Major sixth

A major sixth is 9 half steps, written M6. From C it reaches A. Hear it one note after the other, then together.

What it sounds like

Nine half steps: a minor third inverted. Warm and open, a big reaching leap as a melody.

Sixth chords (C6, Am6) add it on top of a triad. It is the gap from a major key's root up to its relative minor.

How to recognise a major sixth by ear

Sing sol up to mi, or do up to la. It's a wide, warm leap that sounds hopeful rather than tense. Together, the notes feel like a major chord with its top note moved up a step.

Inside the C major scale, the major sixths are C–A, D–B, F–D and G–E.

Add an octave and a major sixth becomes a major thirteenth (21 half steps), the 13 in C13. Intervals bigger than an octave are called compound intervals; they keep the character of the smaller interval but sound more open.

Chords with a major sixth above the root, shown on C: C6, Cm6.

A major sixth from every note

The letter name moves up 5 letters (a "sixth") and the distance is always 9 half steps.

Finding it on guitar

9 frets is a long stretch, so guitarists usually play a major sixth across strings: on the next higher string it's 4 frets up from the starting note, and between the G and B strings add one more. The diagram starts from A on the low E string.

Other intervals

• minor second
• major second
• minor third
• major third
• perfect fourth
• tritone
• perfect fifth
• minor sixth
• minor seventh
• major seventh
• octave

← minor sixth · minor seventh →

Spellings computed from letter names and half steps, and checked against both. Updated September 2026.