D6 chord on guitar
The D6 chord, or D major 6th, stacks 4 notes on D: D, F♯, A and B. Musicians write its formula 1 3 5 6.
Notes and intervals of D6
Each note of D6 has a job. Counted from the root, you get root (D), major 3rd (F♯), perfect 5th (A) and major 6th (B). 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 | D |
| 3 | major 3rd | F♯ |
| 5 | perfect 5th | A |
| 6 | major 6th | B |
How to play D6 on guitar
Start with the first diagram: x x 0 2 0 2, read from the 6th string (low E) to the 1st string (high E). Your lowest note is D. The next positions give the same notes in a different order, which is useful when you want D6 to sit closer to the surrounding chords.
Let the open strings ring: strum slowly once and check that every note sounds clean before you speed up.
Which keys use D6?
D6 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 D6
These scales share every note of D6: D major scale, D major pentatonic scale, D Lydian mode and D Mixolydian mode. D 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 D6 chord?
D6 (D major 6th) contains D, F♯, A and B. In intervals: root (D), major 3rd (F♯), perfect 5th (A) and major 6th (B).
How do you play D6 on guitar?
The easiest shape is x x 0 2 0 2, from the low E string to the high E string. This page shows 3 positions with finger numbers.
What scale goes with D6?
D major scale fits D6 best. Other scales that contain all its notes: D major pentatonic scale, D Lydian mode and D Mixolydian mode.
What key is D6 in?
D6 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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