Piano scales · Minor
E♭ minor scale on piano
The E♭ minor scale (also called D♯ minor) has seven notes and 6 flats. Here it is on the keyboard, with the fingering, the chords in the key and a button to hear it.
E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C♭ – D♭ – E♭ · tap any key to hear it
The notes
E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, and back to E♭. C♭ is played on the key B; it's written C♭ so that every letter is used once.
Every minor scale follows the same pattern of steps: whole – half – whole – whole – half – whole – whole. A whole step skips one key; a half step goes to the very next key, black or white.
Key signature
E♭ minor has 6 flats: E♭, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭. Music in E♭ minor shows these at the start of every line.
Its relative major is F♯ major: the same notes, starting from F♯. See every key on the circle of fifths, and all the key signatures.
Fingering
The rule for every scale: keep your thumb off the black keys, and pass it under after the group of black keys, so your fingers 2–3 or 2–3–4 cover them. Find a fingering that follows that rule, write it on your music, and use the same one every time.
Chords in E♭ minor
Build a chord on each note of the scale, using only the scale's notes, and you get the seven chords of the key:
How to practise it
- Hands separately first, slowly, with a metronome. Evenness matters more than speed: every note the same length and the same weight.
- Watch the thumb: it should pass under smoothly, without the hand jumping.
- When it's even at a slow speed, go up a few clicks. Then hands together, an octave apart.
Is your scale even? Ivory listens to you play and tells you what's off: a note that's missing, a hand that lands late, a note that comes early or loud. Then it shows you how it should go.
Questions people ask
What notes are in the E♭ minor scale?
E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, then E♭ again.
How many sharps or flats does E♭ minor have?
E♭ minor has 6 flats: E♭, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭.
What is the relative major of E♭ minor?
F♯ major, which uses the same notes starting from F♯.