Banjo E6 chord (C Tuning)E sixth on the 5-string banjo: 1 1 0 2, and 4 more shapes

E6 chord chart for 5-string banjo in C Tuning tuning: 1 1 0 2, open position, with the short 5th string marked
E6 (E sixth) on the 5-string banjo, C Tuning: 1 1 0 2, string 4 to string 1. Fingers are numbered on the dots; copper marks the root; the green ring on the left is the 5th string, solid when it’s in the chord.

Frets, string 4 to string 1: 1 1 0 2 (open position)

  1. String 4 (C): 1st fret, index finger (barre), C♯
  2. String 3 (G): 1st fret, index finger (barre), G♯
  3. String 2 (B): open, B
  4. String 1 (D): 2nd fret, middle finger, E
  5. String 5, the short g: open, G, not in the chord

Sounds: C♯ G♯ B E  ·  E6 is E, G♯, B, C♯ (1 · 3 · 5 · 6)

The 5th string: the short g rubs against the G♯ in this shape, a semitone away: some players let it ring, some skip it.

C Tuning tuning: gCGBD, the short 5th string first, then strings 4 to 1.

Hear it in the app ›

The link can’t set the tuning: the app starts in open G. Choose C Tuning once in its Settings and it remembers.

More E6 shapes

  1. 4fr134gEC♯BG♯4 6 0 6
    4fr
  2. 5fr3214gG♯C♯EB8 6 5 9
    5fr
  3. 9fr3114gBEG♯C♯11 9 9 11
    9fr
  4. 12fr2314gC♯G♯BE13 13 12 14
    12fr

Other E chords in C Tuning

EEmE7Em7Emaj7E6Esus4Esus2EdimEaug

Other sixth chords

G6A6D6C6B6E6F6B♭6

E6 in other tunings

Open GDouble CSawmillOpen D

All C Tuning banjo chords · Printable chart (PDF) · How to tune · The app