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Anatomy
6th Chord Formula
The 4 scale degrees that form every 6th chord — in any key.
I
Root0 st
III
Major 3rd+4 st
V
Perfect 5th+7 st
VI
Major 6th+9 st
A major 6th is a major triad with one note added — the 6th of the scale, a whole step above the 5th. Nothing is replaced and there is no 7th, so the chord stays major and settled rather than pulling anywhere. The 6th only softens it, which is why the sound reads as sweet and slightly vintage.
Applied to C: C (root) – E (major 3rd) – G (perfect 5th) – A (major 6th). Applied to G: G – B – D – E. Applied to E: E – G♯ – B – C♯.
About this tool
About 6th Chords on Guitar
A 6th chord — written as a bare 6 after the root letter, as in C6 or G6, and occasionally as maj6 or add6 — is a major triad with one more note: the 6th degree of the scale, a whole step above the 5th. The formula is 1 – 3 – 5 – 6, so a C6 is C, E, G and A. Nothing is removed and there is no 7th, so unlike a dominant 7th the chord has nowhere it needs to go; it is a softer, sweeter version of the plain major chord, and that is how it is used. Swing, western swing and jazz end tunes on it, doo-wop and early rock and roll use it as the home chord, and blues and boogie rhythm parts rock between the 5th and the 6th over the root — the 6th chord split into two halves. The chord has an unusual twin: C6 contains exactly the same notes as Am7, and the same is true in every key, with the minor 7th built on the 6th. The bass note decides which name applies, and every shape on these pages keeps the root lowest. Three spellings that look similar are worth keeping apart. A maj7 chord adds the major 7th instead of the 6th. An m6 chord keeps the 6th but sits it on a minor triad. A 6/9 chord adds the 9th on top of the 6th. Only the plain 6 is on these pages. Each root gets three or four voicings: an A-string root barre, a no-barre E-string jazz grip, and a four-string form rooted on the D string, plus an open-position shape for C, E and G.
- 01Built from 4 notes: root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, and the major 6th (formula 1 – 3 – 5 – 6)
- 02A major triad with the 6th added — nothing is replaced, and there is no 7th
- 03The 6th sits a whole step above the 5th
- 04Written as a bare number after the root letter: C6, G6, E6
- 05Shares all four notes with the minor 7th built on its 6th — C6 and Am7 differ only in the bass
- 06Stable rather than tense — a common final chord in swing, jazz and doo-wop
- 07Distinct from maj7 (7th instead of 6th), m6 (minor 3rd) and 6/9 (adds the 9th)
- 08Open-position shapes for C6, D6, E6, G6 and A6
- 09Three or four voicings per root: A-string root barre, E-string jazz grip, D-string form, and open shapes where they exist
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
A 6th chord is a major triad with one note added: the 6th, a whole step above the 5th. C6 contains C, E, G and A. Nothing is taken away, so the chord stays major and stable — the 6th only softens and sweetens it.
The formula is 1 – 3 – 5 – 6: root, major third (+4 semitones), perfect fifth (+7) and major sixth (+9). Applied to C that is C, E, G and A. It is sometimes written maj6 or add6; all three mean the same chord.
They contain the same four notes — C, E, G and A. The bass note decides the name: with C lowest the chord is C6, with A lowest it is Am7. Every 6th chord has a minor 7th twin built on its 6th, so G6 matches Em7 and D6 matches Bm7.
The added note. C6 adds A, the 6th; Cmaj7 adds B, the major 7th. Both are stable major chords that can end a tune, but the 6th sounds sweet and vintage while the maj7 sounds lush and modern. Neither has the flat 7th that makes a dominant chord want to move.
The 3rd. C6 is a C major triad plus A. Cm6 keeps the same A but sits it on a C minor triad, with E♭ instead of E. A bare 6 in a chord chart always means the major version.
The 9th. C6/9 is C6 with D added on top — five notes instead of four, and a common final chord in jazz and bossa nova. The Chord Library carries 6/9 chords separately.
A6 (x-0-2-2-2-2), which is one finger laid flat across four strings at fret 2. G6 (3-2-0-0-0-0) and D6 (x-x-0-2-0-2) need only two fingers each, and E6 is an open E chord with the pinky added.
Anywhere a plain major chord sounds too bare. Swing, western swing and jazz often end a tune on a 6th chord; doo-wop and early rock and roll use it as the home chord; and blues and boogie rhythm parts rock between the 5th and the 6th over the root, which is the 6th chord broken into two halves.
All Chord Types
Looking for something else? Search the full Chord Library — hundreds of diagrams across every chord type, including diminished 7th, augmented 7th, 6/9, slash, and extended chords.