Also written E♭6 or E♭
E♭ 6th is built from E♭, G, B♭, and C. The default voicing places G in the bass and requires a wide stretch across four frets.
The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.
E♭ 6th is a major triad with an added major 6th: 1, 3, 5, 6. The major 6th from E♭ to C gives the chord its warm, open colour. Compare it to E♭ major, which omits the 6th and sounds plainer.
E♭ 6th works as the tonic in E♭ major, especially in the I–IV–V–I progression E♭–A♭–B♭–E♭. E♭ 6th suits bright pop, country, and swing lines where the added 6th softens the major sound. Try E♭ 6th over E♭ major or E♭ 5th.
The E♭6/G inversion puts the third in the bass, giving a smooth, melodic start. The E♭6/B♭ inversion has the fifth in the bass and sounds more grounded, while the E♭6/C inversion places the sixth in the bass for a lighter colour.
E♭ 6th is played at the 1st fret as 3 3 1 3: middle finger on the E string at fret 3, ring finger on the A string at fret 3, index finger on the D string at fret 1 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 3.
Tip — The wide stretch from the 1st fret on the D string to the 3rd fret on the G string is hard to hold cleanly.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 3 | 2 | G (3) |
| 3 (A) | 3 | 3 | C (6) |
| 2 (D) | 1 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | 3 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
E♭ 6th is played at the 13th fret as 15 15 13 15: middle finger on the E string at fret 15, ring finger on the A string at fret 15, index finger on the D string at fret 13 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 15.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 15 | 2 | G (3) |
| 3 (A) | 15 | 3 | C (6) |
| 2 (D) | 13 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | 15 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
E♭ 6th is played at the 5th fret as 6 6 5 5: barre your index finger across fret 5, middle finger on the E string at fret 6 and ring finger on the A string at fret 6.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 6 | 2 | B♭ (5) |
| 3 (A) | 6 | 3 | E♭ (1) |
| 2 (D) | 5 | 1 (barre) | G (3) |
| 1 (G) | 5 | 1 (barre) | C (6) |
E♭ 6th is played at the 8th fret as 8 10 8 8: index finger on the E string at fret 8, pinky finger on the A string at fret 10, middle finger on the D string at fret 8 and ring finger on the G string at fret 8.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 8 | 1 | C (6) |
| 3 (A) | 10 | 4 | G (3) |
| 2 (D) | 8 | 2 | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (G) | 8 | 3 | E♭ (1) |
E♭ 6th is written as E♭6 or Eb6. The root is E♭, with ASCII Eb. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
E♭ 6th contains the major 6th C, while E♭ major 7th contains the major 7th D. The 6th gives a warmer, less dissonant sound than the 7th.
E♭ 6th is diatonic to F natural minor and C natural minor, where it acts as the subtonic or mediant. Its major quality can add brightness to minor progressions.