B sixth (B6) chord on ukulele

The B sixth chord (B6) is a major sixth chord (a major triad plus a major sixth), made of four notes: B – D♯ – F♯ – G♯.

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

Position 4medium

Position 11medium

Position 6medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

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What the B6 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 B6 chord

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

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (A): fret 2, ring finger (B4)
String 2 (E): fret 2, middle finger (F♯4)
String 3 (C): fret 3, little finger (D♯4)
String 4 (G): fret 1, index finger (G♯4)

Position 4

String 1 (A): fret 6, little finger (D♯5)
String 2 (E): fret 4, middle finger (G♯4)
String 3 (C): fret 6, ring finger (F♯4)
String 4 (G): fret 4, index finger (B4)

Position 11

String 1 (A): fret 11, little finger (G♯5)
String 2 (E): fret 11, ring finger (D♯5)
String 3 (C): fret 11, middle finger (B4)
String 4 (G): fret 11, index finger (F♯5)

Tuning: G C E A (the G string is higher than the C – standard re-entrant ukulele tuning). In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The B6 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

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

Similar chords and substitutes

If B6 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

A♭m – relative minor: two shared notes, a common stand-in for the tonic
E♭m – mediant minor (iii): two shared notes
Bmaj7 – a softer, jazzier tonic colour
Bsus4 – suspended version that resolves back to this chord

Same notes

A♭m7 – the same notes with a different root

Simpler versions

B – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

B13 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the B6 chord?

B, D♯, F♯, G♯. The root is B; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, perfect fifth, major sixth.

What is the easiest way to play B6 on ukulele?

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 B6 shapes?

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

Why do some songbooks write H instead of B?

In German and Central European notation, H is the note B, and B is the note B♭. So a “B” chord in a German or Hungarian songbook is B♭ in English notation, and an “H” chord is B. Always check which notation your chord chart uses.