A6 Piano Chord
A6 is the A sixth chord. It has four notes: A, C sharp, E and F sharp. Two of them are black keys, C sharp under the index finger and F sharp under the little finger, with the white A and E between them.
A at the bottom, then C sharp, E and F sharp. Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1, alternating white and black keys.
How to play A6 on piano, step by step
- Start on the A below middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
- Thumb (1): A
- Index finger (2): C♯
- Middle finger (3): E
- Little finger (5): F♯
- Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 3, 2, 1 an octave lower, or just A on its own as a bass note.
The hand alternates white, black, white, black: A and E under thumb and middle finger, C sharp and F sharp under index and little finger. Letting the hand sit slightly into the keys makes the two black notes easy to reach.
Inversions of A6
The same 4 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are A6; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.
If it sounds wrong
- The top note slid onto G
- Falling off the F sharp onto the white G changes the chord into an A7 sound, which pulls toward D. The sixth is the black key, F sharp, and it needs the little finger to land on its flat top.
- It sounds like F sharp minor
- A6 shares its four notes with F#m7. When F sharp ends up lowest the ear hears the minor chord. Keep A at the bottom, or put a low A in the left hand.
- The black keys are louder than the white
- C sharp and F sharp sit higher, so they speak first if the hand tilts. Keep the wrist level and think of pressing the four keys as one flat surface.
What makes it an A6
A · C♯ · E · F♯ 1 3 5 6
A6 is an A major triad, A, C sharp and E, with an F sharp added: the sixth, a whole step above the fifth. The triad is intact, so the chord keeps its bright A major character and adds a rounder, older shade on top.
The same four notes counted from F sharp spell F#m7, the relative minor seventh. Two names for one handful, decided by the bass note, which is why A6 slips so naturally into songs that lean between A and F sharp minor.
A6 vs Amaj7
One top note apart. A6 puts F sharp a whole step over the E; Amaj7 puts G sharp a half step under the A above. Both are black keys, but F sharp settles the chord where G sharp leaves it floating.
Hold A, C sharp and E, and swap the little finger between F sharp and G sharp. The F sharp version sounds finished, like the end of an old record; the G sharp version sounds like dusk. Charts mean exactly the one they name.
Questions about A6
Is A6 the same as F#m7?
Same four notes: A, C sharp, E and F sharp. With A lowest it is A6; with F sharp lowest it is F#m7. The bass note is the whole difference.
What fingers do you use for A6?
Right hand: thumb on A, index on C sharp, middle on E, little finger on F sharp, which is 1, 2, 3, 5. Left hand: 5, 3, 2, 1 an octave lower.
What is the difference between A6 and A7?
The added note. A6 adds F sharp, which colours the chord and lets it rest. A7 adds G, which makes it push toward D. One black key versus one white key, and two opposite jobs.
When would I use A6?
As a warm ending in the key of A, under melodies that sit on F sharp, and in swing, country and older pop, where the sixth is the default final chord.
How many black keys are in A6?
Two: C sharp and F sharp. They fall under the index and little fingers, and the hand alternates white and black all the way up.
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