D6 is the D chord you already know with one finger lifted. Take the second string off fret 3, let it ring open, and B joins D, F# and A. The chord gets rounder and a little sweeter, without the restless pull of D7. That is why it turns up as the last chord of swing tunes, bossa grooves and gentle acoustic songs: it sounds finished, just more colorful than a plain major chord.
D6 chord: notes and shapes at a glance
- Name: D major sixth
- Symbol: D6
- Notes: D, F#, A, B
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| D6, open | xx0202 | D A B F# | The one to learn first: open D with the B string left open. All four notes, two fingers. |
| D6, soft top | xx0432 | D B D F# without A | A sweeter, higher voicing with B on top of the G string. No A, so it is a D6 without its fifth: fine for arpeggios and endings. |
| D6, fifth fret | x57777 | D A D F# B | The A shape at the fifth fret with B on top. Complete, movable, no open strings. |
| D6, compact | 10 x 9 11 10 x | D B F# A | The jazz and bossa voicing: four notes, four strings, root on the low E. Mute the A and high E strings. |
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.
D6 on the neck: every D, F#, A, B
Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of D6: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still D6.
From D to D6 in one move
Play your open D, xx0232. Now lift the third finger off the B
string and let that string ring open. You are playing xx0202,
and that is D6.
| String | Fret | Note | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low E, A | x | none | Not played |
| D | 0 | D | Root |
| G | 2 | A | Fifth |
| B | 0 | B | Sixth |
| High E | 2 | F# | Major third |
Use the first finger on the G string and the second finger on the high E. With the old D fingering (index on G, ring on B, middle on high E) you can also just lift the ring finger and keep the rest, which makes D to D6 to D a one finger rocking motion.
The two closed voicings
x57777 is an A shape barre at the fifth fret, with the B string pushed up to fret 7. The first finger takes D on the fifth string; the third finger lies flat across the D, G, B and high E strings at fret 7. If flattening the third finger feels awkward, play the same notes with three separate fingers and leave the high E out: you lose only the B on top, and the chord becomes a plain D.
10 x 9 11 10 x is the voicing jazz and bossa players reach for. Second finger on the low E at fret 10 (D), first finger on the D string at fret 9 (B), fourth finger on the G string at fret 11 (F#), third finger on the B string at fret 10 (A). The fleshy part of the fingers touching the A and high E strings keeps them quiet. Four notes, one each, nothing doubled: it sits well under a singer or alongside a bass player.
D6, D7, Dmaj7 and Bm7: what changes
These chords are close neighbors, and mixing them up changes the music.
| Chord | Notes | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| D | D, F#, A | Plain major |
| D6 | D, F#, A, B | Major with a sweet extra note; can end a song |
| Dmaj7 | D, F#, A, C# | Major, dreamier and more open |
| D7 | D, F#, A, C | Dominant: wants to move to G |
| Bm7 | B, D, F#, A | Same notes as D6, but B in the bass makes it a minor chord |
The pair to remember is D6 and D7: B versus C, one fret apart on the
second string (xx0202 against xx0212). See the D7 chord and the Dmaj7 chord pages to hear the
difference.
Changes to practice
D6 works as a home chord in the key of D. These three loops put it where it is most natural: at the end, or as color on top of D.
| Change | Shapes | What to listen for |
|---|---|---|
| D, D6 | xx0232, xx0202 | Only the B string moves. Hear its note drop from D to B. |
| G, A7, D6 | 320003, x02020, xx0202 | A7 pulls, D6 lands. A soft, finished ending. |
| Em7, A7, D6 | 020000, x02020, xx0202 | The ii, V, I of D major, with a jazzier landing. |
| D6, Bm7 | 10 x 9 11 10 x, 7 x 7 7 7 x | Same notes, new bass: the chord turns minor. |
The same idea, a major chord plus its sixth, gives the C6 and E6 chords, and the plain D chord is the starting point for all of them.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play a D6 chord on guitar?
What notes are in a D6 chord?
What is the difference between D6 and D7?
Are D6 and Bm7 the same chord?
Is D6 the same as Dadd6?
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.