B6 guitar chord: 4 ways to play B major 6th

Ways to play B6

Open position first, then up the neck. Tap a shape to put it on the fretboard above and hear it. The numbers are fingers (1 is your index), × means leave that string out, and ○ means let it ring open.

What's in B6

A major 6th chord adds the 6th to a major triad: B6 is B, D♯, F♯, G♯. Those are the same notes as G♯m7, so the name depends on which note is in the bass and what the music around it is doing.

Note	Formula	Interval from B
B	1	Root
D♯	3	Major 3rd
F♯	5	Perfect 5th
G♯	6	Major 6th

Sweet and a little vintage. It is a common last chord in swing, and the major-to-6th shuffle is a rock and roll rhythm part all by itself.

Keys that use B6

Every major and minor key whose scale contains all of B, D♯, F♯ and G♯, and the chord's Roman numeral in each.

Key	B6 is the
B major	I6
F♯ major	IV6
E major	V6
E♭ minor	VI6
G♯ minor	III6
C♯ minor	VII6

Progressions to try

ii–V–I6 in B major

Ending on a 6th chord is a swing-era sound, sweeter than a maj7.

I–I6 in B major

B
B6

Alternating a major chord with its 6th, the shuffle pattern behind a lot of early rock and roll.

Other chords on B:

See every chord in the library

B6 chord