C major sixth
How to play C6 — Major sixth
C6 (Major sixth)C · E · G · A
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, CC-BY 3.0)
C major sixth — notes and structure
The C6 chord is a major triad plus the sixth — a sweet, vintage, jazzy sound.
The C6 major sixth consists of the notes C, E, G, A. 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 guitar fretboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
C6 stacks a major third (E), a perfect fifth (G) and a major sixth (A) above the root C.
The finder shows 3 ways to play C6 — an open-position shape reaching up to the 9th fret. 1 of them use a barre.
What key is C6 in?
Every note of C6 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.
- C major — the I chord
- G major — the IV chord
- F major — the V chord
- A minor — the III chord
Chords that go with C6
In C major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put C6 next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the C major sixth chord?
- The C6 chord contains the notes C, E, G, A. It is a major triad plus the sixth — a sweet, vintage, jazzy sound.
- How many ways can you play C6 on guitar?
- 3 voicings are shown on this page — from open position up the neck — each with its own fingering diagram and audio.
- Is C6 a hard chord to play?
- Some voicings use a barre, which takes practice, but the chord is very playable once that shape is comfortable.
- What key does C6 belong to?
- C6 fits C major (where it is the I chord), G major (where it is the IV chord), F major (where it is the V chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.