As the tonic (I)B major
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B6 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The B6 chord is a major sixth chord built on the root note B. Its notes are B, D♯, F♯ and G♯.
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Short answer
Major sixth chords sound bright and settled without the pull of a seventh. Adding a major sixth to a major triad gives a warm, slightly retro colour that filled swing bands and fifties pop, and it still ends a song beautifully.
- Notes
- B · D♯ · F♯ · G♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 6
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 9
- Note
- B
- Quality
- Major 6
- Symbol
- B6
B6 on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play B6 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on B, index finger on D♯, middle finger on F♯ and little finger on G♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard D♯, F♯ and G♯ are black keys and B is white. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- B1
- D♯3
- F♯5
- G♯6
B6 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, B6 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. String 2 rings open. Don't play string 6.
B · D♯ · F♯ · G♯
Try B6 on the virtual piano
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B6 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | D♯(D#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | F♯(F#) | |
| 6 | Major sixth | 9 | G♯(G#) |
How to use the B6 chord
The B6 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth and a major sixth. Start at the root B and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: B, D♯, F♯ and G♯. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Major sixth chords work as a softer substitute for a major triad, especially as a final chord where a maj7 would sound too jazzy. Swing, rockabilly, bossa nova and country all lean on them.
How B6 differs from similar chords
B6 and Bmaj7 both add one note to B, but the sixth sits a whole step below the major seventh and makes no dissonance with the root. B6 has exactly the same notes as the minor seventh chord a minor third below it, so the bass note decides which of the two you hear.
Where B6 is used
A major chord is at home as a tonic, and just as useful as the IV or the V of a neighbouring key. Each progression below is written in the key its numerals name.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the B6 chord?
- The B6 chord contains B, D♯, F♯ and G♯ (B, D#, F# and G# in plain text).
- Is the B6 chord major or minor?
- B6 is a major sixth chord. Major sixth chords sound bright and settled without the pull of a seventh. Adding a major sixth to a major triad gives a warm, slightly retro colour that filled swing bands and fifties pop, and it still ends a song beautifully.
- How do you play B6 on piano?
- Place your fingers on B, D♯, F♯ and G♯ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard D♯, F♯ and G♯ are black keys and B is white.
- How do you play B6 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. String 2 rings open. Don't play string 6.
- What chords work well with B6?
- B6 pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.