A6 chord on piano
A6 is A, C♯, E and F♯. You'll find A between the last two black keys of the three (a white key). Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.
root position · A–C♯–E–F♯ · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- A · C♯ · E · F♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 6
How to play A6 on piano
Start on A, count 4 half steps up to C♯, 3 half steps up to E then 2 half steps up to F♯. Press the 4 keys together and that's A6.
- Right hand: 1 on A, 2 on C♯, 3 on E and 5 on F♯.
- Left hand: 5 on A, 3 on C♯, 2 on E and 1 on F♯.
- On the keyboard it's white, black, white and black keys, the same pattern as E6, so your hand shape carries over.
A6 inversions
- root position: A–C♯–E–F♯. Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: C♯–E–F♯–A, C♯ lowest. RH 1-2-3-5.
- 2nd inversion: E–F♯–A–C♯, with E at the bottom. RH 1-2-3-5.
- 3rd inversion: F♯–A–C♯–E (F♯ in the bass). Fingers 1-2-3-5.
Nobody plays every chord in root position. The inversions let A6 sit wherever the previous chord left your hand.
Moving between A6 and its neighbours
Songs rarely hold A6 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.
- D (IV in A major): 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 on piano
- E (V in A major): 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 on piano
- F♯m (vi in A major): 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 on piano
A6 is A major with a major sixth added. A6 is a vintage ending chord; hold it at the end of a swing or ballad tune instead of plain A. The one-by-one button above makes that quality easy to hear.
Practice A6 in two minutes
Play A6 broken, one key at a time: A, C♯, E, F♯, E, C♯, A. Then press the keys together and check that all 4 sound at the same volume. Finish with the inversions in order: A–C♯–E–F♯; C♯–E–F♯–A; E–F♯–A–C♯; F♯–A–C♯–E.
The keys of A6
A6 is a major sixth chord, 1–3–5–6 from A. Root position, from the bottom: how A6 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| C♯ | black key | RH 2 · LH 3 | major third |
| E | white key | RH 3 · LH 2 | perfect fifth |
| F♯ | black key | RH 5 · LH 1 | major sixth |
A6 in context
A6 on guitar and ukulele
Switching instruments? Try A6 on ukulele or A6 on guitar, or compare them on the A6 chord page.
Close to A6
Other major sixth chords
A6 on piano: questions
What notes are in A6 on piano?
A, C♯, E and F♯: A (white key), C♯ (black key), E (white key) and F♯ (black key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play A6 on piano?
Press A, C♯, E and F♯ together (2 black, 2 white). Right hand: 1 on A, 2 on C♯, 3 on E and 5 on F♯.
What are the inversions of A6?
1st inversion (C♯–E–F♯–A), 2nd inversion (E–F♯–A–C♯) and 3rd inversion (F♯–A–C♯–E), after root position (A–C♯–E–F♯). Same notes, a different one at the bottom.
What does A6 look like on the keyboard?
white, black, white and black keys, the same pattern as E6, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Shapes and sound are generated from the notes A, C♯, E and F♯ and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.