Key

E♭ minor

E♭ minor is the minor key on the tonic E♭ with six flats in the key signature: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭ and C♭. Its relative key is G♭ major. On the circle of fifths B♭ minor and A♭ minor are its neighbours.

Tonic: E♭
Key signature: 6 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭)
Tonic chord: E♭–G♭–B♭
Dominant: B♭ major, B♭–D–F
Leading tone: D
Relative key: G♭ major
Parallel key: E♭ major
Neighbours on the circle of fifths: B♭ minor, A♭ minor

Six flats, one leading tone

E♭ minor is the relative of G♭ major and shares its key signature: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭. As in all minor keys the natural scale has no leading tone, because the distance from D♭ to the tonic E♭ is a whole tone. For the close the key borrows the D: the seventh degree is raised by a semitone, the dominant becomes the major chord B♭. The D appears as an accidental within the bar, not in the key signature.

Natural minor

The six flats appear here as accidentals before E, G, A, B, C and D. They are exactly the notes of G♭ major, played from E♭.

Harmonic minor

The seventh degree D♭ is raised to D with a natural sign. The D is the leading tone and lies a semitone below E♭. Between C♭ and D lies the augmented second.

In the glossary: Harmonic minor · Relative key

Chords and cadence

E♭miA♭mivB♭VE♭mi

The table shows the diatonic chords in natural minor and the changes that the D brings about. The three chords that change are marked: the third becomes augmented, the fifth a major triad, the seventh diminished.

Degree	Natural minor	With D (harmonic)
i	E♭m E♭–G♭–B♭	E♭m E♭–G♭–B♭
ii°	F° F–A♭–C♭	F° F–A♭–C♭
III	G♭ G♭–B♭–D♭	G♭+ G♭–B♭–D, augmented
iv	A♭m A♭–C♭–E♭	A♭m A♭–C♭–E♭
v / V	B♭m B♭–D♭–F	B♭ B♭–D–F
VI	C♭ C♭–E♭–G♭	C♭ C♭–E♭–G♭
VII / vii°	D♭ D♭–F–A♭	D° D–F–A♭, diminished

The sister key D♯ minor

On the piano E♭ minor and D♯ minor are the same key: E♭ and D♯ lie on the same piano key. Played they sound the same, written they differ. E♭ minor needs six flats, D♯ minor six sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯). Both variants have six sharps or flats in the key signature; as a rule E♭ minor is written, because it is more common. More under Enharmonic equivalence.

5 ♭B♭ minorRelative D♭ major

6 ♭E♭ minorRelative G♭ major

7 ♭A♭ minorRelative C♭ major

Practice: In Key Signatures you practise the order of the flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭. Take the tonic E♭–G♭–B♭ and then play the major chord B♭ with the D to hear the pull towards the close.

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Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 3 October 2026

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E♭ minor

Six flats, one leading tone

Natural minor

Harmonic minor

Chords and cadence

The sister key D♯ minor

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Circle of fifths

The leading tone

Diatonic chords

Related terms