B♯6 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The B♯6 chord is a major sixth chord built on the root note B♯. Its notes are B♯, D𝄪, F𝄪 and G𝄪. It's enharmonically the same chord as C6.
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
- B♯6
B♯6 on piano
4 notes
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play B♯6 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 every note of B♯6 is a white key, the keys you'd normally call C, E, G and A. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- B♯1
- D𝄪3
- F𝄪5
- G𝄪6
B♯6 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, B♯6 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. Don't play string 6.
B♯ · D𝄪 · F𝄪 · G𝄪
Play B♯6 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
B♯6 chord notes
Also known as C6
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B♯(B#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | D𝄪(D##) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | F𝄪(F##) | |
| 6 | Major sixth | 9 | G𝄪(G##) |
How to use the B♯6 chord
The B♯6 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 B♯6 differs from similar chords
B♯6 and B♯maj7 both add one note to B♯, but the sixth sits a whole step below the major seventh and makes no dissonance with the root. B♯6 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 B♯6 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key B♯6 would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the B♯6 chord?
- The B♯6 chord contains B♯, D𝄪, F𝄪 and G𝄪 (B#, D##, F## and G## in plain text).
- Is the B♯6 chord major or minor?
- B♯6 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 B♯6 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 every note of B♯6 is a white key, the keys you'd normally call C, E, G and A.
- How do you play B♯6 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the B♯6 chord?
- B♯6 is enharmonically equivalent to C6. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.