Eb Harmonic Minor Scale on Piano

The Eb Harmonic Minor scale sounds tense and dramatic. It runs Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – Cb – D and is written with five flats.

It shares its key signature with Gb major, its relative major.

Interval Circle

WHWWHW+HHCDbD7Eb1EF2Gbb3GAb4ABb5Cbb6

All twelve semitones, root at the top. Filled dots are the notes of the scale, the outer numbers are their degrees, and W / H mark the whole and half steps between them.

About This Scale

Natural minor with the 7th raised back up, restoring the leading tone so dominant harmony works in a minor key. The augmented second it opens between the 6th and 7th degrees is the interval that gives the scale its distinctive edge.

Fingering

Right Hand (ascending)

3-1-2-3-4-1-2-3

Left Hand (ascending)

2-1-4-3-2-1-3-2

Why this fingering

4 black keys (Eb, Gb, Ab, Bb) sit in this scale, and the thumb has to avoid them. In the right hand the thumb crosses under onto F and Cb; let the elbow drift slightly outward as it passes rather than twisting the wrist.

The blue dots on the piano below show which keys to press — they turn green when you play the right note.

Notes in Eb Harmonic Minor

NoteIntervalRH FingerLH Finger
EbEb4Root (1)32
FF4Major 2nd (2)11
GbGb4Minor 3rd (b3)24
AbAb4Perfect 4th (4)33
BbBb4Perfect 5th (5)42
CbCb5Minor 6th (b6)11
DD5Major 7th (7)23
EbEb5Octave (8)32

Other Harmonic Minor Scales

C Harmonic Minor
C – D – Eb – F – G – Ab – B
C# Harmonic Minor
C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A – B#
D Harmonic Minor
D – E – F – G – A – Bb – C#
E Harmonic Minor
E – F# – G – A – B – C – D#
F Harmonic Minor
F – G – Ab – Bb – C – Db – E
F# Harmonic Minor
F# – G# – A – B – C# – D – E#
G Harmonic Minor
G – A – Bb – C – D – Eb – F#
G# Harmonic Minor
G# – A# – B – C# – D# – E – F##
A Harmonic Minor
A – B – C – D – E – F – G#
Bb Harmonic Minor
Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – Gb – A
B Harmonic Minor
B – C# – D – E – F# – G – A#

Other Eb Scales

Eb Major
Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb – C – D
Eb Natural Minor
Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – Cb – Db
Eb Melodic Minor
Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – C – D
Eb Major Pentatonic
Eb – F – G – Bb – C
Eb Minor Pentatonic
Eb – Gb – Ab – Bb – Db
Eb Blues
Eb – Gb – Ab – A – Bb – Db
Eb Dorian
Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – C – Db
Eb Mixolydian
Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb – C – Db
Eb Chromatic
Eb – E – F – Gb – G – Ab – A – Bb – B – C – Db – D