E♯m6 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The E♯m6 chord is a minor sixth chord built on the root note E♯. Its notes are E♯, G♯, B♯ and C𝄪. It's enharmonically the same chord as Fm6.
Minor sixth chords are darker than a plain minor triad but never sour. A major sixth sitting over a minor third gives them a wistful, cinematic quality that turns up in bossa nova, French chanson and film noir scores.
- Notes
- E♯ · G♯ · B♯ · C𝄪
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · 6
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 9
- Note
- E♯
- Quality
- Minor 6
- Symbol
- E♯m6
E♯m6 on piano
4 notes
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play E♯m6 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on E♯, index finger on G♯, middle finger on B♯ and little finger on C𝄪. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♯ is a black key and E♯, B♯ and C𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call F, C and D. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- E♯1
- G♯♭3
- B♯5
- C𝄪6
E♯m6 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, E♯m6 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. String 4 rings open.
E♯ · G♯ · B♯ · C𝄪
Play E♯m6 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
E♯m6 chord notes
Also known as Fm6
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E♯(E#) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | G♯(G#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | B♯(B#) | |
| 6 | Major sixth | 9 | C𝄪(C##) |
How to use the E♯m6 chord
The E♯m6 chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth and a major sixth. Start at the root E♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: E♯, G♯, B♯ and C𝄪. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Minor sixth chords act as the iv chord in a major key or as the tonic of a Dorian passage, and they are a staple of jazz turnarounds. They also make a striking substitute for a plain minor chord at a cadence.
How E♯m6 differs from similar chords
E♯m6 adds a major sixth to E♯m, where E♯m7 adds a minor seventh a half step higher. That major sixth forms a tritone with the minor third, which gives the chord its bittersweet tension. The same four notes spell the half-diminished chord built on its sixth.
Where E♯m6 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key E♯m6 would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the E♯m6 chord?
- The E♯m6 chord contains E♯, G♯, B♯ and C𝄪 (E#, G#, B# and C## in plain text).
- Is the E♯m6 chord major or minor?
- E♯m6 is a minor sixth chord. Minor sixth chords are darker than a plain minor triad but never sour. A major sixth sitting over a minor third gives them a wistful, cinematic quality that turns up in bossa nova, French chanson and film noir scores.
- How do you play E♯m6 on piano?
- Place your fingers on E♯, G♯, B♯ and C𝄪 and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard G♯ is a black key and E♯, B♯ and C𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call F, C and D.
- How do you play E♯m6 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. String 4 rings open.
- What is another name for the E♯m6 chord?
- E♯m6 is enharmonically equivalent to Fm6. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.