Em6 Piano Chord

Em6 is the E minor sixth chord. It has four notes: E, G, B and C sharp. It is a plain E minor chord with a C sharp added, and that single black key on top changes the whole mood.

1E2G3B5C♯C4C5

E at the bottom, then G, B and C♯. Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1. C♯ is the only black key.

How to play Em6 on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the E above middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): E
  3. Index finger (2): G
  4. Middle finger (3): B
  5. Little finger (5): C♯
  6. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 3, 2, 1 an octave lower, or just E on its own as a bass note.

Play Em, then Em6, then Em again: keep E, G and B still and add the little finger on C sharp. One black key, and the calm minor turns into a question.

Inversions of Em6

The same 4 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are Em6; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionG B C♯ E
Em6 piano chord diagram, first inversion, G B C♯ E
Lighter, with the minor colour leading and the black key now tucked inside the hand rather than exposed on top.
Second inversionB C♯ E G
Em6 piano chord diagram, second inversion, B C♯ E G
Open and unresolved, with B and C♯ a whole step apart at the bottom. It sounds like a chord caught mid movement.
Third inversionC♯ E G B
Em6 piano chord diagram, third inversion, C♯ E G B
With C♯ underneath, these four notes are exactly C#m7b5, and half diminished is what most ears will name. Both readings are correct; the bass picks.

If it sounds wrong

The chord sounds soft instead of restless
The top note is C sharp, not D. D natural would make it Em7. The sixth is the black key just below D.
The little finger slips off C sharp
The black key is narrow and sits deeper. Bring the whole hand slightly into the keyboard so the finger lands on the flat of the key.
The inner notes are uneven
G and B sit under the index and middle fingers. Drop the hand as one shape from just above the keys so all four notes arrive together.

What makes it an Em6

E · G · B · C♯ 1 ♭3 5 6

Em6 is an E minor triad, E, G and B, with a C sharp added: the major sixth, nine half steps above the root. The sixth stays major even though the chord is minor, and that flat third against natural sixth mix is what makes the chord restless rather than sad.

It is the iv chord in B and a standby of jazz and older pop, where it usually walks to B. The same four notes read from C sharp spell C#m7b5, the half diminished chord, so the bass decides which chord the ear hears.

Em6 vs Em7

Both add a fourth note to E minor. Em7 adds D and sounds settled and folky; Em6 adds C sharp, one key lower, and sounds like tension held on purpose.

Hold E, G and B and rock the top finger between D and C sharp. White key, black key, rest, motion: the difference between the two chords is exactly that one key.

Questions about Em6

What is the difference between Em6 and Em7?

The top note. Em7 has D and relaxes; Em6 has C sharp, the black key below it, and pushes forward.

Why does a minor chord have a major sixth?

The sixth is measured from the major scale, not the minor third. Em6 flattens the third to G but keeps C sharp, and that mismatch is the chord.

What fingers do you use for Em6?

Right hand: thumb on E, index on G, middle on B, little finger on C sharp, which is 1, 2, 3 and 5. Left hand plays 5, 3, 2, 1.

Is Em6 the same as C#m7b5?

Same four notes: E, G, B and C sharp. With E in the bass it is Em6; with C sharp in the bass it is C#m7b5, the half diminished chord.

Where is Em6 used?

As the iv chord in B, in jazz standards on a tonic minor, and in film music, where a minor chord that refuses to settle is a favourite colour.

Chords to learn next

Other E chords