E♭m6 — E♭, G♭, B♭, C — is an E♭ minor triad with an added major sixth. The chord is the i6 of E♭ minor and is enharmonic to C half-diminished. E♭m6 appears at final cadences in E♭-minor jazz tunes, which though rare, do exist.
Intervals
The Eb minor 6 chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:
- Eb→Gbminor 3rd3 semitones
- Gb→Bbmajor 3rd4 semitones
- Bb→Cmajor 2nd2 semitones
On the keyboard
Each note of the Eb minor 6 chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.
On the guitar
One voicing of the Eb minor 6 chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.
- 1Eb
- ♭3Gb
- 5Bb
- 6C
Common mistakes
E♭m6 uses three flats (E♭, G♭, B♭) plus C natural. The chord is rare in published music; flat-key minor tonics usually appear as plain triads or m7 chords. When E♭m6 does appear, the C natural is its identifying feature.
In context
E♭m6 functions as the i6 of E♭ minor in jazz. The cadence Fm7♭5 → B♭7 → E♭m6 closes E♭-minor tunes. The chord is also enharmonic to C half-diminished, which makes it a useful pivot for modulation.
Drill it
The Eb minor 6 chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.
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Frequently asked
- What notes are in an E♭m6 chord?
- E♭m6 contains four notes: E♭ (root), G♭ (minor third), B♭ (perfect fifth), and C (major sixth).
- Is E♭m6 the same as C half-diminished?
- Enharmonically yes — same four pitches. E♭m6 has E♭ as root (minor tonic); Cø has C as root (ii of B♭ minor).
- How is E♭m6 different from E♭m7?
- Only the top note changes. E♭m6 has C (major sixth); E♭m7 has D♭ (minor seventh). The 6 sits a step lower than the m7.
- When is E♭m6 used in jazz?
- As a tonic chord in E♭-minor tunes (rare but they exist) and as an enharmonic pivot via C half-diminished.