C Major 6th Chord

Symbol: C6

Diagrams

Staff Notation

Staff Notation

Piano Keyboard

C6 chord – keys C, E, G, A highlightedPiano keyboard with keys C, E, G, A highlighted. C is the root note.CEGA
C6 chord – keys C, E, G, A highlightedPiano keyboard with keys C, E, G, A highlighted. C is the root note.CEGA

Guitar (1)

Guitar chord diagram for C6 (8fr)Guitar chord voicing with notes C, G, C, E, A, C.C6 (8fr)8234

Guitar (2)

Guitar chord diagram for C6 (3fr)Guitar chord voicing with notes C, G, C, E, A.C6 (3fr)3234

Intervals

NoteIntervalSemitones
CP10
EM34
GP57
AM69

About the C Major 6th Chord

The C Major 6th chord is built from the notes C, E, G, A. These notes are derived by stacking intervals above the root note C, following the interval pattern that defines every Major 6th chord. Understanding how a chord is constructed from intervals is one of the most valuable skills in music theory, because it allows you to build the chord in any key and recognize it in any context.

You can use this chord in a variety of musical contexts. Try exploring the scales that contain these notes to discover which keys this chord naturally belongs to. Each scale listed above shares all the notes of this chord, making it a diatonic chord within that key. Understanding these relationships helps with songwriting, improvisation, and arranging.

Try C6 in the Chord Identifier →