Eb Piano Chord

E flat major is the Eb piano chord. It has three notes: E flat, G and B flat. The outer two are black keys and the middle one is white, which is a shape the hand takes to surprisingly well.

1E♭3G5B♭C4C5

E♭ at the bottom, then G and B♭. Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1. The black keys are E♭ and B♭.

How to play Eb on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the E♭ above middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): E♭
  3. Middle finger (3): G
  4. Little finger (5): B♭
  5. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 3, 1 an octave lower, or just E♭ on its own as a bass note.

Black, white, black is one of the most comfortable chord shapes on the instrument: the thumb and little finger sit deep on the black keys and the middle finger drops naturally onto the white one between them.

Inversions of Eb

The same 3 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are Eb; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionG B♭ E♭
Eb piano chord diagram, first inversion, G B♭ E♭
Lighter than root position and less final. The third in the bass tips the chord forward, which is why it so often sits between two other chords rather than at the end of a line.
Second inversionB♭ E♭ G
Eb piano chord diagram, second inversion, B♭ E♭ G
Open and a little unresolved. A fifth in the bass sounds like the chord is on its way somewhere, which is exactly how it is used: as the step between two chords whose roots are further apart.

If it sounds wrong

The middle note is wrong
It is G, a white key. Check you have not landed on F sharp or A flat, the black keys either side of it.
The thumb is on the wrong key
E flat is the black key to the left of E, in the group of two black keys. It is easy to land on D sharp's neighbour by mistake, since the group of two and the group of three look alike at speed.
The chord feels cramped
Two black keys means the hand sits well into the keyboard. Give it room by moving the whole arm forward rather than curling the fingers.

What makes it an Eb

E♭ · G · B♭ 1 3 5

E flat major is the first, third and fifth notes of the E flat major scale: E flat, G and B flat. The key has three flats, and two of them are in this chord.

It is the I chord of E flat major, the IV of B flat and the V of A flat. Like B flat, it is a horn key, so it belongs to jazz, soul, gospel and orchestral writing far more than to guitar music.

Eb vs Ebm

The middle note moves from G down to G flat, the black key beside it. That makes E flat minor, a chord of three black keys, which is one of the easiest shapes on the keyboard once you get over how it looks.

E flat major is much the more common of the two. It is a home key for brass and a favourite in soul and gospel.

Questions about Eb

Which notes are in an Eb chord on piano?

E flat, G and B flat. E flat and B flat are black keys, G is white.

What fingers do you use for an Eb chord?

Right hand: thumb on E flat, middle finger on G, little finger on B flat. Left hand: little finger on E flat, middle on G, thumb on B flat.

Is Eb the same as D#?

The same key and the same sound. Flat keys write E flat, and since this chord belongs to flat keys, that is the name you will see.

Is the Eb chord hard on piano?

It looks harder than it is. Black, white, black is a comfortable shape, and many pianists find it easier than an all white chord because the black keys give the hand something to sit against.

Where is the Eb chord used?

As the I chord in E flat, the IV in B flat and the V in A flat. Jazz, soul, gospel and brass music all live in these keys.

Chords to learn next

Other Eb chords