D6 chord on piano
D6 is D, F♯, A and B. You'll find D between the two black keys (a white key). Tap Play, then slow it down.
root position · D–F♯–A–B · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- D · F♯ · A · B
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 6
How to play D6 on piano
Count keys (black and white) from D: 4 half steps up to F♯, 3 half steps up to A then 2 half steps up to B. Press the 4 keys together and that's D6.
- Right hand: 1 on D, 2 on F♯, 3 on A and 5 on B.
- Left hand: 5 on D, 3 on F♯, 2 on A and 1 on B.
- On the keyboard it's white, black, white and white keys.
D6 inversions
- root position: D–F♯–A–B. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: F♯–A–B–D (F♯ in the bass). RH 1-2-3-5.
- 2nd inversion: A–B–D–F♯ (A in the bass). Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 3rd inversion: B–D–F♯–A, with B 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 D6 to the chords around it
These are the changes you'll meet most often with D6, using the first shape of each chord.
- G (IV in D major): D6 to G: play G in 2nd inversion (D–G–B) and D and B stay under the same fingers, while F♯ moves up to G. G on piano
- A (V in D major): D6 to A: play A in 1st inversion (C♯–E–A) and A stays under the same finger, while D moves down to C♯ and D up to E. A on piano
- Bm (vi in D major): D6 to Bm: play Bm in 1st inversion (D–F♯–B) and D, F♯ and B stay under the same fingers. Bm on piano
D6 is D major with a major sixth added. D6 is a vintage ending chord; hold it at the end of a swing or ballad tune instead of plain D. The one-by-one button above makes that quality easy to hear.
A short D6 drill
Roll the chord up and back down, D, F♯, A, B, A, F♯, D, before playing it as a block. Then climb the inversions: D–F♯–A–B, then F♯–A–B–D, then A–B–D–F♯, then B–D–F♯–A.
The keys of D6
D6 is a major sixth chord, 1–3–5–6 from D. Root position, from the bottom: how D6 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| F♯ | black key | RH 2 · LH 3 | major third |
| A | white key | RH 3 · LH 2 | perfect fifth |
| B | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | major sixth |
Keys and progressions with D6
D6 on guitar and ukulele
Switching instruments? Try D6 on ukulele or D6 on guitar, or compare them on the D6 chord page.
Next to try on piano
Other major sixth chords
D6 on piano: questions
What notes are in D6 on piano?
D, F♯, A and B: D (white key), F♯ (black key), A (white key) and B (white key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play D6 on piano?
Press D, F♯, A and B together (1 black, 3 white). Right hand: 1 on D, 2 on F♯, 3 on A and 5 on B.
What are the inversions of D6?
1st inversion (F♯–A–B–D), 2nd inversion (A–B–D–F♯) and 3rd inversion (B–D–F♯–A), after root position (D–F♯–A–B). Same notes, a different one at the bottom.
What does D6 look like on the keyboard?
white, black, white and white keys.
Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside D6. Updated September 2026.