Also written E♭6 or E♭
E♭ 6th contains E♭, G, B♭, and C. The full barre at the 3rd fret makes this advanced chord compact and movable.
The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.
E♭ 6th is built from 1, 3, 5, 6, adding a major 6th to a major triad. The major 6th interval between E♭ and C gives the chord its warm, rounded quality. Compare it to E♭ major, which lacks the 6th.
E♭ 6th works as the I chord in E♭ major, especially in I–IV–V–I with E♭ major, A♭ major, and B♭ major. Its warm, rounded quality suits jazz, ballads, and R&B.
The 3rd fret barre gives the root position with E♭ in the bass. The E♭6/C inversion puts C in the bass for a brighter, higher sound, while the E♭6/G inversion puts G in the bass for a warmer, lower register.
E♭ 6th is played at the 3rd fret as 3 3 3 3: barre your index finger across fret 3.
Tip — The index barre must fret all four strings cleanly at fret 3, requiring even pressure to avoid buzzing on the G and A strings.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 3 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 3 (C) | 3 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 2 (E) | 3 | 1 (barre) | G (3) |
| 1 (A) | 3 | 1 (barre) | C (6) |
E♭ 6th is played in open position as 0 0 6 6: index finger on the E string at fret 6 and middle finger on the A string at fret 6. The G and C strings ring open.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | open | — | G (3) |
| 3 (C) | open | — | C (6) |
| 2 (E) | 6 | 1 | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (A) | 6 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
E♭ 6th is played at the 5th fret as 5 7 6 6: index finger on the G string at fret 5, pinky finger on the C string at fret 7, middle finger on the E string at fret 6 and ring finger on the A string at fret 6.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 5 | 1 | C (6) |
| 3 (C) | 7 | 4 | G (3) |
| 2 (E) | 6 | 2 | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (A) | 6 | 3 | E♭ (1) |
E♭ 6th is played at the 8th fret as 8 10 8 10: index finger on the G string at fret 8, ring finger on the C string at fret 10, middle finger on the E string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 10.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 8 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (C) | 10 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (E) | 8 | 2 | C (6) |
| 1 (A) | 10 | 4 | G (3) |
E♭ 6th is played in open position as 0 3 6 3: index finger on the C string at fret 3, ring finger on the E string at fret 6 and middle finger on the A string at fret 3. The G string rings open.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | open | — | G (3) |
| 3 (C) | 3 | 1 | E♭ (1) |
| 2 (E) | 6 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (A) | 3 | 2 | C (6) |
E♭ 6th is written E♭ or E♭6. The ASCII root is Eb, so type Eb6 when using plain text. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
E♭ 6th adds a major 6th (C) to the E♭ major triad. This extra note creates a softer, more colorful sound than the plain major chord.
The barre at the 3rd fret allows all four strings to sound the chord tones E♭, G, B♭, and C. It also makes the shape movable up the neck.