Scale reference
E♭ minor scale
E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C♭ – D♭
The E♭ minor scale runs E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭ and then back to E♭. It follows the natural minor step pattern — tone, semitone, tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone — which is what makes it minor rather than any other kind of scale.
It uses each letter name once, which is why it is written with 6 flats.
The notes
The step pattern
Every minor scale uses the same sequence of steps. Change the starting note and the pattern is what you keep.
- E♭1tone
- F2semi
- G♭3tone
- A♭4tone
- B♭5semi
- C♭6tone
- D♭7tone
- E♭8
Scale degrees
| Degree | Note | Name | Interval from E♭ | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E♭ | Tonic | Perfect unison | 0 |
| 2 | F | Supertonic | Major second | 2 |
| 3 | G♭ | Mediant | Minor third | 3 |
| 4 | A♭ | Subdominant | Perfect fourth | 5 |
| 5 | B♭ | Dominant | Perfect fifth | 7 |
| 6 | C♭ | Submediant | Minor sixth | 8 |
| 7 | D♭ | Subtonic | Minor seventh | 10 |
The other two minor forms
Minor comes in three forms. They share the first five notes and differ near the top.
| Form | Notes | Why it exists |
|---|---|---|
| Natural minor | E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C♭ – D♭ | The plain form, matching the key signature. |
| Harmonic minor | E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C♭ – D | Raises the seventh degree, restoring the leading tone. |
| Melodic minor (ascending) | E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C – D | Raises the sixth as well, smoothing the step-and-a-half gap. |
A piece in E♭ minor will move between all three depending on what the harmony needs at that moment. See minor scales for how they are chosen.
Key signature
E♭ minor is the scale of the key of E♭ minor, which has 6 flats. The key page lists the seven chords built on these notes.