E flat 7 chord piano

The Solution below shows the E-flat major scale 7th chords, (I⁷, ii⁷, iii⁷, IV⁷, V⁷, vi⁷, vii^ø7) on a piano, with mp3 and midi audio.

The Lesson steps then explain the 7th chord construction from this scale, and how to name the quality of each chord based on note intervals.

For a quick summary of this topic, and to see the chord quality chart for this scale, have a look at Scale chord.

Solution - 7 parts

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1. E-flat major chord I⁷

This step shows the tonic 7th chord of the E-flat major scale.

The E-flat major chord I⁷ is the Eb maj 7 chord, and contains the notes Eb, G, Bb, and D.

This tonic 7th chords root / starting note is the 1st note (or scale degree) of the Eb major scale.

The roman numeral for number 1 is 'I', and is used to indicate this is the 1st chord in the scale. It is in upper case to denote that the chord is a major chord.

Solution:  1  [2]  3  4  5  6  7      Lesson steps:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9    Home  Top ^

2. E-flat major chord ii⁷

This step shows the supertonic 7th chord of the E-flat major scale.

The E-flat major chord ii⁷ is the F min 7 chord, and contains the notes F, Ab, C, and Eb.

This supertonic 7th chords root / starting note is the 2nd note (or scale degree) of the Eb major scale.

The roman numeral for number 2 is 'ii', and is used to indicate this is the 2nd chord in the scale. It is in lower case to denote that the chord is a minor chord.

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3. E-flat major chord iii⁷

This step shows the mediant 7th chord of the E-flat major scale.

The E-flat major chord iii⁷ is the G min 7 chord, and contains the notes G, Bb, D, and F.

This mediant 7th chords root / starting note is the 3rd note (or scale degree) of the Eb major scale.

The roman numeral for number 3 is 'iii', and is used to indicate this is the 3rd chord in the scale. It is in lower case to denote that the chord is a minor chord.

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4. E-flat major chord IV⁷

This step shows the subdominant 7th chord of the E-flat major scale.

The E-flat major chord IV⁷ is the Ab maj 7 chord, and contains the notes Ab, C, Eb, and G.

This subdominant 7th chords root / starting note is the 4th note (or scale degree) of the Eb major scale.

The roman numeral for number 4 is 'IV', and is used to indicate this is the 4th chord in the scale. It is in upper case to denote that the chord is a major chord.

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5. E-flat major chord V⁷

This step shows the dominant 7th chord of the E-flat major scale.

The E-flat major chord V⁷ is the Bb dom 7 chord, and contains the notes Bb, D, F, and Ab.

This dominant 7th chords root / starting note is the 5th note (or scale degree) of the Eb major scale.

The roman numeral for number 5 is 'V', and is used to indicate this is the 5th chord in the scale. Just like a major chord, the dominant 7th chord is constructed using a major third interval,so the roman numeral is shown in upper case.

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6. E-flat major chord vi⁷

This step shows the submediant 7th chord of the E-flat major scale.

The E-flat major chord vi⁷ is the C min 7 chord, and contains the notes C, Eb, G, and Bb.

This submediant 7th chords root / starting note is the 6th note (or scale degree) of the Eb major scale.

The roman numeral for number 6 is 'vi', and is used to indicate this is the 6th chord in the scale. It is in lower case to denote that the chord is a minor chord.

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7. E-flat major chord vii^ø7

This step shows the subtonic 7th chord of the E-flat major scale.

The E-flat major chord vii^ø7 is the D half-dim7 chord, and contains the notes D, F, Ab, and C.

This subtonic 7th chords root / starting note is the 7th note (or scale degree) of the Eb major scale.

The roman numeral for number 7 is 'vii', and is used to indicate this is the 7th chord in the scale. Just like a minor chord, the half-diminished 7th chord is constructed using a minor third interval, so the roman numeral is shown in lower case.

The half-diminished symbol '^ø' is placed after the roman numerals to indicate this is a half-diminished 7th chord.

Lesson steps

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1. Piano key note names

This step shows the white and black note names on a piano keyboard so that the note names are familiar for later steps, and to show that the note names start repeating themselves after 12 notes.

The white keys are named using the alphabetic letters A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, which is a pattern that repeats up the piano keyboard.

Every white or black key could have a flat(b) or sharp(#) accidental name, depending on how that note is used. In a later step, if sharp or flat notes are used, the exact accidental names will be chosen.

The audio files below play every note shown on the piano above, so middle C (marked with an orange line at the bottom) is the 2nd note heard.

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2. E-flat major scale notes

This step shows the scale note names that will be used to construct all 7th chords that harmonize with those scale notes.

The piano keyboard below contains the notes of the Eb major scale.

Starting from the 1st scale note, each lesson step below will take each note in turn and construct a 7th chord using that note as the root / starting note of that chord.

The 7th chord will be built using only the notes of the scale we are interested in.

Identifying the 4 notes in the chord

7th chords are built using the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th notes of a scale, so the first 7th chord below will constructed a chord using notes Eb, G, Bb and D.

The second 7th chord below will repeat this, but this time starting on the 2nd note, so its notes will be F, Ab, C and Eb - ie. the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th positions relative to that 2nd root note.

This pattern is repeated for all 7 notes in the scale, resulting in 7 seventh chords.

Identifying the chord quality

Although the above method identifies each 7th chord notes from the scale used, it does not identify the complete chord name including its quality.

Should each 7th chord that we build be called diminished, half-diminished, minorminor-major, dominant, major, augmented, or augmented-major ?

Every 7th chord must have one of these quality names.

To decide the name the chord quality, each step below will use note intervals to calculate how many half-tones / semitones / piano keys between the root and the 3rd, 5th and 7th notes.).

Taken together, the combination of the 3rd, 5th and 7th note intervals will define the complete 7th chord quality name.

The steps below will show how this works for each 7th chord in turn, but in practice it might just be easier to memorize the triad quality table in the Scale chord summary for each scale type.

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3. 1st 7th chord in E-flat major scale

This step shows how to identify the notes and the name of a 7th chord whose root note is the 1st scale degree of the Eb major scale.

Identifying the 4 notes in the chord

The table below shows the Eb major scale, ordered to show the 1st note as the first column in the table.

To identify the 7th chord note names, use the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th columns / scale degrees, which are notes Eb, G, Bb, and D.

Identifying the chord quality

To identify the 7th chord quality that has these notes, begin by counting the number of half-tones / semitones between the root and each of the notes.

For the 3rd interval (note 2 on the diagram) the distance between Eb and G is 4 half-tones.

Now look at the complete Note interval table, and identify the note interval that has a distance of 3 half-tones (first column), and with an interval no. of 3 (last column).

The note interval name for the 3rd note / scale degree is therefore major, also called M3 for short. More details of this interval are at Eb-maj-3rd.

Repeating this for the 5th note / scale degree, the distance between Eb and Bb is 7 half-tones, and the note interval name is perfect (P5). More details of this interval are at Eb-perf-5th.

Again the 7th note / scale degree, the distance between Eb and D is 11 half-tones, and the note interval name is major (M7). More details of this interval are at Eb-maj-7th.

Finally, we have the name of the three note intervals of this 7th chord, and can now lookup the name of the 7th chord quality having these intervals.

Looking at the Seventh chord table, the name of the 7th chord quality having major(M3), perfect(P5) and major(M7) note intervals is major 7th.

And so the complete 7th chord Name prefixes the root note, Eb, onto this quality, giving us the Eb maj 7 chord.

Scale chord names using a,b and c notation

The chord symbol I could be followed by the letter a to indicate that it is Eb major 7th chord in root position (ie not inverted) - E-flat major scale chord Ia.

Instead, I could be followed by the letter b to indicate that it is Eb major 7th chord in 1st inversion - E-flat major scale chord Ib.

Letter c could be used to indicate that it is Eb major 7th chord in 2nd inversion - E-flat major scale chord Ic.

Finally, letter d could be used to indicate that it is Eb major 7th chord in 3rd inversion - E-flat major scale chord Id.

Scale chord names using figured bass notation

In place of the a-d symbols above, figured bass symbols could be used to indicate chord positions after I:

So in this key, I7 refers to the Eb major 7th chord in root position.

For 7th chord inversions, I65 refers to the Eb major 7th chord in 1st inversion, I43 refers to the Eb major 7th chord in 2nd inversion, and I2 refers to the Eb major 7th chord in 3rd inversion.

The next scale chord

The next step will need to calculate the 7th chord whose root / starting note is next scale note.

To do this, the first column we used in this step, Eb, will be moved to the final column of the table.

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4. 2nd 7th chord in E-flat major scale

This step shows how to identify the notes and the name of a 7th chord whose root note is the 2nd scale degree of the Eb major scale.

Identifying the 4 notes in the chord

The table below shows the Eb major scale, ordered to show the 2nd note as the first column in the table.

To identify the 7th chord note names, use the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th columns / scale degrees, which are notes F, Ab, C, and Eb.

Identifying the chord quality

To identify the 7th chord quality that has these notes, begin by counting the number of half-tones / semitones between the root and each of the notes.

For the 3rd interval (note 2 on the diagram) the distance between F and Ab is 3 half-tones.

Now look at the complete Note interval table, and identify the note interval that has a distance of 3 half-tones (first column), and with an interval no. of 3 (last column).

The note interval name for the 3rd note / scale degree is therefore minor, also called m3 for short. More details of this interval are at F-min-3rd.

Repeating this for the 5th note / scale degree, the distance between F and C is 7 half-tones, and the note interval name is perfect (P5). More details of this interval are at F-perf-5th.

Again the 7th note / scale degree, the distance between F and Eb is 10 half-tones, and the note interval name is minor (m7). More details of this interval are at F-min-7th.

Finally, we have the name of the three note intervals of this 7th chord, and can now lookup the name of the 7th chord quality having these intervals.

Looking at the Seventh chord table, the name of the 7th chord quality having minor(m3), perfect(P5) and minor(m7) note intervals is minor 7th.

And so the complete 7th chord Name prefixes the root note, F, onto this quality, giving us the F min 7 chord.

Scale chord names using a,b and c notation

The chord symbol ii could be followed by the letter a to indicate that it is F minor 7th chord in root position (ie not inverted) - E-flat major scale chord iia.

Instead, ii could be followed by the letter b to indicate that it is F minor 7th chord in 1st inversion - E-flat major scale chord iib.

Letter c could be used to indicate that it is F minor 7th chord in 2nd inversion - E-flat major scale chord iic.

Finally, letter d could be used to indicate that it is F minor 7th chord in 3rd inversion - E-flat major scale chord iid.

Scale chord names using figured bass notation

In place of the a-d symbols above, figured bass symbols could be used to indicate chord positions after ii:

So in this key, ii7 refers to the F minor 7th chord in root position.

For 7th chord inversions, ii65 refers to the F minor 7th chord in 1st inversion, ii43 refers to the F minor 7th chord in 2nd inversion, and ii2 refers to the F minor 7th chord in 3rd inversion.

The next scale chord

The next step will need to calculate the 7th chord whose root / starting note is next scale note.

To do this, the first column we used in this step, F, will be moved to the final column of the table.

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5. 3rd 7th chord in E-flat major scale

This step shows how to identify the notes and the name of a 7th chord whose root note is the 3rd scale degree of the Eb major scale.

Identifying the 4 notes in the chord

The table below shows the Eb major scale, ordered to show the 3rd note as the first column in the table.

To identify the 7th chord note names, use the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th columns / scale degrees, which are notes G, Bb, D, and F.

Identifying the chord quality

To identify the 7th chord quality that has these notes, begin by counting the number of half-tones / semitones between the root and each of the notes.

For the 3rd interval (note 2 on the diagram) the distance between G and Bb is 3 half-tones.

Now look at the complete Note interval table, and identify the note interval that has a distance of 3 half-tones (first column), and with an interval no. of 3 (last column).

The note interval name for the 3rd note / scale degree is therefore minor, also called m3 for short. More details of this interval are at G-min-3rd.

Repeating this for the 5th note / scale degree, the distance between G and D is 7 half-tones, and the note interval name is perfect (P5). More details of this interval are at G-perf-5th.

Again the 7th note / scale degree, the distance between G and F is 10 half-tones, and the note interval name is minor (m7). More details of this interval are at G-min-7th.

Finally, we have the name of the three note intervals of this 7th chord, and can now lookup the name of the 7th chord quality having these intervals.

Looking at the Seventh chord table, the name of the 7th chord quality having minor(m3), perfect(P5) and minor(m7) note intervals is minor 7th.

And so the complete 7th chord Name prefixes the root note, G, onto this quality, giving us the G min 7 chord.

Scale chord names using a,b and c notation

The chord symbol iii could be followed by the letter a to indicate that it is G minor 7th chord in root position (ie not inverted) - E-flat major scale chord iiia.

Instead, iii could be followed by the letter b to indicate that it is G minor 7th chord in 1st inversion - E-flat major scale chord iiib.

Letter c could be used to indicate that it is G minor 7th chord in 2nd inversion - E-flat major scale chord iiic.

Finally, letter d could be used to indicate that it is G minor 7th chord in 3rd inversion - E-flat major scale chord iiid.

Scale chord names using figured bass notation

In place of the a-d symbols above, figured bass symbols could be used to indicate chord positions after iii:

So in this key, iii7 refers to the G minor 7th chord in root position.

For 7th chord inversions, iii65 refers to the G minor 7th chord in 1st inversion, iii43 refers to the G minor 7th chord in 2nd inversion, and iii2 refers to the G minor 7th chord in 3rd inversion.

The next scale chord

The next step will need to calculate the 7th chord whose root / starting note is next scale note.

To do this, the first column we used in this step, G, will be moved to the final column of the table.

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6. 4th 7th chord in E-flat major scale

This step shows how to identify the notes and the name of a 7th chord whose root note is the 4th scale degree of the Eb major scale.

Identifying the 4 notes in the chord

The table below shows the Eb major scale, ordered to show the 4th note as the first column in the table.

To identify the 7th chord note names, use the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th columns / scale degrees, which are notes Ab, C, Eb, and G.

Identifying the chord quality

To identify the 7th chord quality that has these notes, begin by counting the number of half-tones / semitones between the root and each of the notes.

For the 3rd interval (note 2 on the diagram) the distance between Ab and C is 4 half-tones.

Now look at the complete Note interval table, and identify the note interval that has a distance of 3 half-tones (first column), and with an interval no. of 3 (last column).

The note interval name for the 3rd note / scale degree is therefore major, also called M3 for short. More details of this interval are at Ab-maj-3rd.

Repeating this for the 5th note / scale degree, the distance between Ab and Eb is 7 half-tones, and the note interval name is perfect (P5). More details of this interval are at Ab-perf-5th.

Again the 7th note / scale degree, the distance between Ab and G is 11 half-tones, and the note interval name is major (M7). More details of this interval are at Ab-maj-7th.

Finally, we have the name of the three note intervals of this 7th chord, and can now lookup the name of the 7th chord quality having these intervals.

Looking at the Seventh chord table, the name of the 7th chord quality having major(M3), perfect(P5) and major(M7) note intervals is major 7th.

And so the complete 7th chord Name prefixes the root note, Ab, onto this quality, giving us the Ab maj 7 chord.

Scale chord names using a,b and c notation

The chord symbol IV could be followed by the letter a to indicate that it is Ab major 7th chord in root position (ie not inverted) - E-flat major scale chord IVa.

Instead, IV could be followed by the letter b to indicate that it is Ab major 7th chord in 1st inversion - E-flat major scale chord IVb.

Letter c could be used to indicate that it is Ab major 7th chord in 2nd inversion - E-flat major scale chord IVc.

Finally, letter d could be used to indicate that it is Ab major 7th chord in 3rd inversion - E-flat major scale chord IVd.

Scale chord names using figured bass notation

In place of the a-d symbols above, figured bass symbols could be used to indicate chord positions after IV:

So in this key, IV7 refers to the Ab major 7th chord in root position.

For 7th chord inversions, IV65 refers to the Ab major 7th chord in 1st inversion, IV43 refers to the Ab major 7th chord in 2nd inversion, and IV2 refers to the Ab major 7th chord in 3rd inversion.

The next scale chord

The next step will need to calculate the 7th chord whose root / starting note is next scale note.

To do this, the first column we used in this step, Ab, will be moved to the final column of the table.

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7. 5th 7th chord in E-flat major scale

This step shows how to identify the notes and the name of a 7th chord whose root note is the 5th scale degree of the Eb major scale.

Identifying the 4 notes in the chord

The table below shows the Eb major scale, ordered to show the 5th note as the first column in the table.

To identify the 7th chord note names, use the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th columns / scale degrees, which are notes Bb, D, F, and Ab.

Identifying the chord quality

To identify the 7th chord quality that has these notes, begin by counting the number of half-tones / semitones between the root and each of the notes.

For the 3rd interval (note 2 on the diagram) the distance between Bb and D is 4 half-tones.

Now look at the complete Note interval table, and identify the note interval that has a distance of 3 half-tones (first column), and with an interval no. of 3 (last column).

The note interval name for the 3rd note / scale degree is therefore major, also called M3 for short. More details of this interval are at Bb-maj-3rd.

Repeating this for the 5th note / scale degree, the distance between Bb and F is 7 half-tones, and the note interval name is perfect (P5). More details of this interval are at Bb-perf-5th.

Again the 7th note / scale degree, the distance between Bb and Ab is 10 half-tones, and the note interval name is minor (m7). More details of this interval are at Bb-min-7th.

Finally, we have the name of the three note intervals of this 7th chord, and can now lookup the name of the 7th chord quality having these intervals.

Looking at the Seventh chord table, the name of the 7th chord quality having major(M3), perfect(P5) and minor(m7) note intervals is dominant 7th.

And so the complete 7th chord Name prefixes the root note, Bb, onto this quality, giving us the Bb dom 7 chord.

Scale chord names using a,b and c notation

The chord symbol V could be followed by the letter a to indicate that it is Bb dominant 7th chord in root position (ie not inverted) - E-flat major scale chord Va.

Instead, V could be followed by the letter b to indicate that it is Bb dominant 7th chord in 1st inversion - E-flat major scale chord Vb.

Letter c could be used to indicate that it is Bb dominant 7th chord in 2nd inversion - E-flat major scale chord Vc.

Finally, letter d could be used to indicate that it is Bb dominant 7th chord in 3rd inversion - E-flat major scale chord Vd.

Scale chord names using figured bass notation

In place of the a-d symbols above, figured bass symbols could be used to indicate chord positions after V:

So in this key, V7 refers to the Bb dominant 7th chord in root position.

For 7th chord inversions, V65 refers to the Bb dominant 7th chord in 1st inversion, V43 refers to the Bb dominant 7th chord in 2nd inversion, and V2 refers to the Bb dominant 7th chord in 3rd inversion.

The next scale chord

The next step will need to calculate the 7th chord whose root / starting note is next scale note.

To do this, the first column we used in this step, Bb, will be moved to the final column of the table.

Solution:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7    Lesson steps:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  [8]  9      Home  Top ^

8. 6th 7th chord in E-flat major scale

This step shows how to identify the notes and the name of a 7th chord whose root note is the 6th scale degree of the Eb major scale.

Identifying the 4 notes in the chord

The table below shows the Eb major scale, ordered to show the 6th note as the first column in the table.

To identify the 7th chord note names, use the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th columns / scale degrees, which are notes C, Eb, G, and Bb.

Identifying the chord quality

To identify the 7th chord quality that has these notes, begin by counting the number of half-tones / semitones between the root and each of the notes.

For the 3rd interval (note 2 on the diagram) the distance between C and Eb is 3 half-tones.

Now look at the complete Note interval table, and identify the note interval that has a distance of 3 half-tones (first column), and with an interval no. of 3 (last column).

The note interval name for the 3rd note / scale degree is therefore minor, also called m3 for short. More details of this interval are at C-min-3rd.

Repeating this for the 5th note / scale degree, the distance between C and G is 7 half-tones, and the note interval name is perfect (P5). More details of this interval are at C-perf-5th.

Again the 7th note / scale degree, the distance between C and Bb is 10 half-tones, and the note interval name is minor (m7). More details of this interval are at C-min-7th.

Finally, we have the name of the three note intervals of this 7th chord, and can now lookup the name of the 7th chord quality having these intervals.

Looking at the Seventh chord table, the name of the 7th chord quality having minor(m3), perfect(P5) and minor(m7) note intervals is minor 7th.

And so the complete 7th chord Name prefixes the root note, C, onto this quality, giving us the C min 7 chord.

Scale chord names using a,b and c notation

The chord symbol vi could be followed by the letter a to indicate that it is C minor 7th chord in root position (ie not inverted) - E-flat major scale chord via.

Instead, vi could be followed by the letter b to indicate that it is C minor 7th chord in 1st inversion - E-flat major scale chord vib.

Letter c could be used to indicate that it is C minor 7th chord in 2nd inversion - E-flat major scale chord vic.

Finally, letter d could be used to indicate that it is C minor 7th chord in 3rd inversion - E-flat major scale chord vid.

Scale chord names using figured bass notation

In place of the a-d symbols above, figured bass symbols could be used to indicate chord positions after vi:

So in this key, vi7 refers to the C minor 7th chord in root position.

For 7th chord inversions, vi65 refers to the C minor 7th chord in 1st inversion, vi43 refers to the C minor 7th chord in 2nd inversion, and vi2 refers to the C minor 7th chord in 3rd inversion.

The next scale chord

The next step will need to calculate the 7th chord whose root / starting note is next scale note.

To do this, the first column we used in this step, C, will be moved to the final column of the table.

Solution:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7    Lesson steps:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  [9]      Home  Top ^

9. 7th 7th chord in E-flat major scale

This step shows how to identify the notes and the name of a 7th chord whose root note is the 7th scale degree of the Eb major scale.

Identifying the 4 notes in the chord

The table below shows the Eb major scale, ordered to show the 7th note as the first column in the table.

To identify the 7th chord note names, use the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th columns / scale degrees, which are notes D, F, Ab, and C.

Identifying the chord quality

To identify the 7th chord quality that has these notes, begin by counting the number of half-tones / semitones between the root and each of the notes.

For the 3rd interval (note 2 on the diagram) the distance between D and F is 3 half-tones.

Now look at the complete Note interval table, and identify the note interval that has a distance of 3 half-tones (first column), and with an interval no. of 3 (last column).

The note interval name for the 3rd note / scale degree is therefore minor, also called m3 for short. More details of this interval are at D-min-3rd.

Repeating this for the 5th note / scale degree, the distance between D and Ab is 6 half-tones, and the note interval name is diminished (d5). More details of this interval are at D-dim-5th.

Again the 7th note / scale degree, the distance between D and C is 10 half-tones, and the note interval name is minor (m7). More details of this interval are at D-min-7th.

Finally, we have the name of the three note intervals of this 7th chord, and can now lookup the name of the 7th chord quality having these intervals.

Looking at the Seventh chord table, the name of the 7th chord quality having minor(m3), diminished(d5) and minor(m7) note intervals is half-diminished 7th.

And so the complete 7th chord Name prefixes the root note, D, onto this quality, giving us the D half-dim7 chord.

Scale chord names using a,b and c notation

The chord symbol vii^ø could be followed by the letter a to indicate that it is D half-diminished 7th chord in root position (ie not inverted) - E-flat major scale chord vii^øa.

Instead, vii^ø could be followed by the letter b to indicate that it is D half-diminished 7th chord in 1st inversion - E-flat major scale chord vii^øb.

Letter c could be used to indicate that it is D half-diminished 7th chord in 2nd inversion - E-flat major scale chord vii^øc.

Finally, letter d could be used to indicate that it is D half-diminished 7th chord in 3rd inversion - E-flat major scale chord vii^ød.

Scale chord names using figured bass notation

In place of the a-d symbols above, figured bass symbols could be used to indicate chord positions after vii^ø:

So in this key, vii^ø7 refers to the D half-diminished 7th chord in root position.

For 7th chord inversions, vii^ø65 refers to the D half-diminished 7th chord in 1st inversion, vii^ø43 refers to the D half-diminished 7th chord in 2nd inversion, and vii^ø2 refers to the D half-diminished 7th chord in 3rd inversion.

This completes the set of all 7th chords that harmonize with the Eb major scale.

The Solution below shows the E-flat dominant 7th chord in root position, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd inversions, on the piano, treble clef and bass clef.

The Lesson steps then explain how to construct this 7th chord using the 3rd, 5th and 7th note intervals, then finally how to construct the inverted chord variations.

For a quick summary of this topic, have a look at Seventh chord.

Solution - 4 parts

Solution:  [1]  2  3  4      Lesson steps:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10    Home  Top ^

1. E-flat dominant 7th chord

This step shows the E-flat dominant 7th chord in root position on the piano, treble clef and bass clef.

The E-flat dominant 7th chord contains 4 notes: Eb, G, Bb, Db.

The chord spelling / formula relative to the Eb major scale is:  1 3 5 b7.

Middle C (midi note 60) is shown with an orange line under the 2nd note on the piano diagram.

These note names are shown below on the treble clef followed by the bass clef.

The figured bass symbols for this chord in root position are 7/5/3.

The staff diagrams and audio files contain each note individually, ascending from the root, followed by the chord containing all 3 notes.

Solution:  1  [2]  3  4      Lesson steps:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10    Home  Top ^

2. E-flat dominant 7th 1st inversion

This step shows the E-flat dominant 7th 1st inversion on the piano, treble clef and bass clef.

The E-flat dominant 7th 1st inversion contains 4 notes: G, Bb, Db, Eb.

These note names are shown below on the treble clef followed by the bass clef.

The figured bass symbols for this chord in root position are 6/5/3, so the chord is said to be in six-five-three position.

Solution:  1  2  [3]  4      Lesson steps:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10    Home  Top ^

3. E-flat dominant 7th 2nd inversion

This step shows the E-flat dominant 7th 2nd inversion on the piano, treble clef and bass clef.

The E-flat dominant 7th 2nd inversion contains 4 notes: Bb, Db, Eb, G.

These note names are shown below on the treble clef followed by the bass clef.

The figured bass symbols for this chord in root position are 6/4/3, so the chord is said to be in six-four-three position.

Solution:  1  2  3  [4]      Lesson steps:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10    Home  Top ^

4. E-flat dominant 7th 3rd inversion

This step shows the E-flat dominant 7th 3rd inversion on the piano, treble clef and bass clef.

The E-flat dominant 7th 3rd inversion contains 4 notes: Db, Eb, G, Bb.

These note names are shown below on the treble clef followed by the bass clef.

The figured bass symbols for this chord in root position are 6/4/2, so the chord is said to be in six-four-two position.

Lesson steps

Solution:  1  2  3  4    Lesson steps:  [1]  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10      Home  Top ^

1. Piano key note names

This step shows the white and black note names on a piano keyboard so that the note names are familiar for later steps, and to show that the note names start repeating themselves after 12 notes.

The white keys are named using the alphabetic letters A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, which is a pattern that repeats up the piano keyboard.

Every white or black key could have a flat(b) or sharp(#) accidental name, depending on how that note is used. In a later step, if sharp or flat notes are used, the exact accidental names will be chosen.

The audio files below play every note shown on the piano above, so middle C (marked with an orange line at the bottom) is the 2nd note heard.

Solution:  1  2  3  4    Lesson steps:  1  [2]  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10      Home  Top ^

2. E-flat tonic note and one octave of notes

This step shows 1 octave of notes starting from note Eb, to identify the start and end notes of the scale used to build this chord.

The numbered notes are those that might be used when building this chord.

Note 1 is the root note - the starting note of the chord - Eb, and note 13 is the same note name but one octave higher.

Solution:  1  2  3  4    Lesson steps:  1  2  [3]  4  5  6  7  8  9  10      Home  Top ^

3. E-flat major scale note interval positions

This step describes the Eb major scale , whose note intervals are used to define the chord in a later step.

The major scale uses the  W-W-H-W-W-W-H  note counting rule to identify the scale note positions.

To count up a Whole tone, count up by two physical piano keys, either white or black.

To count up a Half-tone (semitone), count up from the last note up by one physical piano key, either white or black.

The tonic note (shown as *) is the starting point and is always the 1st note in the major scale.

Solution:  1  2  3  4    Lesson steps:  1  2  3  [4]  5  6  7  8  9  10      Home  Top ^

4. E-flat major scale note interval numbers

This step identifies the note interval numbers of each scale note, which are used to calculate the chord note names in a later step.

To identify the note interval numbers for this major scale, just assign each note position from the previous step, with numbers ascending from 1 to 8.

To understand why the note names of this major scale have these specific sharp and flat names, have a look at the Eb major scale page.

Solution:  1  2  3  4    Lesson steps:  1  2  3  4  [5]  6  7  8  9  10      Home  Top ^

5. 7th chord qualities

This step defines a seventh chord, names the 7th chord qualities and identifies the notes that vary between them.

7th chord definition

Whereas a triad chord contains 3 notes, a 7th chord contains 4 notes that are played together or overlapping.

7th chord qualities

7th chords exist in eight different chord qualities, which are diminished, half-diminished, minor, minor-major , dominant, major, augmented, and augmented-major.

Each chord quality name is the name of the entire chord as a whole, not its individual notes (which will be covered later).

Triad chord qualities using the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th scale notes

All of these 7th chord qualities are based on the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th notes of the major scale piano diagram above.

Depending on the chord quality, the 3rd, 5th and 7th scale note names of the major scale above might need to be adjusted up or down by one or more half-notes / semitones / piano keys.

It is these variations of the 3rd, 5th and 7th notes that give each one a distinctive sound for any given key (eg. C-flat, E etc).

In fact, these 7th chords are based on triad chords - the first 3 notes of any 7th chord are identical to a specific triad chord quality, with one extra note added to make it a 7th chord.

Suspended 7th chords - using the 2nd or 4th scale notes

A suspended chord is known in music theory as an altered chord because it takes one of the above chord qualities and modifies it in some way.

Unlike all of the above qualities, Suspended triad chords do not use the 3rd note of the major scale (at all) to build the chord.

The 3rd note is suspended, ie. removed completely, and replaced by either the 2nd note of the major scale - a suspended 2nd, or more commonly by the 4th note of the major scale - a suspended 4th.

Musically, this is interesting, since it is usually the 3rd note of the scale that defines the overall character of the chord as being major (typically described as 'happy') or minor ('sad').

Without this 3rd note, suspended chords tend to have an open and ambiguous sound.

The steps below will detail the dominant 7th triad chord quality in the key of Eb.

Solution:  1  2  3  4    Lesson steps:  1  2  3  4  5  [6]  7  8  9  10      Home  Top ^

6. 7th chord note intervals

This step defines the note intervals for each chord quality, including the intervals for the E-flat dominant 7th 7th chord. It also shows how the 7th chord qualities are related to the triad chord qualities they are based on.

Each individual note in a 7th chord can be represented in music theory using a note interval, which is used to express the relationship between the first note of the chord (the root note), and the note in question.

The root note is always the 1st note (note interval 1 in the above diagram) of the major scale diagram above. ie. the tonic of the major scale.

Then there is one note interval to describe the 2nd note, and another to describe the 3rd note of the chord, and finally another interval for the 4th chord note.

In the same way that the entire chord itself has a chord quality, the intervals representing the individual notes within that chord each have their own quality.

These note interval qualities are diminished, minor, major, perfect and augmented.

Below is a table showing the note interval qualities for all 7th chords, together with the interval short names / abbrevations in brackets.

The final column shows the triad chord quality that the 7th chord is based on, so the 2nd and 3rd note quality columns are the same as the triad table for the same key.

The numbers in brackets are the note interval number (ie the scale note number) shown in the previous step.

Looking at the table above, the note intervals for the chord quality we are interested in (dominant 7th), in the key of Eb are Eb-maj-3rd, Eb-perf-5th, and Eb-min-7th.

The links above explain in detail the meaning of these qualities, the short abbrevations in brackets, and how to calculate the interval note names based on the scale note names from the previous step.

Solution:  1  2  3  4    Lesson steps:  1  2  3  4  5  6  [7]  8  9  10      Home  Top ^

7. E-flat dominant 7th chord in root position

This step shows the E-flat dominant 7th chord note interval names and note positions on a piano diagram.

Note name adjustments

Each note interval quality (diminished, minor, major, perfect, augmented) expresses a possible adjustment ie. a possible increase or decrease in the note pitch from the major scale notes in step 4.

If an adjustment in the pitch occurs, the note name given in the major scale in step 4 is modified, so that sharp or flat accidentals will be added or removed.

But crucially, for all interval qualities, the starting point from which accidentals need to be added or removed are the major scale note names in step 4.

For this chord, this is explained in detail in Eb-maj-3rd, Eb-perf-5th and Eb-min-7th, but the relevant adjustments for this dominant 7th chord quality are shown below:

Eb-3rd: Since the 3rd note quality of the major scale is major, and the note interval quality needed is major also, no adjustment needs to be made. The 3rd note name - G, is used, and the chord note spelling is 3.

Eb-5th: Since the 5th note quality of the major scale is perfect, and the note interval quality needed is perfect also, no adjustment needs to be made. The 5th note name - Bb is used, and the chord note spelling is 5.

Eb-7th: The 7th note quality of the major scale is major, and the note interval quality needed is minor, so the 7th note scale note name - D, is adjusted 1 half-tone / semitone down to Db. The chord note spelling reflects this note flattening: b7.

If it is still not clear why the interval qualities are organised / related as they are, please refer to each of the interval links above.

E-flat dominant 7th seventh chord note names

The final chord note names and note interval links are shown in the table below.

The piano diagram below shows the interval short names, the note positions and the final note names of this triad chord.

In music theory, this 7th chord as it stands is said to be in root position because the root of the chord - note Eb, is the note with the lowest pitch of all the chord notes.

The note order of this chord can also be changed, so that the root is no longer the lowest note, in which case the chord is no longer in root position, and will be called an inverted 7th chord instead.

For 7th chords, there are 3 possible inverted variations as described below.

Figured bass notation

The figured bass notation for a 7th chord in root position is 7/5/3, with the 7 placed above the 5, and the 5 above the 3.

These numbers represent the interval between the lowest note of the chord and the note in question.

So another name for this inversion would be E-flat dominant 7th triad in seven-five-three position.

For example, the 7 represents note Db, from the Eb-7th interval, since the chord root, Eb, is the lowest note of the chord (as it is not inverted). .

In the same way, the figured bass 5 symbol represents note Bb, from the Eb-5th interval, and the 3 symbol represents note G, from the Eb-3rd interval

Since figured bass notation works within the context of a key, we don't need to indicate in the figured bass symbols whether eg. the 3rd is a major, minor etc. The key is assumed from the key signature.

Often, for a 7th chord in root position, only the 7 symbol is shown, since it is assumed that the chord is shown in root position (ie not inverted), unless otherwise indicated as shown below.

Solution:  1  2  3  4    Lesson steps:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  [8]  9  10      Home  Top ^

8. E-flat dominant 7th 1st inversion

This step shows the first inversion of the E-flat dominant 7th.

To invert a chord, simply take the first note of the chord to be inverted (the lowest in pitch) and move it up an octave to the end of the chord.

So for a 1st inversion, take the root of the 7th chord in root position from the step above - note Eb, and move it up one octave (12 notes) so it is the last (highest) note in the chord.

The second note of the original 7th chord (in root position) - note G is now the note with the lowest pitch.

Figured bass notation

The figured bass notation for this chord in 1st inversion is 6/5/3, with the 6 placed above the 5, and the 5 placed above the 3 on a staff diagram.

Based on this numbering scheme, another name for this inversion would be E-flat dominant 7th triad in six-five-three position.

These numbers represent the interval between the lowest note of the chord (not necessarily the original chord root!), and the note in question.

For example, the 6 represents note Eb, from the G-6th interval, since the lowest (bass) note of the chord - now inverted, is G.

In the same way, the figured bass 5 symbol represents note Db, from the G-5th interval, and the 3 symbol represents note Bb, from the G-3rd interval

In 1st inversion, often the 3 symbol is not shown at all, as it is assumed.

Solution:  1  2  3  4    Lesson steps:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  [9]  10      Home  Top ^

9. E-flat dominant 7th 2nd inversion

This step shows the second inversion of the E-flat dominant 7th.

For a 2nd inversion, take the first note of the 1st inversion above - G, and move it to the end of the chord.

So the second note of the 1st inversion - note Bb is now the note with the lowest pitch for the 2nd inversion.

Or put another way, the third note of the original 7th chord (in root position) is now the note with the lowest pitch.

Figured bass notation

The figured bass notation for this chord in 2nd inversion is 6/4/3, with the 6 placed above the 4, and the 4 placed above the 3 on a staff diagram.

Based on this numbering scheme, another name for this inversion would be E-flat dominant 7th triad in six-four-three position.

These numbers represent the interval between the lowest note of the chord (not necessarily the original chord root!), and the note in question.

For example, the 6 represents note G, from the Bb-6th interval, since the lowest (bass) note of the chord - now inverted, is Bb.

In the same way, the figured bass 4 symbol represents note Eb, from the Bb-4th interval, and the 3 symbol represents note Db, from the Bb-3rd interval

In 2nd inversion, often the 6 symbol is not shown at all, as it is assumed.

Solution:  1  2  3  4    Lesson steps:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  [10]      Home  Top ^

E-flat dominant 7th 3rd inversion

This step shows the third inversion of the E-flat dominant 7th.

For a 3rd inversion, take the first note of the 2nd inversion above - Bb, and move it to the end of the chord.

So the second note of the 2nd inversion - note Db is now the note with the lowest pitch for the 3rd inversion.

Or put another way, the fourth note of the original 7th chord (in root position) is now the note with the lowest pitch.

Figured bass notation

The figured bass notation for this chord in 3rd inversion is 6/4/2, with the 6 placed above the 4, and the 4 placed above the 2 on a staff diagram.

Based on this numbering scheme, another name for this inversion would be E-flat dominant 7th triad in six-four-two position.

These numbers represent the interval between the lowest note of the chord (not necessarily the original chord root!), and the note in question.

For example, the 6 represents note Bb, from the Db-6th interval, since the lowest (bass) note of the chord - now inverted, is Db.

In the same way, the figured bass 4 symbol represents note G, from the Db-4th interval, and the 2 symbol represents note Eb, from the Db-2nd interval

In 3rd inversion, often the 6 symbol is not shown at all, as it is assumed.

The Solution below shows the E-flat dominant 7th chord in root position, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd inversions, on the piano, treble clef and bass clef.

The Lesson steps then explain how to construct this 7th chord using the 3rd, 5th and 7th note intervals, then finally how to construct the inverted chord variations.

For a quick summary of this topic, have a look at Seventh chord.

Solution - 4 parts

1. E-flat dominant 7th chord

This step shows the E-flat dominant 7th chord in root position on the piano, treble clef and bass clef.

The E-flat dominant 7th chord contains 4 notes: Eb, G, Bb, Db.

The chord spelling / formula relative to the Eb major scale is:  1 3 5 b7.

Middle C (midi note 60) is shown with an orange line under the 2nd note on the piano diagram.

These note names are shown below on the treble clef followed by the bass clef.

The figured bass symbols for this chord in root position are 7/5/3.

The staff diagrams and audio files contain each note individually, ascending from the root, followed by the chord containing all 3 notes.

2. E-flat dominant 7th 1st inversion

This step shows the E-flat dominant 7th 1st inversion on the piano, treble clef and bass clef.

The E-flat dominant 7th 1st inversion contains 4 notes: G, Bb, Db, Eb.

These note names are shown below on the treble clef followed by the bass clef.

The figured bass symbols for this chord in root position are 6/5/3, so the chord is said to be in six-five-three position.

3. E-flat dominant 7th 2nd inversion

This step shows the E-flat dominant 7th 2nd inversion on the piano, treble clef and bass clef.

The E-flat dominant 7th 2nd inversion contains 4 notes: Bb, Db, Eb, G.

These note names are shown below on the treble clef followed by the bass clef.

The figured bass symbols for this chord in root position are 6/4/3, so the chord is said to be in six-four-three position.

4. E-flat dominant 7th 3rd inversion

This step shows the E-flat dominant 7th 3rd inversion on the piano, treble clef and bass clef.

The E-flat dominant 7th 3rd inversion contains 4 notes: Db, Eb, G, Bb.

These note names are shown below on the treble clef followed by the bass clef.

The figured bass symbols for this chord in root position are 6/4/2, so the chord is said to be in six-four-two position.

Lesson steps

1. Piano key note names

This step shows the white and black note names on a piano keyboard so that the note names are familiar for later steps, and to show that the note names start repeating themselves after 12 notes.

The white keys are named using the alphabetic letters A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, which is a pattern that repeats up the piano keyboard.

Every white or black key could have a flat(b) or sharp(#) accidental name, depending on how that note is used. In a later step, if sharp or flat notes are used, the exact accidental names will be chosen.

The audio files below play every note shown on the piano above, so middle C (marked with an orange line at the bottom) is the 2nd note heard.

2. E-flat tonic note and one octave of notes

This step shows 1 octave of notes starting from note Eb, to identify the start and end notes of the scale used to build this chord.

The numbered notes are those that might be used when building this chord.

Note 1 is the root note - the starting note of the chord - Eb, and note 13 is the same note name but one octave higher.

3. E-flat major scale note interval positions

This step describes the Eb major scale , whose note intervals are used to define the chord in a later step.

The major scale uses the  W-W-H-W-W-W-H  note counting rule to identify the scale note positions.

To count up a Whole tone, count up by two physical piano keys, either white or black.

To count up a Half-tone (semitone), count up from the last note up by one physical piano key, either white or black.

The tonic note (shown as *) is the starting point and is always the 1st note in the major scale.

4. E-flat major scale note interval numbers

This step identifies the note interval numbers of each scale note, which are used to calculate the chord note names in a later step.

To identify the note interval numbers for this major scale, just assign each note position from the previous step, with numbers ascending from 1 to 8.

To understand why the note names of this major scale have these specific sharp and flat names, have a look at the Eb major scale page.

5. 7th chord qualities

This step defines a seventh chord, names the 7th chord qualities and identifies the notes that vary between them.

7th chord definition

Whereas a triad chord contains 3 notes, a 7th chord contains 4 notes that are played together or overlapping.

7th chord qualities

7th chords exist in eight different chord qualities, which are diminished, half-diminished, minor, minor-major , dominant, major, augmented, and augmented-major.

Each chord quality name is the name of the entire chord as a whole, not its individual notes (which will be covered later).

Triad chord qualities using the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th scale notes

All of these 7th chord qualities are based on the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th notes of the major scale piano diagram above.

Depending on the chord quality, the 3rd, 5th and 7th scale note names of the major scale above might need to be adjusted up or down by one or more half-notes / semitones / piano keys.

It is these variations of the 3rd, 5th and 7th notes that give each one a distinctive sound for any given key (eg. C-flat, E etc).

In fact, these 7th chords are based on triad chords - the first 3 notes of any 7th chord are identical to a specific triad chord quality, with one extra note added to make it a 7th chord.

Suspended 7th chords - using the 2nd or 4th scale notes

A suspended chord is known in music theory as an altered chord because it takes one of the above chord qualities and modifies it in some way.

Unlike all of the above qualities, Suspended triad chords do not use the 3rd note of the major scale (at all) to build the chord.

The 3rd note is suspended, ie. removed completely, and replaced by either the 2nd note of the major scale - a suspended 2nd, or more commonly by the 4th note of the major scale - a suspended 4th.

Musically, this is interesting, since it is usually the 3rd note of the scale that defines the overall character of the chord as being major (typically described as 'happy') or minor ('sad').

Without this 3rd note, suspended chords tend to have an open and ambiguous sound.

The steps below will detail the dominant 7th triad chord quality in the key of Eb.

6. 7th chord note intervals

This step defines the note intervals for each chord quality, including the intervals for the E-flat dominant 7th 7th chord. It also shows how the 7th chord qualities are related to the triad chord qualities they are based on.

Each individual note in a 7th chord can be represented in music theory using a note interval, which is used to express the relationship between the first note of the chord (the root note), and the note in question.

The root note is always the 1st note (note interval 1 in the above diagram) of the major scale diagram above. ie. the tonic of the major scale.

Then there is one note interval to describe the 2nd note, and another to describe the 3rd note of the chord, and finally another interval for the 4th chord note.

In the same way that the entire chord itself has a chord quality, the intervals representing the individual notes within that chord each have their own quality.

These note interval qualities are diminished, minor, major, perfect and augmented.

Below is a table showing the note interval qualities for all 7th chords, together with the interval short names / abbrevations in brackets.

The final column shows the triad chord quality that the 7th chord is based on, so the 2nd and 3rd note quality columns are the same as the triad table for the same key.

The numbers in brackets are the note interval number (ie the scale note number) shown in the previous step.

Looking at the table above, the note intervals for the chord quality we are interested in (dominant 7th), in the key of Eb are Eb-maj-3rd, Eb-perf-5th, and Eb-min-7th.

The links above explain in detail the meaning of these qualities, the short abbrevations in brackets, and how to calculate the interval note names based on the scale note names from the previous step.

7. E-flat dominant 7th chord in root position

This step shows the E-flat dominant 7th chord note interval names and note positions on a piano diagram.

Note name adjustments

Each note interval quality (diminished, minor, major, perfect, augmented) expresses a possible adjustment ie. a possible increase or decrease in the note pitch from the major scale notes in step 4.

If an adjustment in the pitch occurs, the note name given in the major scale in step 4 is modified, so that sharp or flat accidentals will be added or removed.

But crucially, for all interval qualities, the starting point from which accidentals need to be added or removed are the major scale note names in step 4.

For this chord, this is explained in detail in Eb-maj-3rd, Eb-perf-5th and Eb-min-7th, but the relevant adjustments for this dominant 7th chord quality are shown below:

Eb-3rd: Since the 3rd note quality of the major scale is major, and the note interval quality needed is major also, no adjustment needs to be made. The 3rd note name - G, is used, and the chord note spelling is 3.

Eb-5th: Since the 5th note quality of the major scale is perfect, and the note interval quality needed is perfect also, no adjustment needs to be made. The 5th note name - Bb is used, and the chord note spelling is 5.

Eb-7th: The 7th note quality of the major scale is major, and the note interval quality needed is minor, so the 7th note scale note name - D, is adjusted 1 half-tone / semitone down to Db. The chord note spelling reflects this note flattening: b7.

If it is still not clear why the interval qualities are organised / related as they are, please refer to each of the interval links above.

E-flat dominant 7th seventh chord note names

The final chord note names and note interval links are shown in the table below.

The piano diagram below shows the interval short names, the note positions and the final note names of this triad chord.

In music theory, this 7th chord as it stands is said to be in root position because the root of the chord - note Eb, is the note with the lowest pitch of all the chord notes.

The note order of this chord can also be changed, so that the root is no longer the lowest note, in which case the chord is no longer in root position, and will be called an inverted 7th chord instead.

For 7th chords, there are 3 possible inverted variations as described below.

Figured bass notation

The figured bass notation for a 7th chord in root position is 7/5/3, with the 7 placed above the 5, and the 5 above the 3.

These numbers represent the interval between the lowest note of the chord and the note in question.

So another name for this inversion would be E-flat dominant 7th triad in seven-five-three position.

For example, the 7 represents note Db, from the Eb-7th interval, since the chord root, Eb, is the lowest note of the chord (as it is not inverted). .

In the same way, the figured bass 5 symbol represents note Bb, from the Eb-5th interval, and the 3 symbol represents note G, from the Eb-3rd interval

Since figured bass notation works within the context of a key, we don't need to indicate in the figured bass symbols whether eg. the 3rd is a major, minor etc. The key is assumed from the key signature.

Often, for a 7th chord in root position, only the 7 symbol is shown, since it is assumed that the chord is shown in root position (ie not inverted), unless otherwise indicated as shown below.

8. E-flat dominant 7th 1st inversion

This step shows the first inversion of the E-flat dominant 7th.

To invert a chord, simply take the first note of the chord to be inverted (the lowest in pitch) and move it up an octave to the end of the chord.

So for a 1st inversion, take the root of the 7th chord in root position from the step above - note Eb, and move it up one octave (12 notes) so it is the last (highest) note in the chord.

The second note of the original 7th chord (in root position) - note G is now the note with the lowest pitch.

Figured bass notation

The figured bass notation for this chord in 1st inversion is 6/5/3, with the 6 placed above the 5, and the 5 placed above the 3 on a staff diagram.

Based on this numbering scheme, another name for this inversion would be E-flat dominant 7th triad in six-five-three position.

These numbers represent the interval between the lowest note of the chord (not necessarily the original chord root!), and the note in question.

For example, the 6 represents note Eb, from the G-6th interval, since the lowest (bass) note of the chord - now inverted, is G.

In the same way, the figured bass 5 symbol represents note Db, from the G-5th interval, and the 3 symbol represents note Bb, from the G-3rd interval

In 1st inversion, often the 3 symbol is not shown at all, as it is assumed.

9. E-flat dominant 7th 2nd inversion

This step shows the second inversion of the E-flat dominant 7th.

For a 2nd inversion, take the first note of the 1st inversion above - G, and move it to the end of the chord.

So the second note of the 1st inversion - note Bb is now the note with the lowest pitch for the 2nd inversion.

Or put another way, the third note of the original 7th chord (in root position) is now the note with the lowest pitch.

Figured bass notation

The figured bass notation for this chord in 2nd inversion is 6/4/3, with the 6 placed above the 4, and the 4 placed above the 3 on a staff diagram.

Based on this numbering scheme, another name for this inversion would be E-flat dominant 7th triad in six-four-three position.

These numbers represent the interval between the lowest note of the chord (not necessarily the original chord root!), and the note in question.

For example, the 6 represents note G, from the Bb-6th interval, since the lowest (bass) note of the chord - now inverted, is Bb.

In the same way, the figured bass 4 symbol represents note Eb, from the Bb-4th interval, and the 3 symbol represents note Db, from the Bb-3rd interval

In 2nd inversion, often the 6 symbol is not shown at all, as it is assumed.

E-flat dominant 7th 3rd inversion

This step shows the third inversion of the E-flat dominant 7th.

For a 3rd inversion, take the first note of the 2nd inversion above - Bb, and move it to the end of the chord.

So the second note of the 2nd inversion - note Db is now the note with the lowest pitch for the 3rd inversion.

Or put another way, the fourth note of the original 7th chord (in root position) is now the note with the lowest pitch.

Figured bass notation

The figured bass notation for this chord in 3rd inversion is 6/4/2, with the 6 placed above the 4, and the 4 placed above the 2 on a staff diagram.

Based on this numbering scheme, another name for this inversion would be E-flat dominant 7th triad in six-four-two position.

These numbers represent the interval between the lowest note of the chord (not necessarily the original chord root!), and the note in question.

For example, the 6 represents note Bb, from the Db-6th interval, since the lowest (bass) note of the chord - now inverted, is Db.

In the same way, the figured bass 4 symbol represents note G, from the Db-4th interval, and the 2 symbol represents note Eb, from the Db-2nd interval

In 3rd inversion, often the 6 symbol is not shown at all, as it is assumed.

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