F6 F major sixth chord
- Notes
- F A C D
- Formula
- 1 3 5 6
- Semitones
- 0 4 7 9 above the root
- Other symbols
- FM6, Fmaj6
F to A is a major third (4 semitones), A to C is a minor third (3 semitones), C to D is a major second (2 semitones). A major triad plus the major sixth, D, nine semitones above F. With D in the bass the same four keys read as Dm7: which name fits depends on the bass note.
F6 on the piano
Root position from F4: F4, A4, C5, D5. Middle C is C4.
F6 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 F as its lowest note.
1 x 0 2 1 x (low E to high e)
Sounds F2 D3 A3 C4
x 8 10 10 10 10 (low E to high e)
Sounds F3 C4 F4 A4 D5
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 F6
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 | F A C D | F6 | |
| 1st inversion | A C D F | Dm7/A (also read as F6/A) | |
| 2nd inversion | C D F A | Dm7/C (also read as F6/C) | |
| 3rd inversion | D F A C | Dm7 (also read as F6/D) |
Where F6 fits
F6 is I6 in F major, IV6 in C major. As a final tonic chord it is the swing-era and early rock and roll alternative to Fmaj7: the sixth, D, adds colour without the half-step rub between F and a major seventh.