What notes are in the Eb/5 chord?

Eb/5 is made of Bb, Eb and G — the 5, 1 and 3 degrees of a major second inversion chord built on Eb.

What keys use the Eb/5 chord?

Every note of Eb/5 belongs to 6 keys: Bb Major (IV), Eb Major (I), Ab Major (V), G Minor (VI), C Minor (III), F Minor (VII). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.

How do you play Eb/5 on guitar and piano?

This page shows Eb/5 on piano — 1 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.

Is Eb/5 the same as D#/5?

Yes. Eb/5 and D#/5 are enharmonic — identical pitches written two different ways. Which spelling you use depends on the key you are in; Eb/5 is the spelling this site treats as canonical.

Chord · Eb Major (2nd Inversion)

E♭/5 Chord

E♭/5 is Bb, Eb and G — major triad with the fifth in the bass.

Hear it

E♭/5 on every instrument

The same 3 notes, 1 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.

Piano1 voicing

What E♭/5 is made of

Eb Major (2nd Inversion) (Eb major (2nd inversion)) is built from the notes Bb, Eb, G, with the interval pattern 5, 1, 3. A common major (2nd inversion) chord across many styles.

Stack 5, 1 and 3 on a root of E♭ and you get Bb, Eb and G. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a major second inversion chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why C/5 sounds like a transposed E♭/5.

Major (2nd Inversion): Major triad with the fifth in the bass.

Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with B♭ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.

Keys that contain E♭/5

All 3 notes sit inside the scale of 6 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.

Major keys

Minor keys

Other chords on E♭

Same root, different colour.

E♭Eb Major E♭mEb Minor E♭dimEb Diminished E♭augEb Augmented E♭sus2Eb Suspended 2nd E♭sus4Eb Suspended 4th E♭5Eb Power Chord E♭6Eb Major 6th

The same major second inversion shape, moved

The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.

C/5C Major (2nd Inversion)D/5D Major (2nd Inversion)E/5E Major (2nd Inversion)G/5G Major (2nd Inversion)A/5A Major (2nd Inversion)B/5B Major (2nd Inversion)F♯/5F# Major (2nd Inversion)D♭/5Db Major (2nd Inversion)

Questions people ask about Eb/5

What notes are in the Eb/5 chord?: Eb/5 is made of Bb, Eb and G — the 5, 1 and 3 degrees of a major second inversion chord built on Eb.
What keys use the Eb/5 chord?: Every note of Eb/5 belongs to 6 keys: Bb Major (IV), Eb Major (I), Ab Major (V), G Minor (VI), C Minor (III), F Minor (VII). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
How do you play Eb/5 on guitar and piano?: This page shows Eb/5 on piano — 1 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Is Eb/5 the same as D#/5?: Yes. Eb/5 and D#/5 are enharmonic — identical pitches written two different ways. Which spelling you use depends on the key you are in; Eb/5 is the spelling this site treats as canonical.

Learn the theory behind it

Why E♭/5 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.

Chord Inversions and Slash Chords — Same Notes, Different AttitudeSame notes, different bass note — what the slash in the name is actually doing.5 min read Voice Leading — Hold What You Can, Move Only What You MustInversions exist so your fingers move less between chords. This is the technique behind them.6 min read Functional Harmony: Three Roles, One EngineAn inverted chord still has a job in the key. Here is how to hear it.6 min read