B♭6 chord on guitar
The B♭6 chord, or B flat major 6th, stacks 4 notes on B♭: B♭, D, F and G. Musicians write its formula 1 3 5 6.
Notes and intervals of B♭6
Each note of B♭6 has a job. Counted from the root, you get root (B♭), major 3rd (D), perfect 5th (F) and major 6th (G). Change one of these intervals and you get a different chord, which is why the formula 1 3 5 6 is worth memorising rather than the shape alone.
| Degree | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | root | B♭ |
| 3 | major 3rd | D |
| 5 | perfect 5th | F |
| 6 | major 6th | G |
How to play B♭6 on guitar
Start with the first diagram: x 1 3 3 3 3, read from the 6th string (low E) to the 1st string (high E). Your lowest note is B♭. The next positions give the same notes in a different order, which is useful when you want B♭6 to sit closer to the surrounding chords.
This is a barre or movable shape: keep your index finger straight and close to the fret, and press with the side of the finger rather than the flat pad.
Which keys use B♭6?
B♭6 is not built from the notes of a single major key, so it usually appears as a colour chord: a borrowed chord, a passing chord or a suspension that resolves to the next chord.
Scales to play over B♭6
These scales share every note of B♭6: B flat major scale, B flat major pentatonic scale, B flat Lydian mode and B flat Mixolydian mode. B flat major scale is the safest choice; the others add more colour.
About major 6th chords
A major triad with a major sixth added: 1 3 5 6. Sweet, warm and a little nostalgic, the 6 chord is stable and needs no resolution. It sounds older and more 'swing' than a maj7, which is why it was the standard tonic chord of 1930s and 1940s jazz. For example C6: C E G A.
Use it on I and IV as a tonic colour: swing, gypsy jazz, rockabilly, early rock and roll and bossa nova often end songs on a 6. The classic boogie riff moves 5, 6, ♭7, 6 over each chord of a blues. In pop, a I6 replaces Imaj7 when the major seventh sounds too dreamy.
Open G6 (320000), C6 (x32210) and A6 (x02222) are good starters. Movable four-note shapes have the root on the 6th string (with the 5th string muted) or on the 5th string. Gypsy jazz players favour compact shapes on the middle strings and often turn them into 6/9 chords by adding the 9.
6 versus m7: C6 and Am7 contain the same notes, and only the bass and context decide. 6 versus 13: a 13 chord contains a ♭7, a 6 chord does not. And do not mix up chord symbols with classical figured bass, where '6' means first inversion, not an added sixth.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the B♭6 chord?
B♭6 (B flat major 6th) contains B♭, D, F and G. In intervals: root (B♭), major 3rd (D), perfect 5th (F) and major 6th (G).
How do you play B♭6 on guitar?
The easiest shape is x 1 3 3 3 3, from the low E string to the high E string. This page shows 3 positions with finger numbers.
What scale goes with B♭6?
B flat major scale fits B♭6 best. Other scales that contain all its notes: B flat major pentatonic scale, B flat Lydian mode and B flat Mixolydian mode.
What key is B♭6 in?
B♭6 does not belong to a single major key. It is used as a colour chord that borrows notes from outside the key.
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