Eb Natural Minor Scale on Piano

The Eb Natural Minor scale sounds dark and settled. It runs Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – Cb – Db and is written with six flats.

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

Interval Circle

WHWWHWWCDbb7DEb1EF2Gbb3GAb4ABb5Cbb6

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

Also called the Aeolian mode. Lowering the 3rd, 6th and 7th of the major scale drops the leading tone, so it resolves gently rather than urgently — the sound of folk melodies and minor-key pop.

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

5 black keys (Eb, Gb, Ab, Bb, Db) 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 Natural 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
DbDb5Minor 7th (b7)23
EbEb5Octave (8)32

Other Natural Minor Scales

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

Other Eb Scales

Eb Major
Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb – C – D
Eb Harmonic Minor
Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – Cb – D
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