What notes are in a B♭6 chord?

B♭6 contains four notes: B♭ (root), D (major third), F (perfect fifth), and G (major sixth).

Is B♭6 the same as G minor 7?

Enharmonically yes — same four pitches. B♭6 has B♭ as root (major tonic); Gm7 has G as root (minor 7th).

How is B♭6 different from B♭maj7?

Only the top note changes. B♭6 has G (major sixth); B♭maj7 has A natural (major seventh). B♭6 sounds softer.

What pieces use B♭6?

"Confirmation" by Charlie Parker, "Anthropology," and many other B♭-major bebop standards resolve to B♭6. Big-band charts in B♭ use B♭6 throughout as a primary tonic colour.

Bb major 6 chord — notes, intervals, and practice

B♭6 — B♭, D, F, G — is a B♭ major triad with an added major sixth. The chord is fundamental to big-band jazz because B♭ is the natural concert key for trumpets and tenor saxes. B♭6 is enharmonic to G minor 7 and appears at every primary cadence in B♭-major arrangements.

Intervals

The Bb major 6 chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:

Bb→Dmajor 3rd4 semitones
D→Fminor 3rd3 semitones
F→Gmajor 2nd2 semitones

On the keyboard

Each note of the Bb major 6 chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.

On the guitar

One voicing of the Bb major 6 chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.

Common mistakes

B♭6 has G natural as its sixth — a half-step lower than B♭maj7 (which has A natural). Don't confuse B♭6 with B♭7 (which has A♭ as a minor 7th). On guitar, B♭6 is typically a 1st-fret A-shape barre with the standard barre voicing adjusted to grab the 6th.

In context

B♭6 is the I chord in B♭ major (often used as a final-tonic substitute for plain B♭ or B♭maj7). Charlie Parker's "Confirmation," "Anthropology," and other B♭-major bebop standards resolve to B♭6 at final cadences. Big-band charts in B♭ use B♭6 constantly.

Drill it

The Bb major 6 chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.

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Frequently asked

What notes are in a B♭6 chord?: B♭6 contains four notes: B♭ (root), D (major third), F (perfect fifth), and G (major sixth).
Is B♭6 the same as G minor 7?: Enharmonically yes — same four pitches. B♭6 has B♭ as root (major tonic); Gm7 has G as root (minor 7th).
How is B♭6 different from B♭maj7?: Only the top note changes. B♭6 has G (major sixth); B♭maj7 has A natural (major seventh). B♭6 sounds softer.
What pieces use B♭6?: "Confirmation" by Charlie Parker, "Anthropology," and many other B♭-major bebop standards resolve to B♭6. Big-band charts in B♭ use B♭6 throughout as a primary tonic colour.