G6 Chord on Guitar
G6 = G – B – D – E (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, Major 6th)
G6 lives one fret above the F#6 barre, at the third fret, and is built the identical way — the note that would normally hold the fifth in a G major barre slides two frets higher to become the major sixth instead. The physical motion transfers directly from the F#6 shape a fret below, which makes G6 a quick add to a player's vocabulary once F#6 is already known.
G-B-D-E: root, major third, fifth's replacement (the sixth), doubled root. As with any major-sixth chord, this reads as a brighter, jazzier cousin of the plain major triad, associated with swing-era big-band endings and the kind of dance-hall harmony that predates the modern habit of ending progressions on a seventh chord. In G major it's a tonic color substitute; it also turns up as IV6 in D major, giving that key's subdominant an extra lift without changing its basic function.
Fingerings
Barre (3rd fret)
How to Practice It
Learn the plain G major barre at the third fret first if it isn't already automatic, then practice sliding just the finger on the D string up two frets to the sixth. Since this is the same relationship as F#-to-F#6 one fret down, use the two chords together as a pattern-recognition exercise — moving between roots while keeping the same internal finger movement is exactly the skill that makes movable barre shapes worth learning in the first place.
Common Progressions
- G6 – C – G6 (I6 – IV – I6 in G major, a swing-style tonic loop)
- D – G6 – Em (V – I6 – vi in G major)
- G6 – C6 – D7 (parallel sixth-chord motion into a dominant resolution)
- Em – G6 – C – D (vi – I6 – IV – V, using the sixth as a brighter tonic color)
FAQ
- What changes between G major and G6?
- The D-string note moves from the fifth (D) up two frets to the major sixth (E), while every other string in the third-fret barre stays exactly where it is.
- Is G6 the same shape as F#6 just moved up a fret?
- Yes — it's the identical movable E-shape pattern with the sixth substituted for the fifth, simply slid one fret higher to change the root from F# to G.
- Why does G6 sound like swing or big-band music?
- Major-sixth chords were the standard tonic-ending color in dance-band and swing arrangements before seventh-chord tonics became the more common modern default, so the sound is strongly associated with that earlier harmonic vocabulary.
- Does G6 work as a substitute for G major in a chord chart?
- Usually yes, since it keeps the root and third intact and simply brightens the color by swapping the fifth for a sixth, which rarely conflicts with a melody or other harmony written for the plain triad.
- Is G6 harder to play than plain G major?
- No — it's the same barre with one finger repositioned two frets higher, so the physical demand is essentially identical to the plain major chord.
G6 on other instruments: G6 on Piano, G6 on Ukulele. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.