B6 Piano Chord

B6 is the B sixth chord. It has four notes: B, D sharp, F sharp and G sharp. Three of the four are black keys; only the B itself is white, so the hand plays one white key and then climbs onto the black ones.

B at the bottom under the thumb, then D sharp, F sharp and G sharp, all black. Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.

How to play B6 on piano, step by step

Start on the B below middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
Thumb (1): B
Index finger (2): D♯
Middle finger (3): F♯
Little finger (5): G♯
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 B on its own as a bass note.

The thumb takes the white B and the other three fingers sit entirely on black keys: D sharp, F sharp and G sharp. Keep the hand well into the keyboard so the upper fingers reach the black keys without straightening.

Inversions of B6

The same 4 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are B6; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

B6 piano chord diagram, first inversion, D♯ F♯ G♯ B — First inversionD♯ F♯ G♯ B

B6 piano chord diagram, second inversion, F♯ G♯ B D♯ — Second inversionF♯ G♯ B D♯

B6 piano chord diagram, third inversion, G♯ B D♯ F♯ — Third inversionG♯ B D♯ F♯

If it sounds wrong

The top note slid onto A: Falling from G sharp onto the white A gives a B7 sound, which pulls toward E. The sixth is the black key G sharp, one whole step above F sharp.
It sounds like G sharp minor: B6 shares its four notes with G#m7. When G sharp sits lowest the chord reads as minor. Keep B at the bottom, or put a low B in the left hand.
The white B is buried: One low white key under three raised black ones is easy to underplay. Give the thumb a little extra weight so the root actually leads the chord.

What makes it a B6

B · D♯ · F♯ · G♯ 1 3 5 6

B6 is a B major triad, B, D sharp and F sharp, with a G sharp added: the sixth, a whole step above the fifth. The triad stays intact, so the chord keeps B major's brightness with an older, softer top note.

Counted from G sharp, the same four notes spell G#m7, the relative minor seventh. The bass note picks the name. That closeness is why B6 moves so easily into G sharp minor territory without the hand travelling anywhere.

B6 vs Bmaj7

One black key apart at the top. B6 adds G sharp, a whole step over the F sharp; Bmaj7 adds A sharp, a half step under the B above. G sharp lets the chord rest; A sharp leaves it shimmering.

Hold B, D sharp and F sharp, and swap the little finger between G sharp and A sharp. The first sounds like the end of a rockabilly tune, the second like the start of a slow one. Same hand, different centuries.

B6 in major keys

Every note of B6 sits inside these keys. See how it works alongside the other chords in each one.

Questions about B6

Is B6 the same as G#m7?

Same four notes: B, D sharp, F sharp and G sharp. B in the bass makes it B6; G sharp in the bass makes it G#m7.

What fingers do you use for B6?

Right hand: thumb on B, index on D sharp, middle on F sharp, little finger on G sharp, which is 1, 2, 3, 5. Left hand: 5, 3, 2, 1.

What is the difference between B6 and B7?

B6 adds G sharp, a colour note with no pull. B7 adds A, a flat seventh that drives toward E. One is an arrival, the other a departure.

How many black keys are in B6?

Three: D sharp, F sharp and G sharp. Only the root, B, is white, so the hand sits mostly on the black keys.

When would I use B6?

As a warm final chord in B, and under melodies that rest on G sharp. Guitar keys like B bring it out in rockabilly and old rock and roll piano parts.