Map it slowly
Find E on string 5 at fret 7. Play string 5, fret 7; string 5, fret 11; string 4, fret 9; string 4, fret 11; string 3, fret 9. Use a relaxed position and release pressure between repetitions. String 1 is high E.
Arpeggio · E6 · Guitar
E6 arpeggio on guitar
The E6 arpeggio is E – G♯ – B – C♯ — chord tones 1 3 5 6. E6 is a tonic alternative to maj7, especially on the last chord of a tune; its sound is open, classic, swing-era. Below, every E, G♯, B, C♯ on the fretboard is marked, with the root in gold. Press play to hear a one-octave arpeggio, or tap any note.
Visualizer
E6 on the fretboard.
Guitar · standard tuning
Piano
RootChord toneBeing played
Tempo100 bpm
Show
Sound
Play loops the arpeggio up and down one octave (switch Loop off for a single pass) in the position starting at fret 7. Tap any marked note to hear it. “Show” switches or combines the fretboard and keyboard; “Sound” picks the instrument you hear. Audio is synthesized in the browser.
Your next 10 minutes
Make E Major 6th part of your playing
Make a short phrase
Play E – G♯ – B – C♯ in quarter notes at 60 bpm. Repeat starting from G♯, wrapping back to E. Do not speed up until every attack is even.
Hear it in context
Alternate G♯ and C♯ above a sustained E. These are degree 3 and 6. End a four-bar phrase on either one instead of always returning to the root.
Listen for this: E6 has the colour “open, classic, swing-era”. Name the degrees as you play, so you can recognize the sound in another key rather than remembering only a shape.
Understand the sound
E6: from a pattern to a musical choice
What gives E6 its identity?
The sixth replaces the major seventh. Compare the softer root-and-sixth relationship with the half-step tension of a major seventh.
Here the third is G♯, and degree 6 is C♯. Play E in the bass and compare these voices individually before combining them.
Turn the arpeggio into a melody
Try G♯ – B – C♯ – E as quarter notes, then repeat the first note and omit the last. The second phrase uses the same harmony with a different shape.
Sound the strings separately before playing them together. If a note is muted, adjust the finger angle instead of squeezing harder.
Your guitar checkpoint
Start with E on string 5, fret 7. The next note G♯ is on string 5, fret 11. Name both notes aloud before playing, then find the same two pitches in another octave.
Before moving on, close the diagram and name the notes: E · G♯ · B · C♯. Then play a two-bar phrase from memory and leave two bars of silence.
On piano
E6 on the keyboard.
Reference
E6 — chord tones & intervals.
| Chord tone | Note | Interval from E |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | unison (0 semitones) |
| 3 | G♯ | major 3rd (4 semitones) |
| 5 | B | perfect 5th (7 semitones) |
| 6 | C♯ | major 6th (9 semitones) |
Goes with: E Major (Ionian) (E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯). Voicings: E6 voicings on guitar.
Take it to the bandstand.Practice Radio streams endless changes to play the E6 arpeggio over through all twelve keys, with the chord and scale shown live — plus ear-training and call & response modes.
▶ Open Practice RadioCommon questions
E6 arpeggio FAQ.
What notes are in a E6 arpeggio?
E – G♯ – B – C♯. As chord tones: 1 3 5 6. Played one after another instead of together, that is the arpeggio.
What is a E6 chord used for?
E6 is a tonic alternative to maj7, especially on the last chord of a tune. Its character is open, classic, swing-era.
Which scale goes with E6?
E Major (E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯) — the arpeggio is the skeleton of that scale, so practise them together.
How do I practise the E6 arpeggio on guitar?
Start on the root E on the A string at fret 7 and play A-string fret 7, A-string fret 11, D-string fret 9, D-string fret 11, G-string fret 9. Then play it descending, then in eighth notes with a metronome, then use it in a short phrase over a suitable chord.
Keep going
Major 6th arpeggio in every other key.
Same arpeggio on piano · Major 6th hub · chord-scale theory.
Other arpeggios from E