6th Chords (6) - Guitar Diagrams and Voicings

What Are 6th Chords?

Sixth chords are built with four notes. They consist of a root (1), a major third (3), a perfect fifth (5) and major sixth (6). This means to add the sixth note of the major scale to a major triad. For example, a major triad is made up of three stacked notes, (C, E and G). To get a C6 chord you just have to add the sixth of C which is A.

C major 6	C	E	G	A
Intervals	1	3	5	6

Here are two basic major sixth guitar chord shapes in C. These positions are movable, meaning that you can play them anywhere on the guitar neck.

SUMMARY

Relative Minor

Drop 2 Shapes

Drop 3 Shapes

What's The Relative Minor?

Sixth chords contain the same notes as their relative minor seventh chords. The relative minor is exactly 3 semitones below. For example, A minor seventh (Am7) is the relative minor of C6 . This can be useful for chord melody arrangements.

A minor seventh	A	C	E	G
C6		C	E	G	A

Drop 2 Chord Shapes

Sixth chords are built by lowering the 7th of any major 7 chord position. The following guitar diagrams are based on drop 2 major 7th chord voicing shapes. The 7th is lowered by 2 semitones thus giving 4 voicings.

Root position	R	5	6	3
1st inversion (third in the bass)	3	6	R	5
2nd inversion (fifth in the bass)	5	R	3	6
3rd inversion (sixth in the bass)	6	3	5	R

What is a Drop 2 Chord?

Drop 2 chords are built by dropping the second highest note of a four-note chord in close position to the lowest note of the chord. These chords are the most easy to play because all the notes on the guitar neck are close together. There is no string skip.

How to Play Sixth Chords on Guitar?

The three diagrams below show how to play Drop 2 sixth chords on guitar :

The root position (R 5 6 3) is represented in red
The first inversion (3 6 R 5) is the blue shape.
The second inversion (5 R 3 6) is the green shape.
The third inversion (6 3 5 R) is in orange.

Drop 3 Chord Shapes

Drop 3 chords are built by taking the third note from the top of a four-note chord in closed position and putting it to the bass. Four new voicings arise from this, here they are :

R 6 3 5 (root voicing)
3 R 5 6 (first inversion)
5 3 6 R (2nd inversion)
6 5 R 3 (3rd inversion)

Guitar Scale Dictionary

This E-book is a printable PDF method including over 700 guitar scale diagrams and formula charts.
Guitar Chord Dictionary

This PDF eBook provides over 550 guitar chord shapes. This is the perfect reference guide to understand how chords are built and how to play them on guitar.
172 Arpeggio Shapes For Guitar

This printable PDF is a method dedicated to guitarists of all styles who want to learn the most important types of arpeggios.
126 Triad Chord Shapes

This handbook for guitar players is intended both for teachers and students. It includes 126 guitar shapes for mastering triads.
30 Minor Arpeggio Licks

This package provides a printable PDF method containing 30 exercises (tab / audio files) for practicing minor arpeggios on guitar.
II V I Bundle - 170 Exercises

This bundle contains 4 PDF methods for a total of 170 exercises with tabs & audio files for practicing scales, licks & chords over the famous 2-5-1 progression.
Diatonic Licks Bundle

This package contains 120 jazz guitar lines based on diatonic modes as Mixolydian, Dorian and Ionian. PDF format with tabs, audio files and analysis.
30 Smooth Jazz Guitar Licks

In this package you'll get a printable PDF Method with tabs, notation, analysis, scale shapes and audio files related to 30 smooth jazz guitar licks.
40 II V I Jazz Guitar Licks

This pdf method for guitar contains fourteen 2 5 1 jazz guitar lines with tab, standard notation, analysis, scale charts and audio files.
50 II-V-I voicings

This printable PDF guitar method provides 50 exercises with audio files, analysis, tab & standard notation for practicing chords over the major 2-5-1 progression.
40 Minor 2 5 1 Chord Voicings

This PDF method contains 40 exercices with tabs, scores and audio files for practicing jazz guitar chords over the minor 2 5 1 progression.
40 Minor II V I Licks

This guitar method is a printable PDF with tabs, diagrams, theory and audio files providing 40 minor 2 5 1 jazz patterns.
40 Mixolydian Jazz Guitar Lick

PDF guitar method with tabs, audio files and theory providing 40 dominant jazz guitar lines for teachers and students.
40 Minor Jazz Guitar Licks

This printable guitar method in PDF format contains 40 easy minor jazz guitar lines based on the Dorian mode.
40 Major Jazz Guitar Licks

Printable PDF eBook method containing 40 major jazz guitar licks with tab, standard notation and audio files for beginners and intermediates.
Guitar Walking Bass Lines

This jazz guitar method about walking bass lines and chords is available as a PDF files containing 35 exercises with tabs, analysis and audio files
101 Dominant Arpeggio Patterns

This printable PDF method provides 101 dominant arpeggio exercises with tab, theory and standard notation for the jazz, blues and rock guitarist.
49 Essential Jazz Lines

This printable eBook method in PDF format provides 49 jazz solo transcriptions of the greatest jazz musicians. Tab, standard notation, audio files & analysis.
11 Jazz Blues Studies

This PDF method contains 11 jazz blues chord studies with tabs, standard notation, analysis & audio files for jazz guitar players.
25 Altered Jazz Guitar Lines

This PDF eBook method contains 25 altered jazz guitar licks with tabs, patterns, scale charts and audio files to master, apply and develop the altered scale.
40 Blues Dominant Patterns

This printable method is available as a PDF file containing 40 easy dominant jazz-blues guitar lines with tabs, standard notation, analysis, audio files and scale charts.
Mastering Pentatonic Scales

This jazz guitar method is an eBook available as a PDF with standard notation, guitar tabs, diagrams, analysis, audio files and backing tracks. You will find in this booklet 25 easy jazz guitar lines with theory using common and rare pentatonic scales.
25 Soul Jazz Guitar Licks

You will find here an eBook available in PDF containing 25 soul jazz and hard bop guitar licks in the style of Grant Green, Melvin Sparks, George Benson. These jazz lines come with tabs, standard notation, guitar neck diagrams, backing track for practice and 25 audio files for each riff.
25 Diminished Patterns

This eBook PDF with audio files contains 25 dominant diminished jazz guitar patterns using the half-whole diminished scale and diminished 7th arpeggios.
6 Tritone substitution licks

This Printable PDF eBook available for free download contains 6 easy jazz guitar licks with tabs/notation, youtube video link and analysis about the tritone substitution.