C6 C major sixth chord
- Notes
- C E G A
- Formula
- 1 3 5 6
- Semitones
- 0 4 7 9 above the root
- Other symbols
- CM6, Cmaj6
C to E is a major third (4 semitones), E to G is a minor third (3 semitones), G to A is a major second (2 semitones). A major triad plus the major sixth, A, nine semitones above C. With A in the bass the same four keys read as Am7: which name fits depends on the bass note.
C6 on the piano
Root position from C4: C4, E4, G4, A4. Middle C is C4.
C6 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 C as its lowest note.
x 3 5 5 5 5 (low E to high e)
Sounds C3 G3 C4 E4 A4
8 x 7 9 8 x (low E to high e)
Sounds C3 A3 E4 G4
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 C6
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 | C E G A | C6 | |
| 1st inversion | E G A C | Am7/E (also read as C6/E) | |
| 2nd inversion | G A C E | Am7/G (also read as C6/G) | |
| 3rd inversion | A C E G | Am7 (also read as C6/A) |
Where C6 fits
C6 is I6 in C major, IV6 in G major. As a final tonic chord it is the swing-era and early rock and roll alternative to Cmaj7: the sixth, A, adds colour without the half-step rub between C and a major seventh.