Sixths & added
A♯ major 6th chord
Sweet and vintage — common in swing, country and classic pop.
- Notes
- A♯C𝄪E♯F𝄪
- Formula
- 1356
- Built from
- root · major 3rd · perfect 5th · major 6th
How to play A♯6
About the A♯ major 6th chord
Playing it
On guitar, A♯6 has an open-position shape, x10033, using three fingers alongside the open strings. Don’t strum the low E string.
On piano, A♯6 has one black key (A♯) and three white keys.
On ukulele the usual A♯6 shape is 0211, with a small 2-string barre at the 1st fret.
Related chords
A♯6 contains exactly the same notes as Gm7. Which name fits depends on which note is in the bass and what key you’re in.
Move a single note and A♯6 becomes a different chord: drop the F𝄪 for A♯, raise F𝄪 to G♯ for A♯7, swap F𝄪 for G𝄪 for A♯maj7 and lower C𝄪 to C♯ for A♯m6.
Where you’ll hear it
Notice the C𝄪 in A♯6 (A♯ C𝄪 E♯ F𝄪): each note of the chord takes its own letter (A–C–E–F), so the major 3rd has to be written C𝄪 rather than D — the same key on a piano, spelled to fit the chord.
