E6 piano chord — the keys, the inversions, the theory

E6 is a sixth chord built from E, G#, B, C#. Below: the keys to press, every inversion with its own diagram, the intervals it is made of, the keys whose scale contains it, and a progression that actually uses it. Press any diagram to hear it.

E6

E · G# · B · C#

Piano keyboardC4C5

Semitones above the root: 0 – 4 – 7 – 9

A major third at the bottom is what makes this bright and settled.

Inversions of E6

  • Root position

    E · G# · B · C# · bass E

  • Inversion 1

    G# · B · C# · E · bass G#

  • Inversion 2

    B · C# · E · G# · bass B

  • Inversion 3

    C# · E · G# · B · bass C#

Same chord, different note at the bottom. Press a diagram to hear it — inversions are how you move between chords without jumping your hand across the keyboard.

Keys that contain E6

  • AV
  • EI
  • BIV

In A it does this job: I – V – vi – IV

  1. A
  2. E6
  3. F#m
  4. D

Questions