Em6 chord on guitar
The Em6 chord, or E minor 6th, stacks 4 notes on E: E, G, B and C♯. Musicians write its formula 1 ♭3 5 6.
Notes and intervals of Em6
Each note of Em6 has a job. Counted from the root, you get root (E), minor 3rd (G), perfect 5th (B) and major 6th (C♯). Change one of these intervals and you get a different chord, which is why the formula 1 ♭3 5 6 is worth memorising rather than the shape alone.
| Degree | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | root | E |
| ♭3 | minor 3rd | G |
| 5 | perfect 5th | B |
| 6 | major 6th | C♯ |
How to play Em6 on guitar
Start with the first diagram: 0 2 2 0 2 0, read from the 6th string (low E) to the 1st string (high E). Your lowest note is E. The next positions give the same notes in a different order, which is useful when you want Em6 to sit closer to the surrounding chords.
Let the open strings ring: strum slowly once and check that every note sounds clean before you speed up.
Which keys use Em6?
Em6 is not built from the notes of a single major key, so it usually appears as a colour chord: a borrowed chord, a passing chord or a suspension that resolves to the next chord.
Scales to play over Em6
These scales share every note of Em6: E melodic minor scale and E Dorian mode. E melodic minor scale is the safest choice; the others add more colour.
About minor 6th chords
A minor triad with a major sixth added: 1 ♭3 5 6. Dark but bittersweet, mysterious, a little film noir. The major sixth and the minor third form a tritone, which gives the chord a gentle, unresolved tension. That major sixth is the colour note of the Dorian mode. For example Am6: A C E F♯.
Use it as a minor tonic (im6) in jazz, gypsy jazz, bossa nova and tango, often as the final chord. A classic line descends inside one minor chord: i, im(maj7), im7, im6. It also replaces iv in minor keys (ivm6), and it has the same notes as the m7♭5 on its sixth (for example Am6 and F♯m7♭5).
Open Am6 (x02212) and Dm6 (xx0201) are easy. The movable shapes have the root on the 6th string (5th string muted) or on the 5th string. Gypsy jazz players use compact m6 shapes on the middle strings, often with the sixth on top, and slide them chromatically into the next chord.
The 6 in m6 is a major sixth (F♯ in Am6), not a minor sixth (F): Am(♭6) is a different, darker sound. Do not confuse m6 with m7 either: the seventh (G in Am7) is one semitone above the sixth. And m6 is not the same as a minor chord with the sixth in the bass, which is a slash chord.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the Em6 chord?
Em6 (E minor 6th) contains E, G, B and C♯. In intervals: root (E), minor 3rd (G), perfect 5th (B) and major 6th (C♯).
How do you play Em6 on guitar?
The easiest shape is 0 2 2 0 2 0, from the low E string to the high E string. This page shows 3 positions with finger numbers.
What scale goes with Em6?
E melodic minor scale fits Em6 best. Other scales that contain all its notes: E Dorian mode.
What key is Em6 in?
Em6 does not belong to a single major key. It is used as a colour chord that borrows notes from outside the key.
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