E♭6 chord on piano
E♭6 is E♭, G, B♭ and C. E♭ sits on the black key between D and E. Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.
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 E♭6 on piano
From E♭, go 4 half steps up to G, 3 half steps up to B♭ then 2 half steps up to C. Press the 4 keys together and that's E♭6.
- 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 black, white, black and white keys, the same pattern as A♭6, so your hand shape carries over.
E♭6 inversions
- root position: E♭–G–B♭–C. RH 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: G–B♭–C–E♭, G lowest. Fingers 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 in the bass). Right hand 1-2-3-5.
Use the inversions to stay put: the next chord is often one inversion away from where your hand already is, as the changes below show.
E♭6 chord changes
Songs rarely hold E♭6 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.
- A♭ (IV in E♭ major): E♭6 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
- B♭ (V in E♭ major): E♭6 to B♭: play B♭ in 1st inversion (D–F–B♭) and B♭ stays under the same finger, while E♭ moves down to D and E♭ up to F. B♭ on piano
- Cm (vi in E♭ major): E♭6 to Cm: play Cm in 1st inversion (E♭–G–C) and E♭, G and C stay under the same fingers. Cm on piano
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♭. Play it solid and then broken to hear the difference.
A short E♭6 drill
Play E♭6 broken, one key at a time: E♭, G, B♭, C, B♭, G, E♭. Then press the keys together and check that all 4 sound at the same volume. 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 E♭6
E♭6 is a major sixth chord, 1–3–5–6 from E♭. Root position, from the bottom: how E♭6 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| E♭ | black key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| G | white key | RH 2 · LH 3 | major third |
| B♭ | black key | RH 3 · LH 2 | perfect fifth |
| C | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | major sixth |
Written D♯6, it's the same chord with the same keys.
E♭6 in context
E♭6 on guitar and ukulele
E♭6 on guitar and ukulele uses the same 4 notes in a different layout. See all three together.
Next to try on piano
Other major sixth chords
E♭6 on piano: questions
What notes are in E♭6 on piano?
E♭, G, B♭ and C: E♭ (black key), G (white key), B♭ (black key) and C (white key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play E♭6 on piano?
Press E♭, G, B♭ and C together (2 black, 2 white). Right hand: 1 on E♭, 2 on G, 3 on B♭ and 5 on C.
What are the inversions of E♭6?
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). Same notes, a different one at the bottom.
What does E♭6 look like on the keyboard?
black, white, black and white keys, the same pattern as A♭6, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Shapes and sound are generated from the notes E♭, G, B♭ and C and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.