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E sixth (E6) chord on guitar

Notes
EG♯BC♯
Formula
1356

How to play E6 on guitar

  1. Shape 1 · 1st position

    E6 chord on guitar, shape 1: first position, with open strings, notes E, G#, B, C#

  2. Shape 2 · fret 2

    E6 chord on guitar, shape 2: from fret 2, notes E, G#, B, C#

  3. Shape 3 · fret 7 · barre

    E6 chord on guitar, shape 3: barre at fret 9, notes E, G#, B, C#

  4. Shape 4 · fret 5

    no 5th (B)

    E6 chord on guitar, shape 4: from fret 5, notes E, G#, C#

  5. Shape 5 · fret 9 · barre

    E6 chord on guitar, shape 5: barre at fret 9, notes E, G#, B, C#

Some shapes leave out: 5th (B). The caption of each one says what is missing. The 5th is the first to go: it barely changes the sound of the chord.

Numbers are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky. x = do not play the string, o = open string. The coloured dot is the root (E). The same shapes work on acoustic, classical and electric guitar.

E6 inversions on guitar

The same E6 with another chord note in the bass (the lowest note that sounds). The notes stay the same, but the colour changes, and the bass line can move by step from one chord to the next. In a chord symbol, the bass comes after the slash.

  1. 3rd (G♯) in the bass1st inversion · E6/G#

    E sixth, E6/G#, 442400E6/G♯2314G♯C♯EBBEmetronotuner.com

  2. 3rd (G♯) in the bass1st inversion · E6/G#

    E sixth, E6/G#, 446454E6/G♯4132G♯C♯G♯BEG♯metronotuner.com

  3. 5th (B) in the bass2nd inversion · E6/B

    E sixth, E6/B, x22120E6/B2314BEG♯C♯Emetronotuner.com

  4. 5th (B) in the bass2nd inversion · E6/B

    E sixth, E6/B, x22424E6/B1134BEBC♯G♯metronotuner.com

Jazz voicings

About the sixth chord

A major chord with a sixth: cheerful, "round" and a little retro, without the tension of a seventh. Typical of swing, choro and bossa, and of endings in old-school jazz; in rock'n'roll, alternating the major chord with the 6 is the basis of many riffs.

Notes and intervals of E6

E6 (E sixth) is built from 4 notes. Each one fills a degree of the chord:

  • E · 1 · root
  • G♯ · 3 · major third
  • B · 5 · perfect fifth
  • C♯ · 6 · major sixth

Other E chords

Sixth: other roots

Frequently asked questions

How do you play the E6 chord on guitar?

E6 (E sixth) has 5 fingerings on this page, from easiest to hardest. Each diagram shows the fingers, the open strings (o) and the strings you do not play (x), and you can hear every shape.

What notes are in E6?

The notes of E6 are E, G♯, B, C♯. The formula is 1 · 3 · 5 · 6: root, major third, perfect fifth, major sixth.

What does E6 mean?

E6 is the chord symbol for E sixth. A major chord with a sixth: cheerful, "round" and a little retro, without the tension of a seventh. Typical of swing, choro and bossa, and of endings in old-school jazz; in rock'n'roll, alternating the major chord with the 6 is the basis of many riffs.

Can I play E6 on other instruments?

Yes. E6 also has a page on ukulele, on cavaquinho, with the fingerings for each instrument.

E6 on other instruments

All guitar chords