Major 6 chords
A major sixth chord has four notes: the root, major third, perfect fifth and major sixth. Its formula is 1 3 5 6. A major chord with a major 6th added. It has the same four notes as the minor 7th chord a minor 3rd below: C6 and Am7 are both C, E, G and A.
On C it is written C6, and also CM6 and Cmaj6.
Major 6 chords in every key
| Chord | Notes | Shapes |
|---|---|---|
| C6 | C E G A | guitar · piano |
| Db6 | Db F Ab Bb | guitar · piano |
| D6 | D F# A B | guitar · piano |
| Eb6 | Eb G Bb C | guitar · piano |
| E6 | E G# B C# | guitar · piano |
| F6 | F A C D | guitar · piano |
| F#6 | F# A# C# D# | guitar · piano |
| G6 | G B D E | guitar · piano |
| Ab6 | Ab C Eb F | guitar · piano |
| A6 | A C# E F# | guitar · piano |
| Bb6 | Bb D F G | guitar · piano |
| B6 | B D# F# G# | guitar · piano |
Major 6 compared
| Chord | Symbol | Formula | Notes | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major 6 | C6 | 1 3 5 6 | C E G A | |
| Major 7 | Cmaj7 | 1 3 5 7 | C E G B | Cmaj7 and C6 share C, E and G. Cmaj7 has B, the 7th, where C6 has A, the 6th. |
| Add9 | Cadd9 | 1 3 5 9 | C E G D | Cadd9 and C6 share C, E and G. Cadd9 has D, the 9th, where C6 has A, the 6th. |
| Minor 6 | Cm6 | 1 b3 5 6 | C Eb G A | Cm6 and C6 share C, G and A. Cm6 has Eb, the flat 3rd, where C6 has E, the 3rd. |
Questions
What is a major sixth chord?
A major sixth chord has four notes: the root, major third, perfect fifth and major sixth. Its formula is 1 3 5 6. A major chord with a major 6th added. It has the same four notes as the minor 7th chord a minor 3rd below: C6 and Am7 are both C, E, G and A.
How do you write a major sixth chord?
On C it is written C6, and also CM6 and Cmaj6.
What is the difference between C6 and Cmaj7?
C6 and Cmaj7 share C, E and G. C6 has A, the 6th, where Cmaj7 has B, the 7th.