C6 chord on piano
C6 is C, E, G and A. You'll find C just left of the pair of black keys (a white key). Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.
root position · C–E–G–A · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- C · E · G · A
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 6
How to play C6 on piano
Count keys (black and white) from C: 4 half steps up to E, 3 half steps up to G then 2 half steps up to A. Press the 4 keys together and that's C6.
- Right hand: 1 on C, 2 on E, 3 on G and 5 on A.
- Left hand: 5 on C, 3 on E, 2 on G and 1 on A.
- On the keyboard it's white, white, white and white keys, the same pattern as F6 and G6, so your hand shape carries over.
C6 inversions
- root position: C–E–G–A. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: E–G–A–C, E lowest. Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 2nd inversion: G–A–C–E, G lowest. RH 1-2-3-5.
- 3rd inversion: A–C–E–G, with A at the bottom. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
Use the inversions to stay put: the next chord is often one inversion away from where your hand already is, as the changes below show.
Changing from C6 to the chords around it
Songs rarely hold C6 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.
- F (IV in C major): C6 to F: play F in 2nd inversion (C–F–A) and C and A stay under the same fingers, while E moves up to F. F on piano
- G (V in C major): C6 to G: play G in 1st inversion (B–D–G) and G stays under the same finger, while C moves down to B and C up to D. G on piano
- Am (vi in C major): C6 to Am: play Am in 1st inversion (C–E–A) and C, E and A stay under the same fingers. Am on piano
C6 is C major with a major sixth added. C6 is a vintage ending chord; hold it at the end of a swing or ballad tune instead of plain C. Play it solid and then broken to hear the difference.
A short C6 drill
Play C6 broken, one key at a time: C, E, G, A, G, E, C. Then press the keys together and check that all 4 sound at the same volume. Then climb the inversions: C–E–G–A, then E–G–A–C, then G–A–C–E, then A–C–E–G.
The keys of C6
C6 is a major sixth chord, 1–3–5–6 from C. Root position, from the bottom: how C6 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| E | white key | RH 2 · LH 3 | major third |
| G | white key | RH 3 · LH 2 | perfect fifth |
| A | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | major sixth |
C6 in context
C6 on guitar and ukulele
Switching instruments? Try C6 on ukulele or C6 on guitar, or compare them on the C6 chord page.
Related C chords on piano
Other major sixth chords
C6 on piano: questions
What notes are in C6 on piano?
C, E, G and A: C (white key), E (white key), G (white key) and A (white key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play C6 on piano?
Press C, E, G and A together, all white keys. Right hand: 1 on C, 2 on E, 3 on G and 5 on A.
What are the inversions of C6?
1st inversion (E–G–A–C), 2nd inversion (G–A–C–E) and 3rd inversion (A–C–E–G), after root position (C–E–G–A). Each keeps all the notes of the chord.
What does C6 look like on the keyboard?
white, white, white and white keys, the same pattern as F6 and G6, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Shapes and sound are generated from the notes C, E, G and A and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.