E 6th
E6
Notes
E · G♯ · B · C♯
Intervals
- RootE (1P)
- Major 3rdG♯ (3M)
- Perfect 5thB (5P)
- Major 6thC♯ (6M)
Fretboard
Adjust labels, frets, and palette in the interactive view.
Voicings & shapes
Drop-2 voicings (12)
About
The E6 chord (E–G♯–B–C♯) adds the major sixth to a major triad. The sixth is a stable, consonant addition — it does not introduce dissonance the way a 7th does — which gives 6 chords a warm, slightly vintage sound common in jazz, swing, and older pop. They can substitute for E or EMaj7 as tonic harmony when a less tense color is wanted. The C♯ is the defining extension; the 5th can be omitted. On guitar, 6-chord voicings tend to be compact and practical for comping. Compared to EMaj7, the 6 feels more grounded and less harmonically ambiguous — the 6th sits further from the root than the 7th does, so it creates no half-step tension.
Chord diagrams
E 6th voicing charts — tap a sheet to open it full size to save or print.
Similar chords
Chords sharing two or more notes with this one, ranked by overlap.
Scales containing this chord
- E Lydian (I)
- E Major (I)
- E Major Pentatonic (deg 1)
- E Mixolydian (I)
- A Lydian (V)
- A Major (V)
- A♭ Diminished (deg 6)
- A♭ Harmonic Minor (VI)
- A♭ Locrian (VI)
- A♭ Natural Minor (VI)
- A♭ Phrygian (VI)
- B Diminished (deg 4)
- B Dorian (IV)
- B Major (IV)
- B Melodic Minor (IV)
- B Mixolydian (IV)
- B♭ Locrian (V)
- D Diminished (deg 2)
- D Lydian (II)
- D♭ Blues (deg 2)
- D♭ Dorian (III)
- D♭ Minor Pentatonic (deg 2)
- D♭ Natural Minor (III)
- D♭ Phrygian (III)
- E♭ Locrian (II)
- E♭ Phrygian (II)
- F Diminished (deg 8)
- F♯ Dorian (VII)
- F♯ Mixolydian (VII)
- F♯ Natural Minor (VII)
Scales whose notes include every chord tone. The Roman numeral (or scale degree) marks the chord root’s position in the scale.