What note does G#6 add to the plain major triad?

F, 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.

Is G#6 related to any minor seventh chord?

Yes — it shares notes with Fm7, 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 G#6 use two separate same-fret pairs instead of a barre?

The G-and-E pair and the C-and-A pair each share a fret number but aren't adjacent strings, so neither pair can be covered by a single flat barre without also touching the string in between.

When is G#6 used instead of plain G# major?

Wherever a borrowed G# major color chord already appears in B major or E major material and the arrangement wants a softer, more suspended version of that same moment.

← Ukulele Chords

G#6 Chord on Ukulele

G#6 = G# – C – D# – F (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, Major 6th)

G#6 adds a major sixth (F) above the G# major triad, and the resulting shape stays within a tight three-fret window: fret the G string at the first, the C string at the third, the E string at the first, and the A string at the third — two pairs of non-adjacent same-fret notes rather than a single wide stretch.

Sixth chords carry an unmistakably vintage, vamp-like character on ukulele, and while G#/Ab major is a rare tonic center for the instrument, this chord's more practical use is as a softened substitute wherever a plain G# triad already shows up as a borrowed color chord in B or E major material. G#6 also shares three of its four notes with Fm7 (both chords contain G#, C, and D#... more precisely the shared tones sit a minor third apart the same way F#6 relates to D#m7 elsewhere in this key family), a relationship that lets a sixth chord and the minor seventh built on its sixth degree substitute for each other in the right context. As a color substitute, G#6 softens whatever plain G#-triad moment it replaces into something a little more suspended and open-ended.

Fingerings

Closed Position

How to Practice It

Because the G and E strings share the first fret while the C and A strings share the third, keep each pair's two fingers independent rather than trying to flatten either pair into a barre, since neither pair sits on adjacent strings. Work the shape as two two-finger placements rather than four independent contacts: settle the first-fret pair, then add the third-fret pair, checking all four notes ring clearly together. A useful context drill is substituting G#6 wherever a borrowed G# major chord already appears in a B or E major progression, listening for how much softer the moment feels with the sixth added.

Common Progressions

bIII(6) – IV, softening a borrowed G# major color chord in E major
G#6 substituting for Fm7 in a related minor-key context
A vintage vamp move: bIII(6) – V7 – i, inside a C# minor passage
IV(6) – i, using G#6 as a softened plagal color in D# minor

FAQ

What note does G#6 add to the plain major triad?: F, 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.
Is G#6 related to any minor seventh chord?: Yes — it shares notes with Fm7, 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 G#6 use two separate same-fret pairs instead of a barre?: The G-and-E pair and the C-and-A pair each share a fret number but aren't adjacent strings, so neither pair can be covered by a single flat barre without also touching the string in between.
When is G#6 used instead of plain G# major?: Wherever a borrowed G# major color chord already appears in B major or E major material and the arrangement wants a softer, more suspended version of that same moment.

G#6 on other instruments: G#6 on Guitar, G#6 on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.