B6 chord on piano
B6 is B, D♯, F♯ and G♯. You'll find B just right of the group of three black keys (a white key). Hit Play and watch each key light as it sounds.
root position · B–D♯–F♯–G♯ · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- B · D♯ · F♯ · G♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 6
How to play B6 on piano
Count keys (black and white) from B: 4 half steps up to D♯, 3 half steps up to F♯ then 2 half steps up to G♯. That's the whole chord: 4 keys.
- Right hand: 1 on B, 2 on D♯, 3 on F♯ and 5 on G♯.
- Left hand: 5 on B, 3 on D♯, 2 on F♯ and 1 on G♯.
- On the keyboard it's white, black, black and black keys.
B6 inversions
- root position: B–D♯–F♯–G♯. Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: D♯–F♯–G♯–B (D♯ in the bass). Fingers 1-2-3-5.
- 2nd inversion: F♯–G♯–B–D♯, with F♯ at the bottom. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
- 3rd inversion: G♯–B–D♯–F♯, G♯ lowest. RH 1-2-3-5.
Nobody plays every chord in root position. The inversions let B6 sit wherever the previous chord left your hand.
Moving between B6 and its neighbours
The chords B6 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.
- E (IV in B major): B6 to E: play E in 2nd inversion (B–E–G♯) and B and G♯ stay under the same fingers, while D♯ moves up to E. E on piano
- F♯ (V in B major): B6 to F♯: play F♯ in 1st inversion (A♯–C♯–F♯) and F♯ stays under the same finger, while B moves down to A♯ and B up to C♯. F♯ on piano
- G♯m (vi in B major): B6 to G♯m: play G♯m in 1st inversion (B–D♯–G♯) and B, D♯ and G♯ stay under the same fingers. G♯m on piano
B6 is B major with a major sixth added. B6 is a vintage ending chord; hold it at the end of a swing or ballad tune instead of plain B. Play it solid and then broken to hear the difference.
Getting B6 under your fingers
Start with a broken chord, B D♯ F♯ G♯ F♯ D♯ B, then play it solid. Next, walk up through B–D♯–F♯–G♯ → D♯–F♯–G♯–B → F♯–G♯–B–D♯ → G♯–B–D♯–F♯ without lifting your eyes to your hand.
The keys of B6
B6 is a major sixth chord, 1–3–5–6 from B. Root position, from the bottom: how B6 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| D♯ | black key | RH 2 · LH 3 | major third |
| F♯ | black key | RH 3 · LH 2 | perfect fifth |
| G♯ | black key | RH 5 · LH 1 | major sixth |
B6 in context
B6 on guitar and ukulele
B6 on guitar and ukulele uses the same 4 notes in a different layout. See all three together.
Related B chords on piano
Other major sixth chords
B6 on piano: questions
What notes are in B6 on piano?
B, D♯, F♯ and G♯: B (white key), D♯ (black key), F♯ (black key) and G♯ (black key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play B6 on piano?
Press B, D♯, F♯ and G♯ together (3 black, 1 white). Right hand: 1 on B, 2 on D♯, 3 on F♯ and 5 on G♯.
What are the inversions of B6?
1st inversion (D♯–F♯–G♯–B), 2nd inversion (F♯–G♯–B–D♯) and 3rd inversion (G♯–B–D♯–F♯), after root position (B–D♯–F♯–G♯). Same notes, a different one at the bottom.
What does B6 look like on the keyboard?
white, black, black and black keys.
Every shape above plays only B, D♯, F♯ and G♯, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.