B6 B major sixth chord
- Notes
- B D# F# G#
- Formula
- 1 3 5 6
- Semitones
- 0 4 7 9 above the root
- Other symbols
- BM6, Bmaj6
B to D# is a major third (4 semitones), D# to F# is a minor third (3 semitones), F# to G# is a major second (2 semitones). A major triad plus the major sixth, G#, nine semitones above B. With G# in the bass the same four keys read as G#m7: which name fits depends on the bass note.
B6 on the piano
Root position from B4: B4, D#5, F#5, G#5. Middle C is C4.
B6 on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has B as its lowest note.
x 2 4 4 4 4 (low E to high e)
Sounds B2 F#3 B3 D#4 G#4
7 x 6 8 7 x (low E to high e)
Sounds B2 G#3 D#4 F#4
The E-shape and A-shape grips are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play major sixth chords on other roots.
Inversions of B6
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | B D# F# G# | B6 | |
| 1st inversion | D# F# G# B | G#m7/D# (also read as B6/D#) | |
| 2nd inversion | F# G# B D# | G#m7/F# (also read as B6/F#) | |
| 3rd inversion | G# B D# F# | G#m7 (also read as B6/G#) |
Where B6 fits
B6 is I6 in B major, IV6 in F# major. As a final tonic chord it is the swing-era and early rock and roll alternative to Bmaj7: the sixth, G#, adds colour without the half-step rub between B and a major seventh.