Key reference

The key of G♭ major

6 flats · G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C♭ – D♭ – E♭ – F

G♭ major has 6 flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭. A piece in this key draws on G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭, F and treats G♭ as home.

The seven chords below are the ones built from those notes alone, which is why they sound like they belong together.

The key signature

The key signature of G♭ major: B, E, A, D, G, C.

Order of flats

B♭
E♭
A♭
D♭
G♭
C♭
F♭

This signature uses the first 6 of them: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭.

The notes of the key

These are the notes of the major scale on this tonic. See the G♭ major scale for the degrees and step pattern.

G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C♭ – D♭ – E♭ – F

The seven diatonic chords

Build a triad on each degree using only notes from the key and the qualities fall into a fixed pattern. That pattern is the same in every major key, which is why progressions transpose so cleanly.

Degree	Roman	Chord	Notes	Function
1	I	G♭	G♭ – B♭ – D♭	Tonic
2	ii	A♭m	A♭ – C♭ – E♭	Predominant
3	iii	B♭m	B♭ – D♭ – F	Tonic
4	IV	C♭	C♭ – E♭ – G♭	Predominant
5	V	D♭	D♭ – F – A♭	Dominant
6	vi	E♭m	E♭ – G♭ – B♭	Tonic
7	vii°	Fdim	F – A♭ – C♭	Dominant

Adding sevenths

Stack one more third on each and you get the seventh chords of the key.

Roman	Chord	Notes
I	G♭maj7	G♭ – B♭ – D♭ – F
ii	A♭m7	A♭ – C♭ – E♭ – G♭
iii	B♭m7	B♭ – D♭ – F – A♭
IV	C♭maj7	C♭ – E♭ – G♭ – B♭
V7	D♭7	D♭ – F – A♭ – C♭
vi	E♭m7	E♭ – G♭ – B♭ – D♭
vii°	Fm7♭5	F – A♭ – C♭ – E♭

Common progressions in G♭ major

These are the same shapes you meet in every major key, written with this key’s chords.

I – V – vi – IV

G♭ITonic
D♭VDominant
E♭mviTonic
C♭IVPredominant

I – vi – IV – V

G♭ITonic
E♭mviTonic
C♭IVPredominant
D♭VDominant

ii – V – I

A♭miiPredominant
D♭VDominant
G♭ITonic

Related keys

Relationship	Key	Signature
Relative minor	E♭ minor	Same signature
One step sharpwards	D♭ major	One more sharp
One step flatwards	C♭ major	One more flat

Neighbouring keys on the circle of fifths share six of their seven notes.