A6 chord
A6 is A, C♯, E and F♯: 1–3–5–6 built on A. Below: guitar, piano and ukulele, each playable.
On guitar
x-0-2-2-2-2 · open · medium
- Notes
- A · C♯ · E · F♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 6
- First shape
- x-0-2-2-2-2
A6 on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · A–C♯–E–F♯ · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- A · C♯ · E · F♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 6
A6 on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
2-1-2-0 · open · easy
- Notes
- A · C♯ · E · F♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 6
- First shape
- 2-1-2-0
Changing out of A6
Three changes cover most of what A6 does in songs.
- A6 → D (IV in A major)
Guitar: A6 (x-0-2-2-2-2) to D (x-x-0-2-3-2): the index finger slides across to the G string at the same fret, move the middle finger to the high E string, 2nd fret, your ring finger lands on the B string, 3rd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. The two chords share A and F♯, which is why the change sounds smooth.
Piano: A6 to D: play D in 2nd inversion (A–D–F♯) and A and F♯ stay under the same fingers, while C♯ moves up to D. D - A6 → E (V in A major)
Guitar: A6 (x-0-2-2-2-2) to E (0-2-2-1-0-0): the index finger goes to the G string, 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the A string, 2nd fret, your ring finger lands on the D string, 2nd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. E carries over from one chord to the other.
Piano: A6 to E: play E in 1st inversion (G♯–B–E) and E stays under the same finger, while A moves down to G♯ and A up to B. E - A6 → F♯m (vi in A major)
Guitar: A6 (x-0-2-2-2-2) to F♯m (2-4-4-2-2-2): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 2nd fret, your middle finger lands on the A string, 4th fret, move the ring finger to the D string, 4th fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. A, C♯ and F♯ carry over from one chord to the other.
Piano: A6 to F♯m: play F♯m in 1st inversion (A–C♯–F♯) and A, C♯ and F♯ stay under the same fingers. F♯m
Guitar with a capo: capo 2, G6 shape; capo 5, E6 shape; capo 7, D6 shape. Ukulele with a capo: capo 2, G6 shape; capo 7, D6 shape.
How A6 is built
A6 is A major with a major sixth added. It sounds sweet and a little vintage, the classic last chord of a swing tune, and it shares all its notes with F♯m7.
From A, go 4 half steps up to C♯, 3 half steps up to E then 2 half steps up to F♯.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | root | 0 | |
| C♯ | major third | 4 | |
| E | perfect fifth | 7 | |
| F♯ | major sixth | 9 |
Keys and progressions with A6
A6 isn't a chord of any major or natural minor key, so it usually appears as a passing or borrowed chord.
Chords close to A6
- A6 is A plus F♯. A
Chords that share most of their notes with A6: F♯m7, F♯m, A, Dmaj7, Dadd9, D♯m7♭5.
Every A chord
A6 chord: questions
What notes are in the A6 chord?
A, C♯, E and F♯. A6 is built 1–3–5–6 from A: C♯ is the major third, E is the perfect fifth and F♯ is the major sixth.
How do you play A6 on guitar?
The usual shape is x-0-2-2-2-2 (open). All 3 guitar shapes.
How do you play A6 on piano?
Play A, C♯, E and F♯ with right-hand fingers 1-2-3-5. A sits between the last two black keys of the three. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play A6 on ukulele?
2-1-2-0 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is A6 in?
A6 isn't a chord of any major or natural minor key, so it usually appears as a passing or borrowed chord.
What's the difference between A6 and A?
A6 is A plus F♯.
Diagrams and sound come from the same data, tested so they match. Updated September 2026.