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6/9 Chords aka 6add9 | Guitar Diagrams and Voicing Charts

The 6/9 chord is a rich, colorful chord often used in jazz, bossa nova, funk, and soul.

It adds warmth and smoothness compared to a regular major chord.

Built on a major triad (root, 3rd, 5th), it extends the harmony by adding the 6th and the 9th degrees of the scale.

Construction

A 6/9 chord, also known as a "six-nine" chord, is a musical chord that includes the following notes: the root, third, fifth, sixth, and ninth.

In terms of intervals, this chord consists of a major triad (root, major third, and perfect fifth) with the added sixth and ninth.

  • root (1),
  • major third (3) 
  • perfect fifth (5) 
  • sixth (6)  
  • ninth (9)

6/9 voicings are very cool because they have a somewhat more interesting, ambiguous and rich sound.

They are great for substituting major chords.

This type of chord also can embody a fourth-stack.

For example, with C6/9, we got C in the bass and three notes stacked in fourth from the third of C (EAD) giving a C6/9 chord.

Chord Symbols and Notation

6/9 chords can be written 6-9, 69, 6/9 or 6add9.

Differences Between maj6, maj13, maj9 and 6/9 Chords

Some type of chords can be confusing.

Here is a summary chart :

  • maj6 chords are built with 1 3 5 6
  • maj13 chords are built with 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 
  • maj7add13 are built with 1 3 5 7 13
  • maj9 are built with 1 3 5 7 9
  • 6/9 chords are built with 1 3 5 6 9
Cmaj6 C E G A      
Interval Pattern 1 3 5 6      
Cmaj13 C E G B D F A
Interval Pattern 1 3 5 7 9 11 13
Cmaj7add13 C E G B     A
Intervale Pattern 1 3 5 7     13
Cmaj9 C E G B D    
Interval Pattern 1 3 5 7 9    
C 6/9  C E G A D    
Interval Pattern 1 3 5 6 9    

Guitar Chord Shapes

Here are six guitar diagrams to play 6/9 chords.

The first two shapes have roots on the 6th string.

The next two shapes have roots on the fifth string and the last two ones have roots on the fourth string.

Comparison With m11 Chords

As you can see that 6/9 chords are built with a root (R) and four notes stacked in fourths (3,6,9 and 5).

Starting from the major third of a 6/9 chord, you get a m11 chord.

This chart below shows the relationship between C 6/9 and Em11. 

C6/9 C E A D G
Intervals 1 3 6 9 5
Em11   E A D G
Intervals   1 4 (11) b7 b3

 

How to Use 6/9 Chords?

Here are two 69 chord applications. In this first II-V-I in C major, we will use three chords.

  • Dm11 with no root (rootless).
  • G13 with no root.
  • C69 with no root. If you have read right the previous explanations, this chord can be considered as Em11. 

So the original progression which was Dm7 | G7 | Cmaj7 has become Dm11 | G13 | C69

In this example, G7 is replaced by G6. Then two chords, C6/9 and Cmaj6 are played instead of Cmaj7.

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Last edited: 2025-08-20

Comments

  • JazzGuitarFan87

    1 JazzGuitarFan87 On 2025-08-20

    Excellent page ! When should I use a 6/9 chord in a song?
    jazz-guitar-licks

    jazz-guitar-licks On 2025-08-20

    Hello,
    You can use a 6/9 chord whenever you want to add a smooth, jazzy, or dreamy sound to a song. They work especially well:
    As a substitute for a major chord in a chord progression.
    In jazz, bossa nova, or soul styles where a richer harmony is desired.
    On the I chord (tonic) or in II–V–I progressions to make the harmony sound more colorful.
    Basically, anytime you want a chord that’s pleasant, open, and sophisticated without sounding tense, a 6/9 chord is a great choice.
    Stef
  • Steve

    2 Steve On 2024-01-27

    Love these chords, thanks for the lesson.
    jazz-guitar-licks

    jazz-guitar-licks On 2024-01-27

    My pleasure, thanks for stopping by.
    Stef
  • Tim

    3 Tim On 2019-08-12

    If you're going to use a triangle to denote a major note, that's fine for the 3 and 6, but why not use it also for the 9th?
    jazz-guitar-licks

    jazz-guitar-licks On 2019-08-13

    Good question, because the 9 is an extension, the octave of the 2nd. This one can be noted 2▲

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