Explore chords · Guitar
E minor 6th chord on guitar (Em6)
Also called or written Em6, Emin6, Emin maj6 or E Minor Major 6
E minor 6th contains E, G, B, and C♯. The open voicing is advanced because the ring finger must stretch to the 2nd fret on the B string while the other fingers hold a close cluster.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, 6
- Root positionE–G–B–C♯Em60-2-2-0-2-0
- First inversionG–B–C♯–EEm6/G3-2-2-0-2-0
- Second inversionB–C♯–E–GEm6/B×-2-2-0-2-0
- Third inversionC♯–E–G–BEm6/C♯×-4-2-4-2-3
How do you play an E minor 6th chord on guitar?
E minor 6th is played in open position as 0 2 2 0 2 0: index finger on the A string at fret 2, middle finger on the D string at fret 2 and ring finger on the B string at fret 2. The low E, G and high e strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | open | — | E (1) |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 1 | B (5) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 2 | E (1) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 3 | C♯ (6) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | E (1) |
AdvancedThe ring finger must stretch to the 2nd fret on the B string while the other fingers hold a close cluster on the A and D strings.
Open · G on top
E minor 6th is played in open position as 0 2 2 0 2 3: index finger on the A string at fret 2, middle finger on the D string at fret 2, ring finger on the B string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. The low E and G strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | open | — | E (1) |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 1 | B (5) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 2 | E (1) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 3 | C♯ (6) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (♭3) |
2nd fret
E minor 6th is played at the 2nd fret as × × 2 4 2 3: index finger on the D string at fret 2, pinky finger on the G string at fret 4, middle finger on the B string at fret 2 and ring 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) | 2 | 1 | E (1) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 4 | B (5) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 2 | C♯ (6) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 3 | G (♭3) |
5th fret
E minor 6th is played at the 5th fret as × 7 5 6 5 7: barre your index finger across fret 5, ring finger on the A string at fret 7, middle finger on the G string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 7. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 7 | 3 | E (1) |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 1 (barre) | G (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 2 | C♯ (6) |
| 2 (B) | 5 | 1 (barre) | E (1) |
| 1 (e) | 7 | 4 | B (5) |
12th fret
E minor 6th is played at the 12th fret as 12 14 14 12 14 12: barre your index finger across fret 12, middle finger on the A string at fret 14, ring finger on the D string at fret 14 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 14.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 12 | 1 (barre) | E (1) |
| 5 (A) | 14 | 2 | B (5) |
| 4 (D) | 14 | 3 | E (1) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 1 (barre) | G (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 14 | 4 | C♯ (6) |
| 1 (e) | 12 | 1 (barre) | E (1) |
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 ring finger collapse onto the high e string and deaden its open note.
- Strumming all six strings without fretting the B string cleanly, causing a buzz.
When to use it
E minor 6th works as a tonic in E minor progressions, such as Em6–Am6–B7. 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 ring finger off the B string and letting it ring open.
- Slide the shape up one fret to the 3rd fret to play F minor 6th.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing keeps the bass on E and suits strummed passages. The 12th fret barre voicing keeps the same bass note but adds fullness for higher-register lines.
Other E chords
Common questions
How is E minor 6th written?
E minor 6th is written Em6, min maj6, or Emin6.
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 all six strings played in the open voicing?
All six strings are played because every open string is a chord tone. The voicing is complete with no muted strings.