Ebm6

Ebm6 is Eb, Gb, Bb and C, a minor sixth. The shape this page opens on is written xx1312, lowest string first.

Also written Ebmin6, Eb-6 or Eb minor 6. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for Ebm6 on the guitar, and 28 derived voicings in 3 families.

In which keys. Every note of Ebm6 belongs to C# major (the ii) and Bb minor (the iv).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: xx1312, x64546, x6857x, x68x78, xx8878, x-9-10-8-11-x, 11-x-10-11-11-11, 11-13-13-11-13-11.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Ebm6 has x645xx, 11-9-10-x-x-x, x6x57x, 11-x-10-11-x-x, x-6-10-11-x-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Ebm6 has xx1312, 2313xx, x3434x, 6645xx, xx4546, xx8878, 8988xx, x-x-10-11-11-11.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Ebm6 has 2x131x, x3x342, 6x454x, x6x576, 8x887x, x-9-x-8-11-8, 11-x-10-11-11-x, x-13-x-11-13-11.

Tensions. A shell of Ebm6, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 9 (F) and the 11 (Ab).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.