B major sixth
How to play B6 — Major sixth
B6 (Major sixth)B · D♯ · F♯ · G♯
Piano samples: Salamander Grand Piano (CC-BY 3.0)
B major sixth — notes and structure
The B6 chord is a major triad plus the sixth — a sweet, vintage, jazzy sound.
The B6 major sixth consists of the notes B, D♯, F♯, G♯. Its interval structure is R–3–5–6 — the root, then each chord tone stacked above it. This is the same chord you see in the interactive finder above, drawn on the piano keyboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
B6 stacks a major third (D♯), a perfect fifth (F♯) and a major sixth (G♯) above the root B.
To play B6, press the keys B, D♯, F♯, G♯ together — the root B is circled on the interactive keyboard above.
What key is B6 in?
Every note of B6 belongs to the scales below, so the chord sounds at home in each of these keys — the roman numeral is the degree it sits on.
- E major — the V chord
- B major — the I chord
- F♯ major — the IV chord
- C♯ minor — the VII chord
Chords that go with B6
In E major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put B6 next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the B major sixth chord on piano?
- The B6 chord is made of the notes B, D♯, F♯, G♯. It is a major triad plus the sixth — a sweet, vintage, jazzy sound.
- How do you play B major sixth on the piano?
- Press B, D♯, F♯, G♯ at the same time, with the root B as the lowest note. The interactive keyboard above lights up the exact keys.
- What is the major sixth chord formula?
- Its interval structure is R–3–5–6 above the root — the same shape transposed to any of the twelve keys.
- What key does B6 belong to?
- B6 fits E major (where it is the V chord), B major (where it is the I chord), F♯ major (where it is the IV chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.