Ebm6 Eb minor sixth chord
- Notes
- Eb Gb Bb C
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 6
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 9 above the root
- Also written
- D#m6 (D# F# A# B#)
- Other symbols
- Ebmin6, Eb−6
Eb to Gb is a minor third (3 semitones), Gb to Bb is a major third (4 semitones), Bb to C is a major second (2 semitones). A minor triad plus the major sixth, C. The sixth and the minor third Gb are a tritone apart, which gives the chord its dark, unresolved colour. With C in the bass the same four keys read as Cm7b5.
Ebm6 on the piano
Root position from Eb4: Eb4, Gb4, Bb4, C5. Middle C is C4.
Ebm6 on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has Eb as its lowest note.
x 6 x 5 7 6 (low E to high e)
Sounds Eb3 C4 Gb4 Bb4
11 x 10 11 11 x (low E to high e)
Sounds Eb3 C4 Gb4 Bb4
The E-shape and A-shape grips are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play minor sixth chords on other roots.
Inversions of Ebm6
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | Eb Gb Bb C | Ebm6 | |
| 1st inversion | Gb Bb C Eb | Cm7b5/Gb (also read as Ebm6/Gb) | |
| 2nd inversion | Bb C Eb Gb | Cm7b5/Bb (also read as Ebm6/Bb) | |
| 3rd inversion | C Eb Gb Bb | Cm7b5 (also read as Ebm6/C) |
Where Ebm6 fits
Ebm6 is ii6 in Db major, iv6 in Bb minor, i6 in Eb minor. As i6 it is the tonic chord of a minor key when the melody uses the raised sixth of the melodic minor scale, C; many jazz tunes in minor end on it rather than on Ebm7.