C Major Sixth Chord (C6)

1Composition: what it contains

C – E – G – A

Symbol

C6

Also written

C6, Cmaj6, CM6, Cadd6

Formula

1 3 5 6

2Appearance: diagrams and sound

On the guitar

On the ukulele

On the piano

On the staff

On bass and as an arpeggio

3Indications: what it is used for

Used as a tonic chord in swing, early jazz, rockabilly, western swing, bossa nova and vintage pop, often instead of the major seventh. It appears at endings, in shuffle rhythm patterns (the boogie 5–6 movement) and in big-band voicings. A sixth chord shares its notes with the minor seventh chord built on its sixth, so it can be reinterpreted in reharmonisation. Guitarists use it for comping on the tonic in swing and blues.

4Dosage: how to practise it

On guitar, learn the closed four-string shapes rooted on the fifth and sixth strings, and the shuffle pattern that alternates fifth and sixth over the root. On piano, play root-third-fifth-sixth and its inversions, especially the voicing with the sixth just below the root. Practise I6–vi7–ii7–V7 at 80–120 BPM with a swing feel. Arpeggiate the chord on bass. Five to ten minutes daily, comparing it with the major seventh chord to hear the difference.

5Warnings and common mistakes

Do not confuse it with a thirteenth chord: the 6 chord has no seventh. With the sixth in the bass it becomes a minor seventh chord, so always keep the intended root in the bass. Avoid placing the sixth directly next to the fifth at the top of a voicing if it sounds muddy; spread the voicing. Some charts write '6' meaning a 6/9 chord; check the style and melody.

6Interactions with chords, scales and keys

Inversions

• Inversion 1 · C6/E · E – G – A – C Play
• Inversion 2 · C6/G · G – A – C – E Play
• Inversion 3 · C6/A · A – C – E – G Play

Scales to play over C6

• C Major Scale
• C Lydian Mode
• C Mixolydian Mode
• C Major Pentatonic Scale
• C Major Blues Scale
• C Half-Whole Diminished Scale
• C Lydian Dominant Scale
• C Bebop Dominant Scale

7Other presentations available

The same chord from every note

C♯6 D6 E♭6 E6 F6 F♯6 G6 A♭6 A6 B♭6 B6

Other chords on C

C Cm Cdim Caug Csus2 Csus4 C5 Cm6 C7 Cmaj7 Cm7 Cm7♭5 Cdim7 Cm(maj7) C7sus4 Cadd9 Cm(add9) C6/9 C9 Cmaj9 Cm9 C11 Cm11 C13 C7♭9 C7♯9 C7♯5 C7♭5