A in E♭ major
In E♭ major, A is A♭ (flat)
In E♭ major, A is A♭ (flat)The key signature of E♭ major puts a flat on every A.
Is A flat in E♭ major?
In E♭ major, A is A♭: the key signature puts a flat on every A, in every octave, for as long as that signature stands.
The signature of E♭ major is three flats, B♭, E♭ and A♭. A♭ is one of them, which is why you never see a flat written next to the note — the signature at the start of the staff already said it.
Spelled from the tonic, the E♭ major scale runs E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, C, D — one of each letter, each carrying whatever the signature gives it. The staff above draws the E♭ major signature and the note A♭ inside it — exactly as you would meet it in a piece written in this key.
Every letter in E♭ major
E♭ major has three flats, B♭, E♭ and A♭. That fixes what each of the seven letters is called in this key:
- C is C (natural — the signature leaves it alone)
- D is D (natural — the signature leaves it alone)
- E is E♭
- F is F (natural — the signature leaves it alone)
- G is G (natural — the signature leaves it alone)
- A is A♭ — the letter on this page
- B is B♭
Related keys
E♭ major shares its signature with its relative C minor — the same sharps or flats, so A is A♭ there too.
Frequently asked questions
- Is A flat in E♭ major?
- Yes. E♭ major has three flats, B♭, E♭ and A♭, and A♭ is one of them, so every A in the key is played as A♭.
- What accidental does A carry in E♭ major?
- A is A♭ (flat). The signature of E♭ major is three flats, B♭, E♭ and A♭. A♭ is one of them, which is why you never see a flat written next to the note — the signature at the start of the staff already said it.
- What sharps or flats are in E♭ major?
- E♭ major has three flats, B♭, E♭ and A♭ — written in that order at the start of the staff.
- How is the E♭ major scale spelled?
- From the tonic up: E♭, F, G, A♭, B♭, C, D. Each letter appears once, carrying whatever the key signature gives it.