Julie Swihart

Sixth Chords

Let’s look at how to play an A6 chord on the piano. We’ll also learn the pattern for building any sixth chord.

What Are Sixth Chords?

Sixth chords are major chords with an added note. The added note is the sixth note of the matching major scale.

So to build a sixth chord, we’ll start by building a major chord. Major chords are built using the first, third and fifth notes of the matching major scale (learn how to build a major scale here).

To convert the major chord into a sixth chord, we’ll add the sixth note of the same scale.

Chord Types Printable

Learn to play 17 types of piano chords using 12 different root notes with this 34-page PDF! Chords are sorted both by their root note (C, D, E, etc.) and type (major, minor, augmented, diminished, etc.).

Get the Printable

How to Play an A6 Chord

Now let’s build an A6 chord on the piano. We’ll start by building an A major chord, using the first, third and fifth notes of the A major scale: A – C♯ – E

Then we’ll add the sixth note of the A major scale to the A major chord: F♯

So to play an A6 chord, we’ll play:

A – C♯ – E – F♯

You can use this pattern to build any sixth chord on the piano. First built a major chord using the first, third and fifth notes of the matching major scale. Then add the sixth note of the same scale to the chord.

Other Chord Types

There are many other chord types you can learn. Here are some others:

Major
Minor
Augmented
Diminished
Second
Minor Second
Suspended
Fifth
Minor Sixth
Seventh
Minor Seventh
Major Seventh
Ninth
Minor Ninth
Major Ninth

Conclusion

Now you know how to build an A6 chord on the piano, and you can use this pattern to build all other sixth chords!

Using chords to learn the piano is a wonderful way to learn quickly and to enjoy greater levels of creativity at the piano.