A sixth (A6) chord on banjo

Looking for the A6 chord on banjo? It is a major sixth chord (a major triad plus a major sixth), made of four notes: A – C♯ – E – F♯.

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

Position 6medium

Position 4medium

Position 10medium

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What the A6 chord sounds like

A sixth chord is a major triad with an added major sixth. It has a cheerful, vintage swing colour and often stands in for the tonic in jazz and swing. It has the same notes as the relative minor seventh (C6 = Am7).

Notes of the A6 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	A	root
3	C♯	major third (4 semitones)
5	E	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
6	F♯	major sixth (9 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (D): fret 4, little finger (F♯4)
String 2 (B): fret 2, ring finger (C♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 2, middle finger (A3)
String 4 (D): fret 2, index finger (E3)

Position 6

String 1 (D): fret 7, little finger (A4)
String 2 (B): fret 7, ring finger (F♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 6, index finger (C♯4)
String 4 (D): fret 7, middle finger (A3)

Position 4

String 1 (D): fret 4, index finger (F♯4)
String 2 (B): fret 5, middle finger (E4)
String 3 (G): fret 6, ring finger (C♯4)
String 4 (D): fret 7, little finger (A3)

Five-string banjo in open G tuning (g D G B D). The diagram shows the four long strings; the short 5th string (g) rings open – avoid it when G is not in the chord. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The A6 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

A major: I6 (tonic)
D major: V6 (dominant)
E major: IV6 (subdominant)
B minor: VII6
F♯ minor: III6
C♯ minor: VI6

Similar chords and substitutes

If A6 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

F♯m – relative minor: two shared notes, a common stand-in for the tonic
C♯m – mediant minor (iii): two shared notes
Amaj7 – a softer, jazzier tonic colour
Asus4 – suspended version that resolves back to this chord

Same notes

F♯m7 – the same notes with a different root

Simpler versions

A – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

A13 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A6 chord?

A, C♯, E, F♯. The root is A; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, perfect fifth, major sixth.

What is the easiest way to play A6 on banjo?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some A6 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 4-note chord. The fifth (E) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without it.

How is the A6 chord written?

The chord symbol is A6, and its full name is A sixth.