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The A6 chord (A major sixth) on guitar

A6 is A major with an F# added on top. It is softer than plain A, calmer than A7, and less dreamy than Amaj7: a warm, settled sound that works as a last chord as well as a passing color. In open position it is one of the easiest chords there is, a single finger across four strings.

A6 chord: notes and shapes at a glance

  • Name: A major sixth
  • Symbol: A6
  • Notes: A, C#, E, F#

Each shape below is written from the thickest string to the thinnest: a number is the fret, 0 an open string, x a string you do not play. New to this? See how to read chord diagrams.

Shape Frets, low E to high E Notes, low to high What it is for
A6, open x02222 A E A C# F# One finger across the top four strings at fret 2, open A in the bass. A major with F# on top.
A6, compact 5x465x A F# C# E Root on the low E at fret 5, A string muted. Four notes, one of each: the jazz and swing voicing.
A6, twelfth fret x 12 14 14 14 14 A E A C# F# The open shape one octave up: first finger on the A string at fret 12, third finger flat across the top four strings at fret 14.
A6, open x 0 2 2 2 2 · · 1 1 1 1 fingers
A6, compact 5 x 4 6 5 x 2 · 1 4 3 · fingers
A6, twelfth fret x 12 14 14 14 14

Read each diagram from the thickest string on the left to the thinnest on the right. A cross means the string is not played, a circle means it rings open.

A6 on the neck: every A, C#, E, F#

Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of A6: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still A6.

Fretboard notes
Swipe the fretboard sideways to see every fret.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
1 - E
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
2 - B
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
3 - G
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
4 - D
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
5 - A
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
6 - E
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E

How to play A6

Lay the first finger flat across the D, G, B and high E strings at fret 2, just behind the fret wire. Strum from the open A string and leave the low E silent. Compare it with A major (x02220): the only difference is the high E string, open in A, fretted at 2 in A6. That fret 2 note is F#, the sixth.

String Fret Note Role
A (5th)0ARoot
D (4th)2EFifth
G (3rd)2ARoot
B (2nd)2C#Major third
High E (1st)2F#Major sixth
If the high E buzzes under the barre, roll the first finger slightly onto its bony edge, or use four separate fingers (first to fourth on the D, G, B and E strings). Separate fingers also make it easier to switch between A and A6 inside a strum.

Some charts give a full barre at fret 5, 577675. The notes are right, but above the barre it needs four fretted notes for three free fingers, so in practice nobody plays it as written. The compact 5x465x gives the same chord with the root on the low E.

A6, A7 and Amaj7

All three are A major plus one note. The note you add decides what the chord does.

Chord Notes Open shape Behavior
A6 A, C#, E, F# x02222 Stable, can end a song
A7 A, C#, E, G x02020 Dominant, pulls toward D
Amaj7 A, C#, E, G# x02120 Bright, floating

See the A7, Amaj7 and plain A major pages. Sixth chords on other roots work the same way: G6, B6, C6.

A6 and F#m7: one set of notes, two chords

Spell F# minor seventh: F#, A, C#, E. Those are the four notes of A6. What tells them apart is the bass. With A at the bottom (x02222, 5x465x) the ear hears A6. With F# at the bottom (242222) it hears F#m7. A shape with neither note in the bass, like xx4655, can go either way, and the chord before it usually decides.

Progressions with A6

Progression Shapes What to listen for
A, A6 x02220 to x02222 One note moves, E to F#, on the top string.
D, E7, A6 xx0232, 020100, x02222 IV, V7, I in A, with a softer landing than plain A.
Bm7, E7, A6 x24232, 020100, x02222 A ii V I in A. A6 is the classic swing ending.
A6, F#m7 5x465x to 242222 Same notes, new bass: the chord changes without changing.

The sixth also lives in one of the oldest rock and blues patterns. On the A and D strings alone, alternate the D string between fret 2 (E, making A5) and fret 4 (F#, the sixth) over the open A. That back and forth is the A6 color in two notes. The chords around it: D, E7 and Bm7.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play an A6 chord on guitar?
Play x02222: lay the first finger flat across the D, G, B and high E strings at fret 2, and strum from the open A string. It is the open A major shape with the high E fretted at 2.
What notes are in A6?
A, C#, E and F#: an A major triad plus F#, the major sixth. The formula is 1, 3, 5, 6.
What is the difference between A6 and A7?
The added note. A6 adds F#, A7 adds G. That one fret changes the job: A7 is a dominant chord that wants to move to D, while A6 is stable and can end a song.
Are A6 and F#m7 the same chord?
They have the same four notes: A, C#, E, F#. The bass decides. With A at the bottom you hear A6; with F# at the bottom (242222) you hear F#m7. A shape with neither in the bass, such as xx4655, can be heard either way.
Yohann Abbou, guitar teacher and founder of Guitar Social Club

Who made this

Guitar Social Club is the work of Yohann Abbou, a guitar teacher in Paris who teaches adults. Every shape on this page is written string by string and checked against standard tuning, and the diagrams are drawn from those same fret numbers. The rest of our free guitar tools, including the chord finder, work the same way.

More about Yohann on his page, and about why Guitar Social Club exists.