of C major. The scale runs E-flat, F, G, A-flat, B-flat, C, D, E-flat.
Musical use
E-flat major is regarded as a key of warm, festive, and dignified character and is especially convenient for wind instruments: on clarinets in B-flat, trumpets in B-flat, and horns in F it can be played with few accidentals. Ludwig van Beethoven's third symphony, the Eroica, and his fifth piano concerto are in E-flat major; Mozart also used the key for solemn works such as the symphony K. 543.
E-flat major should be distinguished from E major, which despite the similar name has four sharps and lies far away, and from C minor, its relative minor, which shares the same key signature but has a more serious, darker character.
Performance practice
Practise the scale and the triads E-flat–G–B-flat, A-flat–C–E-flat, and B-flat–D–F slowly at first to fix the three flats securely. On string instruments this key lacks some open strings as sonic support, so it is worth checking the intonation of the stopped notes especially carefully.