Map it slowly
Locate C, E, G, A on white keys. Try each hand separately before playing together; choose a fingering that keeps the wrist relaxed, without stretching between notes.
Arpeggio · C6 · Piano
C6 arpeggio on piano
The C6 arpeggio is C – E – G – A — chord tones 1 3 5 6. C6 is a tonic alternative to maj7, especially on the last chord of a tune; its sound is open, classic, swing-era. Below, every C, E, G, A on the two-octave keyboard is marked, with the root in gold. Press play to hear a one-octave arpeggio, or tap any note.
Visualizer
C6 on the keyboard.
Piano
Guitar · standard tuning
RootChord toneBeing played
Tempo100 bpm
Show
Sound
Play loops the arpeggio up and down one octave (switch Loop off for a single pass). 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 C Major 6th part of your playing
Make a short phrase
Play C – E – G – A in quarter notes at 60 bpm. Repeat starting from E, wrapping back to C. Do not speed up until every attack is even.
Hear it in context
Alternate E and A above a sustained C. These are degree 3 and 6. End a four-bar phrase on either one instead of always returning to the root.
Listen for this: C6 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
C6: from a pattern to a musical choice
What gives C6 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 E, and degree 6 is A. Play C in the bass and compare these voices individually before combining them.
Turn the arpeggio into a melody
Try E – G – A – C as quarter notes, then repeat the first note and omit the last. The second phrase uses the same harmony with a different shape.
Separate the bass from the upper notes. If the low register sounds muddy, move the upper voices up an octave before adding more notes.
Your piano checkpoint
The black-key pitches in this collection are none. Use the groups of two and three black keys to orient yourself. Play C and E with each hand separately before combining the hands.
Before moving on, close the diagram and name the notes: C · E · G · A. Then play a two-bar phrase from memory and leave two bars of silence.
On guitar
C6 on the fretboard.
Reference
C6 — chord tones & intervals.
| Chord tone | Note | Interval from C |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | unison (0 semitones) |
| 3 | E | major 3rd (4 semitones) |
| 5 | G | perfect 5th (7 semitones) |
| 6 | A | major 6th (9 semitones) |
Goes with: C Major (Ionian) (C D E F G A B). Voicings: C6 voicings on piano.
Take it to the bandstand.Practice Radio streams endless changes to play the C6 arpeggio over through all twelve keys, with the chord and scale shown live — plus ear-training and call & response modes.
▶ Open Practice RadioCommon questions
C6 arpeggio FAQ.
What notes are in a C6 arpeggio?
C – E – G – A. As chord tones: 1 3 5 6. Played one after another instead of together, that is the arpeggio.
What is a C6 chord used for?
C6 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 C6?
C Major (C D E F G A B) — the arpeggio is the skeleton of that scale, so practise them together.
How do I practise the C6 arpeggio on piano?
Play C – E – G – A ascending from C, then descend; then start from each chord tone in turn (inversions) so your hand knows the shape from any note.
Keep going
Major 6th arpeggio in every other key.
Same arpeggio on guitar · Major 6th hub · chord-scale theory.
Other arpeggios from C