E flat minor

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E♭ minor

Relative key	G♭ major
Parallel key	E♭ major
Component pitches
E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭

E flat minor is a minor scale based on E flat, consisting of the pitches E flat, F, G flat, A flat, B flat, C flat, D flat, and E flat (natural minor scale – the harmonic minor scale contains a D instead of a D flat). Its key signature consists of six flats.

Its relative key is G flat major, and its parallel major is E flat major. Its enharmonic equivalent is D sharp minor.

Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with accidentals as necessary.

One of the few symphonies written in this key is Prokofiev's Symphony No. 6. A few other less well-known Soviet composers also wrote symphonies in this key, such as Eshpai, Janis Ivanovs (fourth symphony Atlantis, 1941), Ovchinnikov and Myaskovsky.

The second movement to Gustav Mahler's Eighth Symphony has an extended orchestral and choral introduction in E flat minor.

In both books of the Well-Tempered Clavier by Johann Sebastian Bach, Prelude No. 8 is written in E flat minor while the following Fugue is written in D sharp minor.

[edit] Well-known classical compositions in this key

• Piano trio (Hoboken XV:28) by Joseph Haydn
• Introduction to Christus am Ölberge - Ludwig van Beethoven
• Overture to Manfred incidental music - Robert Schumann
• Scherzo Opus 4 - Johannes Brahms
• Humoresques, Op. 101: No. 1 - Antonín Dvořák
• Symphony No. 1 - Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (original version in E-flat minor)
• String Quartet No. 3 Op. 30 (1876) - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
• Piano Sonata (1899-1901) - Paul Dukas
• Symphony No. 6 - Sergei Prokofiev
• String Quartet No. 15 - Dmitri Shostakovich

[edit] Well-known contemporary music in this key

• 2 Become 1 - Spice Girls
• Beat It - Michael Jackson
• Bullet the Blue Sky - U2
• Digging in the Dirt - Peter Gabriel
• Don't Cha - The Pussycat Dolls
• Halo Theme Music - Martin O'Donnell
• I Wish - Stevie Wonder
• I'm Only Sleeping - The Beatles (played using E and A minor guitar chords backwards)
• In the End - Linkin Park
• Lithium - Evanescence
• The Ketchup Song - Las Ketchup
• Rumors - Lindsay Lohan
• Secret - Madonna
• Take Five - The Dave Brubeck Quartet
• The Winner Takes It All - ABBA (also in major)
• Wires - Athlete
• That's So Raven TV Theme - John Coda

Diatonic Scales and Keys
	Flats Sharps Major minor Major minor 0 C (Major), a (minor) 1 F d G e 2 B♭ g D b 3 E♭ c A f♯ 4 A♭ f E c♯ 5 D♭ b♭ B g♯ 6 G♭ e♭ F♯ d♯ 7 C♭ a♭ C♯ a♯
lower case letters are minor the table indicates the number of sharps or flats in each scale

[edit] References

• A. Morris, "Symphonies, Numbers And Keys" in Bob's Poetry Magazine, III.3, 2006