E flat sixth (Eb6) chord on guitar
- Notes
- E♭GB♭C
- Formula
- 1356
How to play Eb6 on guitar
-
Shape 1 · 1st position
no 5th (B♭)
-
Shape 2 · fret 6 · barre
-
Shape 3 · fret 4
no 5th (B♭)
-
Shape 4 · fret 8 · barre
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Shape 5 · fret 10 · barre
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 flat). The same shapes work on acoustic, classical and electric guitar.
Eb6 inversions on guitar
The same Eb6 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.
3rd (G) in the bass1st inversion · Eb6/G
3rd (G) in the bass1st inversion · Eb6/G
5th (B♭) in the bass2nd inversion · Eb6/Bb
5th (B♭) in the bass2nd inversion · Eb6/Bb
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 Eb6
Eb6 (E flat 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 flat chords
- Eb
- Ebm
- Eb7
- Eb7M
- Ebm7
- Ebm7(b5)
- Eb°
- Eb°7
- Eb+
- Ebsus2
- Ebsus4
- Eb7sus4
- Eb5
- Ebadd9
- Eb6
- Ebm6
- Eb9
- Ebm(add9)
- Ebm9
- Eb7M(9)
- Ebm(7M)
- Eb7M(#5)
- Eb7(b9)
- Eb6(9)
- Ebm6(9)
- Eb11
- Ebm11
- Eb13
- Ebm13
- Eb7(#9)
- Eb7(#11)
- Eb7(b13)
- Eb7(#5)
- Eb7M(#11)
- Eb9sus4
Sixth: other roots
Frequently asked questions
How do you play the Eb6 chord on guitar?
Eb6 (E flat 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 Eb6?
The notes of Eb6 are E♭, G, B♭, C. The formula is 1 · 3 · 5 · 6: root, major third, perfect fifth, major sixth.
What does Eb6 mean?
Eb6 is the chord symbol for E flat 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 Eb6 on other instruments?
Yes. Eb6 also has a page on ukulele, on cavaquinho, with the fingerings for each instrument.