C6 guitar chord

C major 6th · Cmaj6 · CM6

The C6 guitar chord is played x32210 in open position. Its notes are C, E, G and A.

C6 open chord (x32210)

Fingering: x32210
Fingers: – 4 2 3 1 –
Difficulty: Easy
Position: open position

C6 chord at the 3rd fret (x35555)

Fingering: x35555
Fingers: – 1 3 3 3 4
Difficulty: Medium
Position: 3rd fret

C6 chord at the 7th fret (8x798x)

Fingering: 8x798x
Fingers: 2 – 1 4 3 –
Difficulty: Medium
Position: 7th fret

C6 barre chord, 8th fret (8-x-10-9-10-8)

Fingering: 8-x-10-9-10-8
Fingers: 1 – 3 2 4 1
Difficulty: Hard
Position: barre chord, 8th fret

PNG PDF

Notes in the C major 6th chord

The C6 chord is made of C · E · G · A. Its formula is 1–3–5–6.

Note	Degree	Interval from C
C	1	root
E	3	major third
G	5	perfect fifth
A	6	major sixth

How to play the C6 guitar chord

Put your first finger on the 1st fret of the B string.
Put your second finger on the 2nd fret of the D string.
Put your third finger on the 2nd fret of the G string.
Put your fourth finger on the 3rd fret of the A string.
Let the high E string ring open.
Strum from the A string down and leave the low E string out.

That is the open-position shape, x32210. It is rated easy: 4 fingers, 5 strings.

Why your C6 chord buzzes or sounds muted

The open high E string sits next to a fretted string. Arch your fingers so only the fingertips touch, or that string will sound dead.

Low E string is not part of this C6 shape. Start your strum on the A string, or rest your thumb on the unused string to keep it quiet.

C6 barre chord

C6 has 1 barre shape here: 8-x-10-9-10-8 (barre at the 8th fret).

A barre shape has no open strings, so it moves. Slide it up one fret and you are playing C#6 (Db6).

C6 open chord

The open C6 chord is x32210. It uses the open high E string, which is why it rings longer than the shapes higher up the neck.

Keys with the C6 chord

C6 is the I chord in C major, V chord in F major and IV chord in G major. In minor keys it is the III chord in A minor, VII chord in D minor and VI chord in E minor.

All 6th guitar chords

C6 guitar chord questions

How do you play a C6 chord on guitar?

Play x32210, reading from the low E string to the high E string. An x means the string is not played and a 0 means it rings open. The fingers used are - 4 2 3 1 -.

What notes are in the C6 chord?

The C major 6th chord has 4 notes: C, E, G and A. Its formula is 1–3–5–6, counted from the C major scale.

What keys is the C6 chord in?