B6

B6 is B, D#, F# and G#, a major sixth. The shape this page opens on is written x2110x, lowest string first.

Also written Bmaj6, BM6 or B major 6. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 10 common shapes for B6 on the guitar, and 28 derived voicings in 3 families.

In which keys. Every note of B6 belongs to C# minor (the ♭VII), Eb minor (the ♭VI), E major (the V), F# major (the IV), Ab minor (the ♭III) and B major (the I).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x2110x, x24444, x64444, 766444, 464474, 7x687x, 7x9897, 79x897, x-x-9-11-9-11, x-14-13-13-12-x.

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. B6 has x211xx, 766xxx, x-14-13-13-x-x, x2x14x, 7x68xx.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. B6 has 2211xx, xx1102, xx4444, 4644xx, xx6877, x9989x, x-x-9-11-9-11, 11-11-9-11-x-x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. B6 has 2x110x, x2x142, x6x474, 4x444x, 7x687x, x9x897, 11-x-9-11-9-x, x-11-x-11-12-11.

Tensions. A shell of B6, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 9 (C#) and the #11 (E#).

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