Chord · A Major 6th
A6 Chord
A6 is A, C#, E and F# — sweet, jazzy alternative to a major triad.
A6 on every instrument
The same 4 notes, 6 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What A6 is made of
A6 (A sixth) is built from the notes A, C#, E, F#, with the interval pattern 1, 3, 5, 6.
Stack 1, 3, 5 and 6 on a root of A and you get A, C#, E and F#. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a sixth chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why C6 sounds like a transposed A6.
Major 6th: Sweet, jazzy alternative to a major triad.
Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with C♯ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain A6
All 4 notes sit inside the scale of 6 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Other chords on A
Same root, different colour.
The same sixth shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about A6
- What notes are in the A6 chord?
- A6 is made of A, C#, E and F# — the 1, 3, 5 and 6 degrees of a sixth chord built on A.
- What keys use the A6 chord?
- Every note of A6 belongs to 6 keys: D Major (V), A Major (I), E Major (IV), B Minor (VII), F# Minor (III), C# Minor (VI). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play A6 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows A6 on guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin and banjo — 8 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Learn the theory behind it
Why A6 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.