What notes are in a D6 chord?

D6 contains four notes: D (root), F♯ (major third), A (perfect fifth), and B (major sixth).

How do you play D6 on guitar?

The open D6 voicing is xx0202: mute strings 6-5, then open D, A (2nd fret 3rd string), open B, and F♯ (2nd fret 1st string).

Is D6 the same as B minor 7?

Enharmonically yes — same four pitches. D6 has D as root (major-flavoured); Bm7 has B as root (minor 7th).

When is D6 used in music?

As a tonic chord in D major folk, country, and jazz. The Beatles' "Norwegian Wood" passes through D6-related harmony; many country ballads in D use D6 at final cadences.

D major 6 chord — notes, intervals, and practice

D6 — D, F♯, A, B — is a D major triad with an added major sixth. On guitar, the open D6 voicing (xx0202) is one of the easiest jazz chords to finger because three of the four notes ring on open strings or the second fret. The chord is a folk and country staple as well as a jazz tonic.

Intervals

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

D→F#major 3rd4 semitones
F#→Aminor 3rd3 semitones
A→Bmajor 2nd2 semitones

On the keyboard

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

On the guitar

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

Common mistakes

D6 has B natural as its sixth — a half-step lower than Dmaj7 (which has C♯). Reading B as Bb produces a different chord. On guitar, the open D6 voicing (xx0202) uses the open A and adds B on the high E string. Don't confuse D6 with D7: D6 has B (major sixth); D7 has C (minor seventh).

In context

D6 is the I chord in D major (a softer alternative to Dmaj7). The chord appears in many country and folk tunes as the tonic; jazz musicians use D6 as a final cadence chord at the end of D-major pieces. Bossa-nova standards in D major use D6 throughout.

Drill it

The D 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 D6 chord?: D6 contains four notes: D (root), F♯ (major third), A (perfect fifth), and B (major sixth).
How do you play D6 on guitar?: The open D6 voicing is xx0202: mute strings 6-5, then open D, A (2nd fret 3rd string), open B, and F♯ (2nd fret 1st string).
Is D6 the same as B minor 7?: Enharmonically yes — same four pitches. D6 has D as root (major-flavoured); Bm7 has B as root (minor 7th).
When is D6 used in music?: As a tonic chord in D major folk, country, and jazz. The Beatles' "Norwegian Wood" passes through D6-related harmony; many country ballads in D use D6 at final cadences.