the Herbie Hancock school · ii–V–I in E♭ major
Upper-Structure Triads in E♭ Major
The audio adds each chord's root in the bass — that's the context these rootless shapes are designed to sit in. The MIDI file is exactly the notation.
The notes
| Chord | Notes (low → high) | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Fm11 | A♭ – E♭ – E♭ – G – B♭ | ♭3 · ♭7 · ♭7 · 9 · 11 |
| B♭7(♯9♭13) | A♭ – D – G♭ – B♭ – D♭ | ♭7 · 3 · ♭13 · root · ♯9 |
| E♭maj9 | G – D – B♭ – D – F | 3 · 7 · 5 · 7 · 9 |
Why it works
From Fm11 to B♭7(♯9♭13), 4 voices move (E♭4→D4, E♭5→G♭5, G5→B♭5, B♭5→D♭6) against 1 held tone. Into E♭maj9, 4 voices settle by step or small leap (total motion of just 25 semitones). Smoothness here is measurable, not a metaphor.
E♭ major puts 9 of the 15 notes on black keys, so the hand rides high on the keyboard — many players find these grips easier to grab here, the way Irving Berlin could only play in F♯. The lowest note is G3 in the octave below middle C.
Practice tip: play the progression rubato first and listen for the held tones, then put the metronome on 2 and 4 at a slow tempo. When the grab is automatic, move around the circle of fourths — you are coming from B♭ and headed to A♭. Say the chord symbols out loud as you play; naming and hearing are different skills, and you want both.
Where E♭ major lives in the repertoire
E♭ major may be the most standard-dense key in jazz: "Misty" and "There Will Never Be Another You" both call it home, both saturated with exactly this cadence. It is also the key horn players default to, so a rhythm-section pianist ends up comping ii–V–I in E♭ more nights than in any other key. If you drill one non-C key to reflex level, make it this one.
About this voicing style
A plain major triad stacked over the guide tones — simple triad, sophisticated colour. Read the full story and get it in all 12 keys →
Listen: Herbie Hancock behind Miles and on "Maiden Voyage"; McCoy Tyner's right-hand triads; Bill Dobbins' pedagogy.
Around the circle
Practice keys in the order bassists walk them — up a fourth: ← B♭ · E♭ · A♭ →