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E♭ minor 6th chord on guitar (E♭m6)
Also called or written E♭m6, E♭min6, E♭min maj6 or E♭ Minor Major 6
E♭ minor 6th contains E♭, G♭, B♭, and C. The 1st fret voicing is advanced because the pinky must stretch to the 3rd fret on the G string while the other fingers hold a close cluster.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, 6
- Root positionE♭–G♭–B♭–CE♭m6×-×-1-3-1-2
- First inversionG♭–B♭–C–E♭E♭m6/G♭2-1-1-3-1-2
- Second inversionB♭–C–E♭–G♭E♭m6/B♭×-1-1-3-1-2
- Third inversionC–E♭–G♭–B♭E♭m6/C×-3-1-3-1-2
How do you play an E♭ minor 6th chord on guitar?
E♭ minor 6th is played at the 1st fret as × × 1 3 1 2: index finger on the D string at fret 1, pinky finger on the G string at fret 3, middle finger on the B string at fret 1 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 2. 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 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 2 | C (6) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 3 | G♭ (♭3) |
AdvancedThe pinky must stretch to the 3rd fret on the G string while the other fingers hold a close cluster on the D and B strings.
4th fret
E♭ minor 6th is played at the 4th fret as × 6 4 5 4 6: barre your index finger across fret 4, ring finger on the A string at fret 6, middle finger on the G string at fret 5 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 6. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 3 | E♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 4 | 1 (barre) | G♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 2 | C (6) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
11th fret
E♭ minor 6th is played at the 11th fret as 11 13 13 11 13 11: barre your index finger across fret 11, middle finger on the A string at fret 13, ring finger on the D string at fret 13 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 13.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 13 | 2 | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 3 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 11 | 1 (barre) | G♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 13 | 4 | C (6) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
13th fret
E♭ minor 6th is played at the 13th fret as × × 13 15 13 14: index finger on the D string at fret 13, pinky finger on the G string at fret 15, middle finger on the B string at fret 13 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 14. 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 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 13 | 2 | C (6) |
| 1 (e) | 14 | 3 | G♭ (♭3) |
E♭min6/G♭ inversion
E♭ minor 6th is played at the 1st fret as 2 1 1 3 1 2: barre your index finger across fret 1, middle finger on the low E string at fret 2, pinky finger on the G string at fret 3 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 2.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 2 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 (barre) | C (6) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 3 | G♭ (♭3) |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ minor 6th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, 5, 6. The major 6th, C, adds a bright, unresolved colour to the minor triad. Compare it to E♭ minor, which stops at the 5th.
What goes wrong with E♭ minor 6th?
- Letting the pinky collapse onto the B string and deaden its 1st-fret note.
- Strumming the low E or A strings, which are muted because their open notes are outside the chord.
When to use it
E♭ minor 6th works as a tonic in E♭ minor progressions, such as E♭m6–A♭m6–B♭7. Its bittersweet colour suits jazz ballads and folk fingerpicking. Try it with E♭ minor or E♭ 5th.
Changing to and from E♭ minor 6th
- Move from E♭ minor 6th to E♭ minor by lifting the pinky off the G string and letting it ring open.
- Slide the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret to play E minor 6th.
Which voicing to use
The 1st fret voicing keeps the bass on E♭ and suits strummed passages. The E♭min6/G♭ inversion at the 1st fret puts G♭ in the bass for a darker, more ambiguous sound.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ minor 6th written?
E♭ minor 6th is written E♭m6, min maj6, or E♭min6. The ASCII root is Eb. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between E♭ minor 6th and E♭ minor 7th?
E♭ minor 6th has a major 6th (C), while E♭ minor 7th has a minor 7th (D♭). The 6th gives a brighter, more melodic colour.
Why are the low E and A strings muted in the 1st fret voicing?
The low E and A strings are muted because their open notes are outside the chord. Letting them ring would add non-chord tones and muddy the voicing.