Piano · Level 5 · Intermediate

The I–vi–ii–V turnaround in E♭ major on Piano

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THE SHORT ANSWER

The turnaround circles through four chords, two beats each, to lead back to the start of a tune. It trains faster chord changes inside a bar.

E♭maj7

E♭ major seventh

Notes: E♭ · G · B♭ · D

Left hand: E♭2
♭♭

Cm7

C minor seventh

Notes: C · E♭ · G · B♭

Left hand: C2
♭♭

Fm7

F minor seventh

Notes: F · A♭ · C · E♭

Left hand: F2
♭♭

B♭7

B♭ dominant seventh

Notes: B♭ · D · F · A♭

Left hand: B♭2
♭♭
1
E♭maj7Cm7
2
Fm7B♭7
3
E♭maj7Cm7
4
Fm7B♭7

HOW TO PRACTISE IT

Six steps to a clean loop.

  1. Play each chord on its own: E♭maj7, Cm7, Fm7 and B♭7. Press play on the chord card, then match the sound.
  2. Keep the right hand curved over the keys and move it as one unit between chords.
  3. Set the tempo to 60 BPM and play the progression with one chord per bar. Change on beats one and three; keep the hands moving on beat four.
  4. Play the left-hand bass note on beat one and the right-hand chord on every beat.
  5. Raise the tempo to 80 BPM once you can play the loop three times without stopping.
  6. Record one take, listen back and check for two even chord changes per bar.

Listen for

Aim for two even chord changes per bar. A common mistake is letting the second chord in the bar arrive late.

Why it works

Each root falls a fifth (or rises a fourth) to the next — the circle of fifths in miniature.

E♭ major has 3 flats; its relative minor key is C minor.

Questions

What are the chords in Imaj7–vi7–ii7–V7 in E♭ major?

In E♭ major the progression is E♭maj7 Cm7 | Fm7 B♭7 | E♭maj7 Cm7 | Fm7 B♭7.

What is the key signature of E♭ major?

E♭ major has 3 flats. Its relative minor is C minor.

Is this lesson right for my level?

This is a level 5 lesson (intermediate). If it feels too hard, start with “A descending bass line”.

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