E minor sixth
How to play Em6 — Minor sixth
Em6 (Minor sixth)E · G · B · C♯
Piano samples: Salamander Grand Piano (CC-BY 3.0)
E minor sixth — notes and structure
The Em6 chord is a minor triad with a major sixth — a bittersweet, jazzy sound.
The Em6 minor sixth consists of the notes E, G, B, C♯. Its interval structure is R–3–5–6 — the root, then each chord tone stacked above it. This is the same chord you see in the interactive finder above, drawn on the piano keyboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
Em6 stacks a minor third (G), a perfect fifth (B) and a major sixth (C♯) above the root E.
To play Em6, press the keys E, G, B, C♯ together — the root E is circled on the interactive keyboard above.
What key is Em6 in?
Every note of Em6 belongs to the scales below, so the chord sounds at home in each of these keys — the roman numeral is the degree it sits on.
- D major — the ii chord
- B minor — the iv chord
Chords that go with Em6
In D major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put Em6 next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the E minor sixth chord on piano?
- The Em6 chord is made of the notes E, G, B, C♯. It is a minor triad with a major sixth — a bittersweet, jazzy sound.
- How do you play E minor sixth on the piano?
- Press E, G, B, C♯ at the same time, with the root E as the lowest note. The interactive keyboard above lights up the exact keys.
- What is the minor sixth chord formula?
- Its interval structure is R–3–5–6 above the root — the same shape transposed to any of the twelve keys.
- What key does Em6 belong to?
- Em6 fits D major (where it is the ii chord), B minor (where it is the iv chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.