G6 is the easiest sixth chord on the guitar, and you probably play half of it already. Take the open G chord, lift the finger off the high E string, and that open E is the sixth. The chord stays bright and stable, but it sounds more open, a little vintage, the way a swing or bossa guitarist would end a tune.
G6 chord: notes and shapes at a glance
- Name: G major sixth
- Symbol: G6
- Notes: G, B, D, E
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| G6, open | 320000 | G B D G B E | The G6 most people mean: an open G with the high E left open. All six strings, complete. |
| G6, without the A string | 3x0000 | G D G B E | One finger. The A string is muted by the third finger leaning on it. Still complete: B rings on the second string. |
| G6, compact | 3x243x | G E B D | Four notes, one of each: G, E, B, D. The jazz and bossa voicing, easy to mute and to move. |
| G6, barre | 355453 | G D G B E G | The G barre chord with the fourth finger adding E on the B string. Movable to any root on the low E. |
| G6, tenth fret | x 10 12 12 12 12 | G D G B E | First finger on the A string at fret 10, third finger flat across the top four strings at fret 12. |
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.
G6 on the neck: every G, B, D, E
Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of G6: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still G6.
From G to G6 by lifting one finger
Finger your open G as 320003 with the third finger on the low E,
the second finger on the A string and the fourth finger on the high E. Now lift
the fourth finger. The high E string rings open and you are playing 320000, G6.
That single movement is a whole accompaniment trick. On a long bar of G, play G on beats 1 and 3 and let the pinky go on beats 2 and 4. The top note moves from G to E and back, and a static chord starts to move without your hand going anywhere. It is the same idea as a sus4 or an add9: one note changes, the song gets a lot more motion.
210003 style with
the third finger on the high E), switch to 3, 2 and 4. Keeping the third finger
on the low E is what makes G6, Gadd9 and the other open G colors one move away.
Which G6 shape for which job
| Shape | Sound | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
320000 | Full, ringing, six strings | Strummed folk and pop, final chords |
320030 | Same, with D on the B string | When you want the sixth on top but less B in the middle |
3x243x | Dry, compact, four notes | Swing comping, bossa, soul, anything muted |
355453 | Thick, all six strings fretted | Electric rhythm, songs already in barre position |
For 3x243x, the second finger plays G on the low E and also
leans on the A string to mute it. The first finger takes E on the D string
at fret 2, the fourth finger B on the G string at fret 4, the third finger
D on the B string at fret 3. Strum only four strings, or pluck them with
thumb and three fingers.
G6 and Em7: same notes, two chords
G6 is G, B, D, E. Em7 is E, G, B, D. Same four notes. The difference is the lowest one.
-
320000: G in the bass. You hear a major chord with a sweet added note. -
022030: E in the bass. You hear a minor chord, soft and a little melancholy.
Play one, then the other. The upper strings barely change, yet the mood flips. This is also why a bass player under your G6 can turn it into Em7 without asking you: chord names follow the bass.
G6 in a progression
G6 is not a dominant chord: nothing in it pushes toward another chord. It works where G is home, as a resting point. That is the opposite of G7, whose F wants to fall to E in a C chord.
| Progression | Shapes | What to listen for |
|---|---|---|
| G, G6 | 320003, 320000 | The top note moving G, E, G |
| C, D7, G6 | x32010, xx0212, 320000 | The D7 resolving onto a softer, wider G |
| Am7, D7, G6 | x02010, xx0212, 320000 | The ii, V, I ending of countless swing tunes |
| G6, Em7 | 3x243x, 022030 | Same notes, the bass decides the mood |
The sixth chord family works the same way on every root: see C6 and D6, or G6/B for the same chord with B in the bass.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play a G6 chord on guitar?
What notes are in a G6 chord?
Is G6 the same as Em7?
What is the difference between G6 and G7?
Can I play G6 instead of G?
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.