Map it slowly
Find B on string 6 at fret 7. Play string 6, fret 7; string 6, fret 11; string 5, fret 9; string 5, fret 11; string 4, fret 9. Use a relaxed position and release pressure between repetitions. String 1 is high E.
Arpeggio · B6 · Guitar
B6 arpeggio on guitar
The B6 arpeggio is B – D♯ – F♯ – G♯ — chord tones 1 3 5 6. B6 is a tonic alternative to maj7, especially on the last chord of a tune; its sound is open, classic, swing-era. Below, every B, D♯, F♯, G♯ on the fretboard is marked, with the root in gold. Press play to hear a one-octave arpeggio, or tap any note.
Visualizer
B6 on the fretboard.
Guitar · standard tuning
Piano
RootChord toneBeing played
Tempo100 bpm
Show
Sound
Play loops the arpeggio up and down one octave (switch Loop off for a single pass) in the position starting at fret 7. Tap any marked note to hear it. “Show” switches or combines the fretboard and keyboard; “Sound” picks the instrument you hear. Audio is synthesized in the browser.
Your next 10 minutes
Make B Major 6th part of your playing
Make a short phrase
Play B – D♯ – F♯ – G♯ in quarter notes at 60 bpm. Repeat starting from D♯, wrapping back to B. Do not speed up until every attack is even.
Hear it in context
Alternate D♯ and G♯ above a sustained B. These are degree 3 and 6. End a four-bar phrase on either one instead of always returning to the root.
Listen for this: B6 has the colour “open, classic, swing-era”. Name the degrees as you play, so you can recognize the sound in another key rather than remembering only a shape.
Understand the sound
B6: from a pattern to a musical choice
What gives B6 its identity?
The sixth replaces the major seventh. Compare the softer root-and-sixth relationship with the half-step tension of a major seventh.
Here the third is D♯, and degree 6 is G♯. Play B in the bass and compare these voices individually before combining them.
Turn the arpeggio into a melody
Try D♯ – F♯ – G♯ – B as quarter notes, then repeat the first note and omit the last. The second phrase uses the same harmony with a different shape.
Sound the strings separately before playing them together. If a note is muted, adjust the finger angle instead of squeezing harder.
Your guitar checkpoint
Start with B on string 6, fret 7. The next note D♯ is on string 6, fret 11. Name both notes aloud before playing, then find the same two pitches in another octave.
Before moving on, close the diagram and name the notes: B · D♯ · F♯ · G♯. Then play a two-bar phrase from memory and leave two bars of silence.
On piano
B6 on the keyboard.
Reference
B6 — chord tones & intervals.
| Chord tone | Note | Interval from B |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | unison (0 semitones) |
| 3 | D♯ | major 3rd (4 semitones) |
| 5 | F♯ | perfect 5th (7 semitones) |
| 6 | G♯ | major 6th (9 semitones) |
Goes with: B Major (Ionian) (B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A♯). Voicings: B6 voicings on guitar.
Take it to the bandstand.Practice Radio streams endless changes to play the B6 arpeggio over through all twelve keys, with the chord and scale shown live — plus ear-training and call & response modes.
▶ Open Practice RadioCommon questions
B6 arpeggio FAQ.
What notes are in a B6 arpeggio?
B – D♯ – F♯ – G♯. As chord tones: 1 3 5 6. Played one after another instead of together, that is the arpeggio.
What is a B6 chord used for?
B6 is a tonic alternative to maj7, especially on the last chord of a tune. Its character is open, classic, swing-era.
Which scale goes with B6?
B Major (B C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A♯) — the arpeggio is the skeleton of that scale, so practise them together.
How do I practise the B6 arpeggio on guitar?
Start on the root B on the low E string at fret 7 and play E-string fret 7, E-string fret 11, A-string fret 9, A-string fret 11, D-string fret 9. Then play it descending, then in eighth notes with a metronome, then use it in a short phrase over a suitable chord.
Keep going
Major 6th arpeggio in every other key.
Same arpeggio on piano · Major 6th hub · chord-scale theory.
Other arpeggios from B