To play B6 on the mandolin, you need the notes B, D#, F#, G#. Its first mandolin voicing is the open position: G string at fret 4 (ring finger); D string at fret 1 (index finger); A string at fret 2 (middle finger); E string at fret 4 (little finger). This guide covers the major 6th chord in full: what is in it, how to play it cleanly on the mandolin, where it fits musically and how to practise it.
What notes are in the B6 chord?
The B6 chord is a major 6th chord, and its notes are fixed: B, D#, F#, G#. Every voicing on every instrument uses these same notes, in some order and in some octave — change one of them and you are playing a different chord. The table below lists each note with its interval from the root B, so you can see the structure of B6 at a glance. On the mandolin, the open position of B6 puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
| Note | Interval |
|---|---|
| B | Root |
| D# | 3 |
| F# | 5 |
| G# | 6 |
The root is B, the note the chord is named after and the note your ear hears as home. Above it, the intervals in B6 are 3, 5, 6. Once you know the intervals, you can build B6 from any root by counting the same semitone steps, which is how the chord works in every key. On the mandolin, the notes appear in the order the fingering dictates, but the set of notes never changes.
B6 sounds sweet and relaxed, the sound of swing, early rock and roll and country ballads. That character comes straight from the intervals above, not from the instrument: the same notes on piano, guitar or ukulele carry the same colour, even though the voicing changes. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes B, D#, F#, G# in B6.
Comparing B6 with its closest relatives helps to fix it in your ear. In short, 6th against major 7th: B6 adds the 6th G#; the major 7th chord adds A# instead. The 6th sounds warmer and more old-fashioned; the 7th sounds dreamier. Hearing the comparison matters more than reading it: play B6, then play the chord it is compared with above, and let your ear find the note that changed. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes B, D#, F#, G# in B6.
How to play B6 on mandolin
On the mandolin, B6 has 3 voicings in the data below, and each one uses the same notes — B, D#, F#, G# — in a different place on the neck. There are 3 voicings listed for B6 on the mandolin; learn the first, then add the others as you need them. Finger numbers below use 1 for the index finger, 2 for the middle finger, 3 for the ring finger and 4 for the little finger, and x means the string is not played.
Another way to play B6 is the open position, in open position: G string at fret 4 (ring finger); D string at fret 1 (index finger); A string at fret 2 (middle finger); E string at fret 4 (little finger). The stretch is the challenge: the fretted notes span from fret 1 to fret 4, so keep your thumb low behind the neck and let your fingers reach rather than squeezing the neck. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in B6 — B, D#, F#, G# — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
Another way to play B6 is the barre chord, in open position: G string at fret 1 (index finger); D string at fret 1 (index finger); A string at fret 2 (middle finger); E string at fret 2 (middle finger). It barres across strings 1 to 2 at fret 1 with the index finger. The barre is the hard part: the index finger must press every string from 1 to 2 evenly at fret 1, so roll it slightly onto its bony side and keep it close to the fret wire. If the barre buzzes, move it a fraction closer to the fret and press from the arm, not the thumb alone. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in B6 — B, D#, F#, G# — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
For the movable voicing, B6 sits in around fret 4: G string at fret 4 (index finger); D string at fret 6 (middle finger); A string at fret 6 (middle finger); E string at fret 7 (ring finger). The stretch is the challenge: the fretted notes span from fret 4 to fret 7, so keep your thumb low behind the neck and let your fingers reach rather than squeezing the neck. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in B6 — B, D#, F#, G# — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
Choosing between the voicings of B6 is a musical decision, not a right-or-wrong one. The open or low-position voicing rings the most and suits strumming, while a barre or movable voicing lets you slide B6 up the neck to any key without changing the shape. When you change chords, pick the voicing of B6 that sits closest to the chord before it — shorter moves between shapes mean faster, cleaner changes. Practise the change into B6 from the chord that comes before it in your song, not the chord on its own, because the move is the skill. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes B, D#, F#, G# in B6.
A short practice routine for B6 on the mandolin: play the first voicing four times slowly, checking each note, then change to it from the chord a fourth above B and back, four times, at a slow tempo. Then play the second voicing the same way. If a note buzzes, stop and fix the finger placement rather than playing through the buzz — clean notes at a slow tempo become clean notes at full tempo, while buzzes practised fast become habits. Use the Mandolin Chord Finder to see the diagram for B6 while you practise, and the Chord Finder to compare it with the same chord on other instruments.
Common mistakes
These are the mistakes that most often make B6 sound wrong on the mandolin, and each one has a concrete fix. Work through them one at a time rather than trying to fix everything at once.
Confusing the 6th with the 7th. The added note here is G#, a whole step above the 5th, not the 7th. Play A# and you have a different chord. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes B, D#, F#, G# in B6.
Burying the 6th. G# is the colour note of this chord. If it is muted or too quiet, the chord is just a major triad and the vintage warmth is gone. On the mandolin, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in B6.
Using it as a dominant. B6 is a tonic colour, not a dominant. It does not pull to a resolution the way a dominant 7th does. On the mandolin, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in B6.
Voicing it too low. The 6th sits close to the 5th and 7th in low octaves and can sound muddy. Spread the notes out. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes B, D#, F#, G# in B6.
Where B6 is used
B6 is not a diatonic triad in any major or minor key, because it is an extended or altered chord, but its base triad belongs to the key of E major, the key of F# major, the key of B major. the I or IV chord in major keys, giving a progression a vintage, relaxed feel. As a dominant-type chord it also points toward E major, the key a perfect fourth above B, which is the tonic it most often resolves to. That is where B6 does its work: not as a home chord, but as a chord that creates movement and then resolves. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes B, D#, F#, G# in B6.
Because B6 is an extended or altered chord, it appears in progressions as a colour or a dominant rather than as a diatonic staple. Try it in place of the plain B triad in a progression you already know, and listen to how the extra notes change the feel — that substitution is the usual way extended chords enter real music. The Chord Progression Builder lets you try B6 in a progression in any key and hear how it connects to the chords around it. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes B, D#, F#, G# in B6.
The same chord on other instruments is covered in B6 on guitar, B6 on piano, B6 on ukulele, and the scales that fit over it are the B major scale and the B minor pentatonic scale. Learning B6 on the mandolin and then checking it on another instrument is one of the best ways to fix the notes — B, D#, F#, G# — in your memory, because the notes stay the same while everything else changes.
Practising B6
A short worked example makes B6 concrete. Play the four-chord progression E – B – C#m – A in E major, the key B6 most often resolves toward: E – B – C#m – A. Play each chord for one bar at a slow tempo, and listen to how B6 sounds in that sequence — whether it feels like home, like a lift, or like a chord on its way somewhere else. Then play the same four chords in a different order, starting on B6 itself, and notice how its character changes when it opens the progression instead of sitting inside it. On the mandolin, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in B6.
For a second exercise, play B6 and then the chord a fourth above B, back and forth, four times each. That move — a chord and the chord a fourth above it — is the most common resolution in Western music, and it is the move B6 is built for when it acts as a dominant. Finish by playing B6 on its own, slowly, and naming each note out loud as you play it: B, D#, F#, G#. Naming the notes while you play them is what turns a shape into knowledge you can use in any key. Test yourself with the Practice Chord Quiz and keep time with the Metronome as the tempo rises. On the mandolin, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in B6.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play B6 on the mandolin?
The first voicing is the open position: frets 4–1–2–4, fingers 3–1–2–4, on the mandolin. That voicing uses the notes B, D#, F#, G#, and it is the one to learn first. The page above lists more voicings for B6, so you can choose the shape nearest the chords around it.
Is B6 hard to play on the mandolin?
It depends on the voicing. The first voicing of B6 on the mandolin is the easiest starting point, and the movable voicings further up the neck are harder because they need a barre or a wider stretch. Practise the first voicing cleanly at a slow tempo before you try the others, and the harder shapes will come more easily.
What is the easiest voicing of B6 on the mandolin?
The open position is the easiest voicing listed for B6 on the mandolin: frets 4–1–2–4, fingers 3–1–2–4. Learn that shape first, get every note ringing cleanly, and only then move on to the alternative voicings further up the neck.
What does the 6 mean in B6?
The 6 means the 6th note of the scale, G#, is added to the major triad. B6 contains B, D#, F#, G#: root, major 3rd, perfect 5th and the added 6th. On the mandolin, the voicings above put that note under your fingers.
Is B6 a major chord?
Yes. B6 is a major triad (B, D#, F#) with the 6th G# added. It sounds major, warm and a little nostalgic. On the mandolin, the voicings above put that note under your fingers.