Piano chord
B Major 6th Chord
B6 is a major 6th chord built on B. It contains the notes B – D♯ – F♯ – G♯.
B6
Also written: Bmaj6, Badd6
- B
- D♯
- F♯
- G♯
Notes in B6
Count up from B using the intervals below. The formula shows each note relative to the B major scale.
| Notes | Intervals | Formula | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | Root | 1 | 0 |
| D♯ | Major 3rd | 3 | 4 |
| F♯ | Perfect 5th | 5 | 7 |
| G♯ | Major 6th | 6 | 9 |
How to play B6 on piano
- Right hand: fingers 1–2–3–5 (thumb on B).
- Left hand: fingers 5–3–2–1, or play just the root in the left hand and the other notes in the right.
- Inversions keep your hand closer to the previous chord — see below.
B6 inversions
An inversion puts a different note of B6 at the bottom. The notes stay the same, the colour and voice leading change.
Root position
B6B – D♯ – F♯ – G♯
1st inversion
B6/D♯D♯ – F♯ – G♯ – B
2nd inversion
B6/F♯F♯ – G♯ – B – D♯
3rd inversion
B6/G♯G♯ – B – D♯ – F♯
About major 6th chords
Add the 6th to a major chord for a warm, nostalgic sweetness. The sound of vintage jazz and golden-age pop.
Sound: Warm & nostalgic
Songs that use it
- My Favorite Things · Julie AndrewsMusical
- When I'm Sixty-Four · The BeatlesRock
- La Vie en Rose · Édith PiafChanson
Keys that contain B6
B6 is built only from notes of these keys. The Roman numeral shows its role in each key.
Hear B6 with different sounds and compare it with other chords in the interactive builder.
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