Chord · B Major 6th
B6 Chord
B6 is B, D#, F# and G# — sweet, jazzy alternative to a major triad.
B6 on every instrument
The same 4 notes, 6 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What B6 is made of
B6 (B sixth) is built from the notes B, D#, F#, G#, with the interval pattern 1, 3, 5, 6.
Stack 1, 3, 5 and 6 on a root of B and you get B, D#, F# and G#. 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 B6.
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 D♯ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain B6
All 4 notes sit inside the scale of 10 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Other chords on B
Same root, different colour.
The same sixth shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about B6
- What notes are in the B6 chord?
- B6 is made of B, D#, F# and G# — the 1, 3, 5 and 6 degrees of a sixth chord built on B.
- What keys use the B6 chord?
- Every note of B6 belongs to 10 keys: E Major (V), B Major (I), F# Major (IV), Gb Major (IV), Cb Major (I), C# Minor (VII), G# Minor (III), D# Minor (VI), Eb Minor (VI), Ab Minor (III). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play B6 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows B6 on guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin and banjo — 10 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Learn the theory behind it
Why B6 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.