A6

A6 is A, C#, E and F#, a major sixth. The shape this page opens on is written x02222, lowest string first.

Also written Amaj6, AM6 or A major 6. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 10 common shapes for A6 on the guitar, and 33 derived voicings in 4 families.

In which keys. Every note of A6 belongs to C# minor (the ♭VI), D major (the V), E major (the IV), F# minor (the ♭III), A major (the I) and B minor (the ♭VII).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x02222, x42222, 544222, 242252, 5x465x, 5x7675, 57x675, xx7979, x-12-11-11-10-x, x-12-14-14-14-14.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. A6 has x046xx, 544xxx, x-12-11-11-x-x, 5x46xx, x-12-x-11-14-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. A6 has xx2222, 2422xx, xx4655, x7767x, xx7979, 9979xx, x-9-11-9-10-x, x-x-11-11-10-12.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. A6 has x4x252, 2x222x, 5x465x, x7x675, 9x797x, x-9-x-9-10-9, 12-x-11-11-10-x, x-12-x-11-14-12.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. A6 has 5x4600, 57460x, 24220x, x04600, 00460x, 0x4600.

Tensions. A shell of A6, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 9 (B) and the #11 (D#).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.