Em6 E minor sixth chord
- Notes
- E G B C#
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 6
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 9 above the root
- Other symbols
- Emin6, E−6
E to G is a minor third (3 semitones), G to B is a major third (4 semitones), B to C# is a major second (2 semitones). A minor triad plus the major sixth, C#. The sixth and the minor third G are a tritone apart, which gives the chord its dark, unresolved colour. With C# in the bass the same four keys read as C#m7b5.
Em6 on the piano
Root position from E4: E4, G4, B4, C#5. Middle C is C4.
Em6 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 E as its lowest note.
0 2 2 0 2 0 (low E to high e)
Sounds E2 B2 E3 G3 C#4 E4
x 7 x 6 8 7 (low E to high e)
Sounds E3 C#4 G4 B4
12 x 11 12 12 x (low E to high e)
Sounds E3 C#4 G4 B4
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 Em6
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 | E G B C# | Em6 | |
| 1st inversion | G B C# E | C#m7b5/G (also read as Em6/G) | |
| 2nd inversion | B C# E G | C#m7b5/B (also read as Em6/B) | |
| 3rd inversion | C# E G B | C#m7b5 (also read as Em6/C#) |
Where Em6 fits
Em6 is ii6 in D major, iv6 in B minor, i6 in E 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 Em7.