What note does G6 add to the plain major triad?

E, a major sixth above the root, which softens the chord's landing compared to a plain triad and gives it a vintage, vamp-like character common in older Hawaiian ukulele repertoire.

Is G6 related to any minor seventh chord?

Yes — it shares three notes with Em7 (G, B, and D), so the two chords can substitute for each other in some harmonic contexts, a relationship that holds for any major sixth chord and its relative minor seventh.

Why does G6 only need two fingers?

The G and E strings already ring the root and sixth as open notes, leaving only the C and A strings to fret, both at the same second fret on non-adjacent strings.

When is G6 used instead of plain G major?

Most often at the end of a phrase or song, where its softer, more suspended color makes for a gentler landing than a plain triad's harder resolution.

← Ukulele Chords

G6 Chord on Ukulele

G6 = G – B – D – E (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, Major 6th)

G6 adds a major sixth (E) above the G major triad, and on ukulele that extra note turns out to need only two fingers: fret the C string at the second fret and the A string at the second fret, non-adjacent strings sharing the same fret number, while the G and E strings both ring open, since open E is exactly the note the sixth calls for. It's a compact, efficient shape given that it's technically a four-note chord — no wider a reach than plain G major's own open voicing.

Sixth chords carry an unmistakably vintage character on ukulele, a favorite closing sound in early Hawaiian and hapa haole repertoire where a 6th chord offers a gentler, more sustained alternative to a plain major triad's harder landing, and G6 fills that role for the instrument's single most common key. G6 also shares three of its four notes with Em7 (both chords contain G, B, and D), a relationship that lets the two substitute for each other in some contexts, since a sixth chord and the minor seventh built on its sixth scale degree are functionally close cousins — the same kind of relationship F#6 has with D#m7 elsewhere in this key family, just landing on different notes. As a tonic substitute, G6 softens a straightforward G major resolution into something more suspended and open-ended, useful at the close of a phrase.

Fingerings

Open Position

How to Practice It

Because the C and A strings share the same fret number but aren't adjacent, this is a two-finger placement rather than a barre — keep the fingers independent and make sure the open E string ringing between them isn't muted by either. Since G6 and plain G major share the open G string and a similar overall footprint, practice switching between the two, noticing that only the A string's fingering needs to shift from a stretch up near the third fret (in the standard open G major voicing) down to the second fret here. A useful context drill is ending a short I-IV-V phrase in G major on this chord instead of the plain triad, listening for how much softer the cadence feels.

Common Progressions

I – IV – V – I(6), ending a G major phrase on the softer sixth-chord color
G6 substituting for Em7 in a ii-V-I context resolving to C
A vintage vamp move: I(6) – V7 – I(6), common in older Hawaiian-style repertoire
IV(6) – I, using G6 as a softened plagal color in D major

FAQ

What note does G6 add to the plain major triad?: E, a major sixth above the root, which softens the chord's landing compared to a plain triad and gives it a vintage, vamp-like character common in older Hawaiian ukulele repertoire.
Is G6 related to any minor seventh chord?: Yes — it shares three notes with Em7 (G, B, and D), so the two chords can substitute for each other in some harmonic contexts, a relationship that holds for any major sixth chord and its relative minor seventh.
Why does G6 only need two fingers?: The G and E strings already ring the root and sixth as open notes, leaving only the C and A strings to fret, both at the same second fret on non-adjacent strings.
When is G6 used instead of plain G major?: Most often at the end of a phrase or song, where its softer, more suspended color makes for a gentler landing than a plain triad's harder resolution.

G6 on other instruments: G6 on Guitar, G6 on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.