E♭ (musical note)


E or mi bémol is the fourth semitone of the solfège.
It lies a diatonic semitone above D and a chromatic semitone below E, thus being enharmonic to D or re dièse. In equal temperament it is also enharmonic with F. However, in some temperaments, D is not the same as E. E is a perfect fourth above B, whereas D is a major third above B.
When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of the E above middle C is approximately 311.127 Hz. See pitch for a discussion of historical variations in frequency.

Well-known compositions in E-flat major

The prelude to Richard Wagner's Das Rheingold is a famous piece of drone music that begin with a low E flat and builds to more and more elaborate figurations of the chord of E flat major. It is used in this opera to portray the motion of the river Rhine.
Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 and Symphony No. 3 are two more well-known piece set in the key of E-flat major. Robert Schumann's Symphony No. 3 is yet another.
Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Chile is a well-known popular music piece commonly performed in E-flat major.

Designation by octave

Scales

Common scales beginning on E