E Flat Minor scale

This article on E Flat Natural Minor scale details its music theory like notes, intervals, staff notation, CAGED patterns on the guitar fretboard, guitar tabs, recommended fingering, chords formed by harmonizing the scale, its modes, related keys, popular songs in the key, etc.

Read the complete article to know all about the E Flat minor scale!

Introduction To E Flat Natural Minor scale

Ernst Pauer has defined the E Flat Minor key as the darkest, most somber key of all. It is rarely used in Western classical music. But it has been used in Russian music a lot.

The list of symphonies in the Eb natural minor key is attached here.

E Flat Minor Scale Notes

The notes any natural minor scale are given by the formula {W H W W H W W}:

  • 1st Note – Root – Eb
  • 2nd Note – M2 – F
  • 3rd Note – m3 – Gb
  • 4th Note – P4 – Ab
  • 5th Note – P5 – Bb
  • 6th Note – m6 – Cb
  • 7th Note – m7 – Db

The notes of the Eb Minor scale are {Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb(O)}, where Eb(O) is the Eb note one octave higher than the root.

You can see that the key signature of the E Flat natural minor scale has six flats. Playing it on a piano keyboard requires two white and five black keys. The notes of E Flat minor are shown on the piano keyboard below.

E Flat Minor Scale on Piano Keyboard

E Flat harmonic minor scale: {Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, D, and Eb(O)}.

E Flat melodic minor scale (ascending): {Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, D, and Eb(O)}.

Scale Degrees

Intervals Root M2 m3 P4 P5 m6/M6m7/M7P8
Scale Degrees12345671(8)
Natural MinorEbFGbAbBbCbDbEb(O)
Harmonic MinorEbFGbAbBbCbDEb(O)
Melodic MinorEbFGbAbBbCDEb(O)

E Flat Minor Scale On The Treble And Bass Clef:

Treble Clef:

E Flat Minor Scale on Treble Clef

Bass Clef:

E Flat Minor Scale on Bass Clef

E Flat Minor Scale Guitar Positions

Linked CAGED Patterns.

The Eb Flat Minor scale exists in a straight line on the D string.

E Flat Minor Scale Up to 15 Fret

Five CAGED Patterns

E Flat Minor Scale Patterns

Guitar Tabs For The CAGED Patterns

E Shaped Scale Pattern

E Flat Minor Scale - E Shape

D Shaped Pattern

E Flat Minor Scale - D Shape

C Shaped Pattern

E Flat Minor Scale - C Shape

A Shaped Pattern

E Flat Minor Scale - A Shape

G Shaped Pattern

E Flat Minor Scale - G Shape

Fingering Arrangement For Scale Patterns

E Flat Minor Scale Fingering

The Chords Of The E Flat Minor Key

Scale Degrees1234567
Chord DesignationiiidimIIIivvVIVII
Chord NamesEbmFdimGbAbmBbmCbDb
Chord QualityminordiminishedMajorminorminorMajorMajor

The following triad chords result from the E Flat minor scale.

  1. Three Major chords – III, VI, and VII – Gb, Cb, and Db Major chords.
  2. Three minor chords – i, iv, and v – Ebm, Abm, and Bbm.
  3. One diminished chord, the ii°, Fdim.
  4. Dominant Chord – Bb major formed from the 5th scale degree of the Eb Harmonic Minor scale.

Note Names In These Triad Chords.

Scale DegreesIntervalsChord NotesChord Name
1R – Eb – m3 – Gb – M3 – BbEb – Gb – BbEbm
2R – F – m3 – Ab – m3 – CbF – Ab – CbFdim
3R – Gb – M3 – Bb – m3 – DbGb – Bb – DbGb
4R – Ab – m3 – Cb – M3 – EbAb – Cb – EbAbm
5R – Bb – m3 – Db – M3 – FBb – Db – FBbm
6R – Cb – M3 – Eb – m3 – GbCb – Eb – GbCb
7R – Db – M3 – F – m3 – AbDb – F – AbDb

7th Chords Of B Flat Minor Scale

Scale DegreesChord NameRoman N DesignationChord Notes
1Ebm7im7Eb - Gb - Bb - Db
2Fm7b5iiø7F - Ab - Cb - Eb
3GbMaj7IIIM7Gb - Bb - Db - F
4Abm7ivm7Ab - Cb - Eb - Gb
5Bbm7vm7Bb – Db – F - Ab
6GbMaj7VIM7Gb – Bb – Db - F
7Db7VII7Db – F – Ab - Cb

Relative & Parallel Minor Of E Flat Minor

Relative Major Key: G Flat Major Scale {Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, and F.}. Relative major and minor scales have the same notes.

Parallel scale: E Flat Major scale {Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, and D}. Its key signature has three flats.

Enharmonic equivalent: D Sharp Minor with notes {D#, E#, F#, G#, A#, B, and C#}. Its key signature has six sharps.

Songs In The Key Of E Flat Minor

Some of the popular songs in the key of E Flat Minor Scale are:

  1. “River Lea” by Adele.
  2. “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder.
  3. “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac.
  4. “The Final Countdown” by Europe.
  5. “November Rain” by Guns N Roses.
  6. “Take a Look Around.” by Limp Bizkit.
  7. “Die Young” by Black Sabbath.
  8. “Jesus Walks” by Kayne West.
  9. “Midnight Love” by Marvin Gaye.
  10. “Survivor” by Destiny’s Child.

The Modes of the E Flat Minor Scale

The 7 diatonic modes of the E Flat Natural Minor Scale are:

  1. E Flat – Aeolian Mode.
  2. F – Locrian Mode.
  3. G Flat – Ionian Mode.
  4. A Flat – Dorian Mode.
  5. B Flat – Phrygian Mode.
  6. C Flat – Lydian Mode.
  7. D Flat – Mixolydian Mode.

Conclusion

I hope you have received the desired information on the E Flat Natural Minor Scale and are now in the position to start practicing it. We urge you to put in a practice routine to master it. If you have any comments or need any additional clarifications, write to us in the section below.

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