Piano · Level 6 · Intermediate
The minor ii–V–i in E♭ minor on Piano
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The minor ii–V–i uses a half-diminished ii and an altered V. It is the dark, dramatic cadence behind many jazz ballads and Latin tunes.
Fm7b5
Notes: F · A♭ · C♭ · E♭
B♭7b9
Notes: B♭ · D · F · A♭ · C♭
E♭m
Notes: E♭ · G♭ · B♭
HOW TO PRACTISE IT
Six steps to a clean loop.
- Play each chord on its own: Fm7b5, B♭7b9 and E♭m. Press play on the chord card, then match the sound.
- Keep the right hand curved over the keys and move it as one unit between chords.
- Set the tempo to 63 BPM and play the progression with one chord per bar. Find the note that moves by a half step from V7♭9 to i.
- Play the left-hand bass note on beat one and the right-hand chord on every beat.
- Raise the tempo to 84 BPM once you can play the loop three times without stopping.
- Record one take, listen back and check for tension in the ♭9 that melts into the minor tonic.
Listen for
Aim for tension in the ♭9 that melts into the minor tonic. A common mistake is using a plain minor seventh for iiø7.
Why it works
iiø7 and V7♭9 both come from the harmonic minor scale, which provides the raised leading tone.
E♭ minor has 6 flats; its relative major key is G♭ major.
Questions
What are the chords in iiø7–V7♭9–i in E♭ minor?
In E♭ minor the progression is Fm7b5 | B♭7b9 | E♭m | E♭m.
What is the key signature of E♭ minor?
E♭ minor has 6 flats. Its relative major is G♭ major.
Is this lesson right for my level?
This is a level 6 lesson (intermediate). If it feels too hard, start with “Augmented chords”.
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