E6 guitar chord: 6 ways to play E major 6th

Ways to play E6

Open position first, then up the neck. Tap a shape to put it on the fretboard above and hear it. The numbers are fingers (1 is your index), × means leave that string out, and ○ means let it ring open.

What's in E6

A major 6th chord adds the 6th to a major triad: E6 is E, G♯, B, C♯. Those are the same notes as C♯m7, so the name depends on which note is in the bass and what the music around it is doing.

Note	Formula	Interval from E
E	1	Root
G♯	3	Major 3rd
B	5	Perfect 5th
C♯	6	Major 6th

Sweet and a little vintage. It is a common last chord in swing, and the major-to-6th shuffle is a rock and roll rhythm part all by itself.

Keys that use E6

Every major and minor key whose scale contains all of E, G♯, B and C♯, and the chord's Roman numeral in each.

Key	E6 is the
E major	I6
B major	IV6
A major	V6
G♯ minor	VI6
C♯ minor	III6
F♯ minor	VII6

Progressions to try

ii–V–I6 in E major

Ending on a 6th chord is a swing-era sound, sweeter than a maj7.

I–I6 in E major

E
E6

Alternating a major chord with its 6th, the shuffle pattern behind a lot of early rock and roll.

Other chords on E:

See every chord in the library

E6 chord