Piano chord

E Major 6th Piano Chord (E6)

The E Major 6th chord on piano is made of the notes E, G♯, B and C♯. Warm and nostalgic. Popular in jazz and older pop music.

E Major 6th chord on a piano keyboard: E, G♯, B, C♯ C5C6 E G♯ B C♯

E6 E – G♯ – B – C♯

Tap any key to hear it.

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What notes are in E Major 6th?

4 notes, built 1 – 3 – 5 – 6 up from E.

Notes
E – G♯ – B – C♯
Formula
1 – 3 – 5 – 6
Semitones from the root
0 – 4 – 7 – 9
Symbol
E6
Chord type
Major 6th, 4 notes

How to play E Major 6th on piano

  • Right hand: E (1), G♯ (2), B (3), C♯ (5). Fingers 1 – 2 – 3 – 5, thumb on E.
  • Left hand: E (5), G♯ (3), B (2), C♯ (1). Fingers 5 – 3 – 2 – 1, little finger on E.

Fingers are numbered 1 (thumb) to 5 (little finger) on both hands.

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E Major 6th inversions

Each inversion puts a different note of the chord in the bass. Written as a slash chord: E6/G♯, E6/B, E6/C♯.

E Major 6th root position on piano: E, G♯, B, C♯ E G♯ B C♯
Root position E6 E – G♯ – B – C♯ RH 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 · LH 5 – 3 – 2 – 1
E Major 6th 1st inversion on piano: G♯, B, C♯, E G♯ B C♯ E
1st inversion E6/G♯ G♯ – B – C♯ – E RH 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 · LH 5 – 3 – 2 – 1
E Major 6th 2nd inversion on piano: B, C♯, E, G♯ B C♯ E G♯
2nd inversion E6/B B – C♯ – E – G♯ RH 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 · LH 5 – 3 – 2 – 1
E Major 6th 3rd inversion on piano: C♯, E, G♯, B C♯ E G♯ B
3rd inversion E6/C♯ C♯ – E – G♯ – B RH 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 · LH 5 – 3 – 2 – 1

Progressions with E Major 6th

Press play: the chords move across the keyboard as they sound, voiced so your hand barely moves.

Pop progression

in E major

  1. I6 E6
  2. V B
  3. vi C♯m
  4. IV A
Pop progression in E major: E6, B, C♯m, A B C♯ E G♯

Three-chord classic

in B major

  1. I B
  2. IV6 E6
  3. V F♯
  4. I B
Three-chord classic in B major: B, E6, F♯, B B D♯ F♯

Can you find E Major 6th?

Tap the notes on the keyboard, then check. Six chords, starting with this one.

1 / 6 Tap the notes of E Major 6th (E6)

Score 0

Any octave, any order. Each key you tap plays.

Practice keyboard: tap the notes of the chord

What key is E Major 6th in?

The keys whose scale contains every note of E6, with the chord’s Roman numeral in each.

Major keys

  • E majorI6
  • B majorIV6
  • A majorV6

Minor keys

  • C♯ minorIII6
  • A minorV6 (harmonic minor)
  • G♯ minorVI6
  • F♯ minorVII6

E Major 6th chord FAQ

What notes are in the E Major 6th chord?

E Major 6th (E6) has 4 notes: E, G♯, B and C♯. Its formula is 1 – 3 – 5 – 6, counted up from E.

How do you play E Major 6th on the piano?

Put your right thumb on E and play E, G♯, B and C♯ with fingers 1 – 2 – 3 – 5. With the left hand, use fingers 5 – 3 – 2 – 1, little finger on E.

What are the inversions of E Major 6th?

1st inversion: G♯, B, C♯, E (E6/G♯). 2nd inversion: B, C♯, E, G♯ (E6/B). 3rd inversion: C♯, E, G♯, B (E6/C♯).

What key is E Major 6th in?

E6 belongs to E major (I6), B major (IV6), A major (V6), C♯ minor (III6), G♯ minor (VI6) and F♯ minor (VII6).

Other E chords

Major 6th chords on every root

Piano chord chart: all 264 chords Open E6 in the chord finder Free PDF chord chart Play it on the virtual piano