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E♭ 6th chord on guitar (E♭6)
Also called or written E♭6 or E♭
E♭ 6th contains E♭, G, B♭ and C. The 1st fret shape uses four fretted notes with the low E and A strings muted.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 6
- Root positionE♭–G–B♭–CE♭6×-×-1-3-1-3
- First inversionG–B♭–C–E♭E♭6/G3-1-1-0-1-×
- Second inversionB♭–C–E♭–GE♭6/B♭×-1-1-0-1-3
- Third inversionC–E♭–G–B♭E♭6/C×-3-1-3-1-3
How do you play an E♭ 6th chord on guitar?
E♭ 6th is played at the 1st fret as × × 1 3 1 3: index finger on the D string at fret 1, ring finger on the G string at fret 3, middle finger on the B string at fret 1 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 2 | C (6) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (3) |
AdvancedThe 1st fret shape requires a three-fret stretch between the index on the D string and the pinky on the high e string while muting two strings.
10th fret
E♭ 6th is played at the 10th fret as 11 10 10 12 11 ×: barre your index finger across fret 10, middle finger on the low E string at fret 11, pinky finger on the G string at fret 12 and ring finger on the B string at fret 11. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 1 (barre) | G (3) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 1 (barre) | C (6) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 4 | G (3) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
13th fret
E♭ 6th is played at the 13th fret as × × 13 15 13 15: index finger on the D string at fret 13, ring finger on the G string at fret 15, middle finger on the B string at fret 13 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 15. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 15 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 13 | 2 | C (6) |
| 1 (e) | 15 | 4 | G (3) |
E♭6/G inversion · C on top
E♭ 6th is played in open position as 3 1 1 0 1 ×: pinky finger on the low E string at fret 3, index finger on the A string at fret 1, middle finger on the D string at fret 1 and ring finger on the B string at fret 1. The G string rings open. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 4 | G (3) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (3) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 3 | C (6) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
E♭6/G inversion · G on top
E♭ 6th is played at the 1st fret as 3 1 1 3 1 3: barre your index finger across fret 1, middle finger on the low E string at fret 3, ring finger on the G string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 2 | G (3) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 (barre) | C (6) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (3) |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ 6th is built from the formula 1, 3, 5, 6. The major sixth C added to the E♭ major triad gives the chord a warm, jazzy colour. Compare it with E♭ major, which has only three notes.
What goes wrong with E♭ 6th?
- Letting the low E or A string ring: mute them, or the bass note shifts away from E♭.
- Flattening the pinky onto the B string and deadening it.
- Not pressing the D string hard enough, causing a buzz.
When to use it
E♭ 6th is the tonic in E♭ major, used in the I–IV–V–I progression E♭–A♭–B♭–E♭. Its jazzy colour suits swing and blues. Use it to add sophistication to an E♭ major chord in a turnaround.
Changing to and from E♭ 6th
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret gives E 6th; the muted strings remain muted, but the fretted notes move up.
Which voicing to use
The 1st fret shape keeps the root E♭ in the bass and is the most common movable form. The E♭6/G inversion at the 1st fret places the third G in the bass, which gives a lighter, more open sound.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ 6th written?
The symbol E♭6 is the most common spelling, and the ASCII root is Eb. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Can I play E♭ 6th with a barre at the 10th fret?
Yes, the 10th fret shape is a full barre with the root on the A string. It is easier to move up the neck than the 1st fret shape.
Why are the low E and A strings muted?
Both open strings are not chord tones, so they must be muted to keep the bass note on E♭ and avoid a muddy sound.