C6 guitar chord: 6 ways to play C major 6th

Ways to play C6

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 C6

A major 6th chord adds the 6th to a major triad: C6 is C, E, G, A. Those are the same notes as Am7, so the name depends on which note is in the bass and what the music around it is doing.

Note	Formula	Interval from C
C	1	Root
E	3	Major 3rd
G	5	Perfect 5th
A	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 C6

Every major and minor key whose scale contains all of C, E, G and A, and the chord's Roman numeral in each.

Key	C6 is the
C major	I6
G major	IV6
F major	V6
E minor	VI6
A minor	III6
D minor	VII6

Progressions to try

ii–V–I6 in C major

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

I–I6 in C major

C
C6

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

Other chords on C:

See every chord in the library

C6 chord