How to Play E Flat Major and E Flat Minor on the Piano

Learning major and minor chords on the piano is a great way to figure out how to accompany other instruments. You use these simple chords to play along to a band or to your own vocals. Piano players should pay attention to how to find the notes of a chord on the board for easy reference while practicing. Here's how to find E flat major and E flat minor.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Find middle C. Notice that each repeating "set" of piano keys has sets of 2 and 3 black keys together. The C is the key below the lower of the black keys in the set of 2.

2. Locate E. Since every white key is a new note, E is the white key 2 white keys up from C. It is the white key just above the higher of the black keys in the set of 2.

3. Drop down to E flat. We just mentioned this key as the higher of the set of 2 black keys. You see it is just 1/2 step below E, and that is why we call it E flat.

4. Identify the other 2 notes of the E flat major chord. Every major chord has 3 basic notes. They are always in the same ratios. G is the white key 2 keys up from the E key. That is the second note. The third note is B flat. B flat is the highest of the black keys in the set of 3. Play these 3 notes together, and you have E flat major.

5. Form E minor, drop the G note down to a G flat, putting the finger from the white G key on the black key directly below it. There you have the E flat minor chord. You'll notice it sounds different, more "melancholy," as a minor chord usually does.