Em6 chord on piano
Em6 is E, G, B and C♯. E is the white key just right of the pair of black keys. Tap Play, then slow it down.
root position · E–G–B–C♯ · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- E · G · B · C♯
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · 6
How to play Em6 on piano
Start on E, count 3 half steps up to G, 4 half steps up to B then 2 half steps up to C♯. That's the whole chord: 4 keys.
- Right hand: 1 on E, 2 on G, 3 on B and 5 on C♯.
- Left hand: 5 on E, 3 on G, 2 on B and 1 on C♯.
- On the keyboard it's white, white, white and black keys, the same pattern as Am6, so your hand shape carries over.
Em6 inversions
- root position: E–G–B–C♯. RH 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: G–B–C♯–E, with G at the bottom. Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 2nd inversion: B–C♯–E–G, with B at the bottom. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
- 3rd inversion: C♯–E–G–B, C♯ lowest. RH 1-2-3-5.
Inversions keep the same notes and change which one is lowest. Moving between chords, pick the inversion that keeps your hand closest to where it already is.
Moving between Em6 and its neighbours
The chords Em6 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.
- A (V in D major): Em6 to A: play A in 2nd inversion (E–A–C♯) and E and C♯ stay under the same fingers, while G moves up to A. A on piano
- G (IV in D major): Em6 to G: play G in root position (G–B–D) and G and B stay under the same fingers, while C♯ moves up to D. G on piano
- D (I in D major): Em6 to D: play D in 1st inversion (F♯–A–D), while G moves down to F♯, G up to A and C♯ up to D. D on piano
Em6 is E minor with a major sixth added. Em6 sounds moody and cinematic and often replaces Em as the home chord of a minor jazz tune. The one-by-one button above makes that quality easy to hear.
Practice Em6 in two minutes
Start with a broken chord, E G B C♯ B G E, then play it solid. Finish with the inversions in order: E–G–B–C♯; G–B–C♯–E; B–C♯–E–G; C♯–E–G–B.
The keys of Em6
Em6 is a minor sixth chord, 1–♭3–5–6 from E. Root position, from the bottom: how Em6 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| G | white key | RH 2 · LH 3 | minor third |
| B | white key | RH 3 · LH 2 | perfect fifth |
| C♯ | black key | RH 5 · LH 1 | major sixth |
Em6 in context
Em6 on guitar and ukulele
Em6 on guitar and ukulele uses the same 4 notes in a different layout. See all three together.
Next to try on piano
Other minor sixth chords
Em6 on piano: questions
What notes are in Em6 on piano?
E, G, B and C♯: E (white key), G (white key), B (white key) and C♯ (black key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play Em6 on piano?
Press E, G, B and C♯ together (1 black, 3 white). Right hand: 1 on E, 2 on G, 3 on B and 5 on C♯.
What are the inversions of Em6?
1st inversion (G–B–C♯–E), 2nd inversion (B–C♯–E–G) and 3rd inversion (C♯–E–G–B), after root position (E–G–B–C♯). Each keeps all the notes of the chord.
What does Em6 look like on the keyboard?
white, white, white and black keys, the same pattern as Am6, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Every shape above plays only E, G, B and C♯, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.