Ebm6 Ukulele Chord

Ebm6 is the E flat minor sixth chord. It has four notes: E flat, G flat, B flat and C. The standard ukulele shape is the familiar Ebm with the top note moved up two frets, so the A string sounds C, the sixth, instead of doubling the fifth.

The Ebm grip with the top note moved: middle and ring at the 3rd fret of the G and C strings, index at the 2nd of the E, pinky at the 3rd of the A. The C on top is the sixth.

How to play Ebm6 on ukulele, step by step

Index finger: 2nd fret, E string
Middle finger: 3rd fret, G string
Ring finger: 3rd fret, C string
Pinky finger: 3rd fret, A string
Strum all four strings.

The A string tells the whole family story here: at the 1st fret it is B flat and the chord is plain Ebm, at the 3rd it is C and the chord is Ebm6, at the 4th it is D flat and the chord is Ebm7. One string, three chords.

More ways to play Ebm6

There are 3 common Ebm6 shapes: the standard one at the top of the page, plus these further up the neck. You only ever need one. Tap any card to hear it.

Ebm6 ukulele chord diagram, frets 5 to 6, played 5666 — Frets 5 to 6

Ebm6 ukulele chord diagram, barre at fret 8, played 8 10 8 9 — Barre at fret 8

If the four fingers fight

The E string dies: The index holds it at the 2nd fret while the other three fingers work at the 3rd around it. Stand each finger on its tip; the E string carries the flat third, the note that makes the chord minor.
The pinky note is weak: It holds the C at the 3rd fret of the A string, and that is the sixth, the note the chord is named for. Keep the pinky curled and press with the tip.
The hand cramps: Four fingers inside two frets is a tight box. Bring the thumb behind the middle of the neck and let the fingers drop in from above rather than lean in from the side.

What makes it an Ebm6

E♭ · G♭ · B♭ · C 1 ♭3 5 6

Ebm6 is an E flat minor triad (E flat, G flat, B flat) with a C added: the major sixth, nine half steps above the root. The third is flat and the sixth is not, and that mismatch is what makes a minor sixth chord sound restless rather than simply sad.

The same four notes read from C spell Cm7b5, the half diminished chord. Ebm6 is the iv chord in B flat and a standby of jazz and older pop, where its job is to keep a minor passage moving rather than let it settle.

Ebm6 vs Ebm7

Both add a fourth note to E flat minor. Ebm7 adds a D flat and settles the chord; Ebm6 adds a C, one fret lower, and unsettles it. A semitone of difference, and the mood flips.

On the ukulele the two shapes differ only on the A string: 4th fret for the m7, 3rd for the m6. Rocking one finger between those frets while the rest of the grip holds still plays the two chords against each other perfectly.

Ebm6 chord questions

Is Ebm6 the same as D#m6?

Yes, one chord with two spellings. Flat keys are the natural home of this chord, so E flat is the name used here.

What is the difference between Ebm6 and Ebm7?

One note on the A string. At the 4th fret it is D flat, which makes Ebm7; at the 3rd it is C, which makes Ebm6. The seventh relaxes the chord, the sixth sharpens it.

Is Ebm6 the same as Cm7b5?

The four notes are the same: E flat, G flat, B flat and C. With the music centred on E flat you hear Ebm6; centred on C it is Cm7b5, the half diminished chord.

Is Ebm6 movable?

Yes. The standard shape has no open strings, so the whole grip slides: two frets up it becomes Fm6, two frets down C#m6. The note on the C string under the ring finger names the chord.

Where is Ebm6 used?

As the iv chord in B flat, as a colour on the tonic in E flat minor, and throughout jazz and older popular song, where minor sixths routinely stand in for minor sevenths.