E♭6 chord on guitar

E♭6 is E♭, G, B♭ and C. The usual shape is x-x-1-3-1-3. Tap Play, then slow it down.

x-x-1-3-1-3 · movable · medium

Notes: E♭ · G · B♭ · C
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · 6
First shape: x-x-1-3-1-3

How to play E♭6 on guitar

Shape 1, x-x-1-3-1-3, reading from the low E string on the left:

E♭: index finger, 1st fret of the D string.
C: middle finger, 1st fret of the B string.
B♭: ring finger, 3rd fret of the G string.
G: pinky finger, 3rd fret of the high E string.
Strum from the D string down; the low E and A strings stay silent.

The pinky takes a note here. Keep it curved and close to the fretboard between chords so it has less distance to travel.
Only four strings sound, so strum from the string marked first and aim your pick at the treble strings.

Other ways to play E♭6

x-6-5-5-8-6: partial barre shape at the 5th fret, medium. Same notes, stacked differently, so it sounds a little different.
11-10-8-8-8-8: partial barre shape at the 8th fret, medium. A high voicing for when the low version is taken by another instrument.
x-x-13-12-13-11: movable shape at the 11th fret, medium. A small shape for quick changes and a lighter sound.

Capo shortcuts for E♭6

A capo turns an open chord into E♭6: capo on the 1st fret and play the open D6 shape (x-x-0-2-0-2), capo on the 3rd fret and play the open C6 shape (x-3-2-2-1-0) or capo on the 6th fret and play the open A6 shape (x-0-2-2-2-2). Handy when the rest of the song's chords also have open shapes in that position.

E♭6 chord changes

The chords E♭6 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

A♭ (IV in E♭ major): E♭6 (x-x-1-3-1-3) to A♭ (4-6-6-5-4-4): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 4th fret, move the middle finger to the G string, 5th fret, the ring finger goes to the A string, 6th fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. E♭ and C carry over from one chord to the other. A♭ on guitar
B♭ (V in E♭ major): E♭6 (x-x-1-3-1-3) to B♭ (x-1-3-3-3-1): your ring finger stays put, the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 1st fret, move the middle finger to the D string, 3rd fret, the pinky finger slides across to the B string at the same fret. The two chords share B♭, which is why the change sounds smooth. B♭ on guitar
Cm (vi in E♭ major): E♭6 (x-x-1-3-1-3) to Cm (x-3-1-0-1-3): your index, middle and pinky fingers stay put, your ring finger lands on the A string, 3rd fret. An easy one to get up to speed. Listen for E♭, G and C, which stay put while the rest moves. Cm on guitar

E♭6 is E♭ major with a major sixth added. E♭6 is a vintage ending chord; hold it at the end of a swing or ballad tune instead of plain E♭. The slow arpeggio button above makes that quality easy to hear.

Practice E♭6 in two minutes

Before strumming, play x-x-1-3-1-3 note by note: E♭ then B♭ then C then G. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Finish by moving between x-x-1-3-1-3 and x-6-5-5-8-6 to learn two positions of the same chord.

You may also see it as D♯6; nothing changes on the guitar.

E♭6 in context

E♭6 on piano and ukulele

E♭6 on piano and ukulele uses the same 4 notes in a different layout. See all three together.

Next to try on guitar

Other major sixth chords

E♭6 on guitar: questions

What notes are in E♭6 on guitar?

E♭, G, B♭ and C. In the x-x-1-3-1-3 shape the strings play E♭ (D string), B♭ (G string), C (B string) and G (high E string).

What's the easiest way to play E♭6 on guitar?

No open-string E♭6 exists in standard tuning; x-x-1-3-1-3 is the place to start. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and in many songs a capo can take over part of the work.

Is E♭6 a barre chord on guitar?

Not usually: x-x-1-3-1-3 needs no barre.

Which string does E♭6 start on?

In the x-x-1-3-1-3 shape the lowest string you play is the D string at the 1st fret, which is E♭, the root. Skip the low E and A strings.

Shapes and sound are generated from the notes E♭, G, B♭ and C and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.