Map it slowly
Find G on string 6 at fret 3. Play string 6, fret 3; string 6, fret 7; string 5, fret 5; string 5, fret 7; string 4, fret 5. Use a relaxed position and release pressure between repetitions. String 1 is high E.
Arpeggio · G6 · Guitar
G6 arpeggio on guitar
The G6 arpeggio is G – B – D – E — chord tones 1 3 5 6. G6 is a tonic alternative to maj7, especially on the last chord of a tune; its sound is open, classic, swing-era. Below, every G, B, D, E on the fretboard is marked, with the root in gold. Press play to hear a one-octave arpeggio, or tap any note.
Visualizer
G6 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 3. 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 G Major 6th part of your playing
Make a short phrase
Play G – B – D – E in quarter notes at 60 bpm. Repeat starting from B, wrapping back to G. Do not speed up until every attack is even.
Hear it in context
Alternate B and E above a sustained G. These are degree 3 and 6. End a four-bar phrase on either one instead of always returning to the root.
Listen for this: G6 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
G6: from a pattern to a musical choice
What gives G6 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 B, and degree 6 is E. Play G in the bass and compare these voices individually before combining them.
Turn the arpeggio into a melody
Try B – D – E – G 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 G on string 6, fret 3. The next note B is on string 6, fret 7. 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: G · B · D · E. Then play a two-bar phrase from memory and leave two bars of silence.
On piano
G6 on the keyboard.
Reference
G6 — chord tones & intervals.
| Chord tone | Note | Interval from G |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | G | unison (0 semitones) |
| 3 | B | major 3rd (4 semitones) |
| 5 | D | perfect 5th (7 semitones) |
| 6 | E | major 6th (9 semitones) |
Goes with: G Major (Ionian) (G A B C D E F♯). Voicings: G6 voicings on guitar.
Take it to the bandstand.Practice Radio streams endless changes to play the G6 arpeggio over through all twelve keys, with the chord and scale shown live — plus ear-training and call & response modes.
▶ Open Practice RadioCommon questions
G6 arpeggio FAQ.
What notes are in a G6 arpeggio?
G – B – D – E. As chord tones: 1 3 5 6. Played one after another instead of together, that is the arpeggio.
What is a G6 chord used for?
G6 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 G6?
G Major (G A B C D E F♯) — the arpeggio is the skeleton of that scale, so practise them together.
How do I practise the G6 arpeggio on guitar?
Start on the root G on the low E string at fret 3 and play E-string fret 3, E-string fret 7, A-string fret 5, A-string fret 7, D-string fret 5. 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 G