About the E6 chord
The major sixth adds the sixth to a major chord. It is a sweet, settled sound heard in jazz, country and old pop, and a common way to finish a song on the home chord. The symbol for it is E6.
How to play E6
- Put your index finger on the G string at fret 1.
- Put your middle finger on the A string at fret 2.
- Put your ring finger on the D string at fret 2.
- Put your little finger on the B string at fret 2.
- Strum and let the low E and high E strings ring open.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Chords in the key of E major
These are the chords built on each note of the E major scale, so they all sound good together with E6. The Roman numeral under each one is its position in the key.
Other E chords
E6 chord questions
What notes are in a E6 chord?
E6 is made of E, G♯, B and C♯. In intervals that is 1, 3, 5, 6 above the root, E.
What is the easiest way to play E6?
The first shape above is the most common one: 0 2 2 1 2 0 from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. Start there, and try the other shapes once it feels comfortable.
Is E6 a barre chord?
The main shape above is an open chord with no barre. Some of the other shapes further up the neck do use a barre, which lets you move the same shape to any key.