Chord · Eb Minor (1st Inversion)
E♭m/♭3 Chord
E♭m/♭3 is Gb, Bb and Eb — minor triad with the third in the bass.
E♭m/♭3 on every instrument
The same 3 notes, 1 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What E♭m/♭3 is made of
Eb Minor (1st Inversion) (Eb minor (1st inversion)) is built from the notes Gb, Bb, Eb, with the interval pattern b3, 5, 1. A common minor (1st inversion) chord across many styles.
Stack b3, 5 and 1 on a root of E♭ and you get Gb, Bb and Eb. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a minor first inversion chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why Cm/♭3 sounds like a transposed E♭m/♭3.
Minor (1st Inversion): Minor triad with the third 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 G♭ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain E♭m/♭3
All 3 notes sit inside the scale of 12 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Major keys
Other chords on E♭
Same root, different colour.
The same minor first inversion shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about Ebm/b3
- What notes are in the Ebm/b3 chord?
- Ebm/b3 is made of Gb, Bb and Eb — the b3, 5 and 1 degrees of a minor first inversion chord built on Eb.
- What keys use the Ebm/b3 chord?
- Every note of Ebm/b3 belongs to 12 keys: B Major (iii), Db Major (ii), F# Major (vi), Gb Major (vi), C# Major (ii), Cb Major (iii), Bb Minor (iv), G# Minor (v), D# Minor (i), Eb Minor (i), A# Minor (iv), Ab Minor (v). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play Ebm/b3 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows Ebm/b3 on piano — 1 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
- Is Ebm/b3 the same as D#m/b3?
- Yes. Ebm/b3 and D#m/b3 are enharmonic — identical pitches written two different ways. Which spelling you use depends on the key you are in; Ebm/b3 is the spelling this site treats as canonical.
Learn the theory behind it
Why E♭m/♭3 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.