Build the sound
Play E♭ – G – B♭ – C individually, then choose a shell voicing above. Sing the highest note before playing the chord.
Voicings · E♭6 · Guitar
E♭6 voicings on guitar
E♭6 is spelled E♭ – G – B♭ – C (1 3 5 6) — a tonic alternative to maj7, especially on the last chord of a tune. Here are 5 ways to voice it on guitar: drop 2, drop 3, shell, rootless a, rootless b. Every diagram is playable — press play to hear the chord, or “roll it” to hear the voices one by one, low to high.
The voicings
5 ways to play E♭6.
SoundRoot in gold, other voices in teal. Tap any note.
Drop 2
B♭ · E♭ · GTake the close voicing and drop its second-highest voice an octave. The most-used four-note voicing on guitar and in piano left hands. Strings G-B-e, frets 3-4-3.
Drop 3
G · E♭ · B♭Drop the third-highest voice of the close voicing an octave: a wide, open sound. Strings E-D-G, frets 3-1-3.
Shell (1–7–3)
E♭ · GRoot, seventh and third only. The fifth is dropped — it adds nothing to the chord's identity — leaving a light, clear voicing. Strings B-e, frets 4-3.
Rootless A (3–5–7–9)
G · B♭ · FBill Evans-style left-hand voicing: the third on the bottom, the ninth on top, the bass player supplies the root. Strings E-A-D, frets 3-1-3.
Rootless B (7–9–3–5)
F · G · B♭The companion rootless voicing with the seventh on the bottom. Alternate A and B so the top voice moves by step through a ii–V–I. Strings E-D-G, frets 1-5-3 (position 1).
Your next 10 minutes
Make E♭ Major 6th part of your playing
Change the top note
Compare the displayed voicings of E♭6. Notice which note is highest in each. Repeat the two shapes with the smallest comfortable hand movement, leaving a beat of silence between them.
Comp with space
Play E♭6 on beats 2 and 4 at 60 bpm for four bars, then on the “and” of beat 2 for four bars. Keep the same notes while changing the rhythm. Mute unused strings and test each fretted note for buzz.
Listen for this: The chord tones are E♭, G, B♭, C. a tonic alternative to maj7, especially on the last chord of a tune. A fuller voicing is not automatically better: leave room for the melody and bass.
Understand the sound
E♭6: from a pattern to a musical choice
What gives E♭6 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.
Choose a useful voicing
Start with the smallest displayed shape you can play cleanly. Move its highest note into a comfortable register and listen for a clear melody above the chord.
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 6. The next note G is on string 5, fret 10. 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.
Behind the voicings
Every E♭6 chord tone on the fretboard.
Reference
E♭6 — chord tones & function.
| Chord tone | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E♭ | unison |
| 3 | G | major 3rd |
| 5 | B♭ | perfect 5th |
| 6 | C | major 6th |
Arpeggio: E♭6 arpeggio on guitar. Scale: E♭ Major (Ionian).
Take it to the bandstand.Practice Radio streams endless changes to comp E♭6 through all twelve keys, with the chord and scale shown live — plus ear-training and call & response modes.
▶ Open Practice RadioCommon questions
E♭6 voicings FAQ.
What notes are in E♭6?
E♭, G, B♭, C — chord tones 1 3 5 6. Rootless voicings add the 9th, F, and leave the root to the bass.
What is the easiest E♭6 voicing on guitar?
The shell voicing (root, seventh, third) on strings B, e: three notes, one comfortable shape, and it still sounds unmistakably like E♭6.
What is a drop-2 voicing?
Start from the close voicing E♭ G B♭ C and drop the second note from the top an octave: B♭ – E♭ – G. It spreads the chord so it fits the hand — and on guitar it fits four adjacent strings.
Where does E♭6 appear?
E♭6 is a tonic alternative to maj7, especially on the last chord of a tune. Its character is open, classic, swing-era.
Keep going
Major 6th voicings in every other key.
Same chord on piano · Major 6th hub.
Other chords from E♭