F6 is F major with a D added, and that D makes it rounder and warmer without making it restless. It is a chord to land on: the last chord of a swing tune, a bossa vamp, a soft ending in a ballad. The best news for your hand is that the D can be an open string, so the main shape needs no barre.
F6 chord: notes and shapes at a glance
- Name: F major sixth
- Symbol: F6
- Notes: F, A, C, D
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| F6, four strings | xx0211 | D A C F | Open D string, two fingers. All four notes, but D in the bass: on its own it sounds like Dm7. |
| F6, thumb bass | 1x0211 | F D A C F | The thumb adds F on the low E and mutes the fifth string. The main open F6. |
| F6, barre | 133231 | F C F A D F | The F barre with the fourth finger on the B string at fret 3. Third finger flat over the fifth and fourth strings. |
| F6, eighth fret | x 8 10 10 10 10 | F C F A D | Root on the fifth string at fret 8, then the third finger flat across the top four strings at fret 10. |
| F6, jazz voicing | 13 x 12 14 13 x | F D A C | Root on the low E at fret 13, fifth string muted. Four notes, one each, for jazz and bossa comping. |
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.
F6 on the neck: every F, A, C, D
Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of F6: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still F6.
The open F6: 1x0211, finger by finger
- Thumb over the neck on the low E at fret 1: F, the root.
- The same thumb, or the flesh beside it, touches the fifth string to mute it.
- Fourth string open: D, the sixth. This is the note that makes F6.
- Second finger on the third string at fret 2: A.
- First finger across the B and high E strings at fret 1: C and F.
No thumb? Play the low E with the first finger, the third string with the
third finger, and the B and high E with the second and fourth. It works,
but muting the fifth string gets harder. Or drop the bass and play xx0211, keeping in mind what the next section says about it.
F6 and Dm7: same notes, the bass decides
F6 is F, A, C, D. Dm7 is D, F, A, C. Same four notes. What you hear depends on the lowest one.
| Shape | Lowest note | What you hear |
|---|---|---|
1x0211 | F | F6 |
xx0211 | D | Dm7, unless a bass plays F |
13 x 12 14 13 x | F | F6 |
10 x 10 10 10 x | D | Dm7 |
In a band, where the bass player holds F, the light four string shape is perfectly fine as F6. Alone, give it the thumb.
From F to F6, and where it lands
On the barre, F6 is F with one more finger: the fourth finger on the B string at fret 3 turns C into D.
| Change | Shapes |
|---|---|
| F to F6 | 133211 to 133231 |
| F to open F6 | 133211 to 1x0211 |
| Bb, C7, F6 | x13331, x32310, 133231 |
| Gm7, C7, F6 (ii V I in F) | 3x333x, x32310, 133231 |
In the last two rows F6 is the arrival. It sounds finished, but softer than plain F. That is the job of a sixth chord. Compare with F7, where the added note is Eb and the chord wants to move on. More moves on the chord progressions page.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play F6 on guitar?
What notes are in F6?
Is F6 the same as Dm7?
Is F6 the same as Fadd6?
What is the difference between F6 and F7?
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.