Skip to content
TonaliaJoin the waitlist

E♭ major · Modal interchange

Borrowed chords in E flat major

A borrowed chord comes from a scale that shares E♭ major's tonic but not all of its notes. Across the seven parallel scales close enough to borrow from, there are 42 chords to borrow. The ones heard most come from E♭ minor: A♭m and C♭.

From

E♭ Lydian shares 6 of its 7 notes with E♭ major. One note apart, so these chords sound like a gentle shift of colour.

  • Dmvii

    D F A

    Outside the key: A

  • Dm7vii7

    D F A C

    Outside the key: A

  • FII

    F A C

    Outside the key: A

  • F7II7

    Outside the key: A

  • A°

    Outside the key: A

  • Outside the key: A

  • Vmaj7

    Outside the key: A

From

E♭ Mixolydian shares 6 of its 7 notes with E♭ major. One note apart, so these chords sound like a gentle shift of colour.

  • Outside the key:

  • Outside the key:

  • I7

    Outside the key:

  • G°iii°

    Outside the key:

  • iiiø7

    Outside the key:

  • v

    Outside the key:

  • v7

    Outside the key:

From

E♭ Dorian shares 5 of its 7 notes with E♭ major. Two notes apart: a clear change of colour without leaving home.

  • C°vi°

    Outside the key:

  • viø7

    Outside the key:

  • i

    Outside the key:

  • i7

    Outside the key:

  • Outside the key:

  • Outside the key:

  • IV7

    Outside the key:

From

E♭ Aeolian shares 4 of its 7 notes with E♭ major. Further away, so these chords sound darker or stranger against the key.

  • Outside the key:

  • F°ii°

    Outside the key:

  • iiø7

    Outside the key:

  • iv

    Outside the key:

  • iv7

    Outside the key:

  • Outside the key:

  • Outside the key:

From

E♭ Phrygian shares 3 of its 7 notes with E♭ major. Further away, so these chords sound darker or stranger against the key.

  • Outside the key:

  • Outside the key:

  • Outside the key:

  • Outside the key:

  • Outside the key:

  • v°

    Outside the key:

  • vø7

    Outside the key:

From

E♭ Harmonic Major shares 6 of its 7 notes with E♭ major. One note apart, so these chords sound like a gentle shift of colour.

  • D°7vii°7

    Outside the key:

  • ivmaj7

    Outside the key:

  • Outside the key:

  • Outside the key:

From

E♭ Melodic Minor shares 6 of its 7 notes with E♭ major. One note apart, so these chords sound like a gentle shift of colour.

  • imaj7

    Outside the key:

  • Outside the key:

  • Outside the key:

How borrowed chords sound

A borrowed chord keeps the tonic and changes the colour. The note it brings in is a note of the parallel scale, so the ear hears the same home with a different light on it. The minor iv and the flat VI are the classic examples: the moment a major key turns wistful without going anywhere.

In the app, section 2 teaches modal mixture: naming borrowed chords, hearing the borrowed colour, and where mixture sits on the tonic, subdominant and dominant axis.

Tonalia for iPhone

Learn this by ear, five minutes a day

Daily lessons where every question plays before you answer it. Section 1 is free forever. Tonalia is in beta; join the waitlist for one email when it is on the App Store.

No spam, no sharing. Unsubscribe from any email in one tap. Privacy