Julie Swihart

Sixth Chords

Let’s look at how to play a B6 chord on the piano. We’ll also learn the pattern for building any other 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 play a sixth chord, we’ll start with a major chord. Major chords are built using the first, third and fifth notes of the matching major scale. Then to convert the major chord into a sixth chord, we’ll add the sixth note of the matching major 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 a B6 Chord

To play a B6 chord, we’ll start with a B major chord. We can build a B major chord using the first, third and fifth notes of the B major scale: B – D♯ – F♯

Then we’ll add the sixth note of the B major scale to the chord: G♯

So to play a B6 chord, we’ll play:

B – D♯ – F♯ – G♯

We can use this pattern to build any other sixth chord, by first build a major chord, then adding the sixth note of the matching major scale.

Conclusion

Now you know how to play a B6 chord on the piano, and you can use this knowledge to play any other sixth chord!

Using chords to learn the piano is a great way to enjoy and create music!