Voicings · G6 · Guitar
G6 is spelled G – B – D – E (1 3 5 6) — a tonic alternative to maj7, especially on the last chord of a tune. Here are 5 ways to voice it on guitar: drop 2, drop 3, shell, rootless a, rootless b. Every diagram is playable — press play to hear the chord, or “roll it” to hear the voices one by one, low to high.
The voicings
Take the close voicing and drop its second-highest voice an octave. The most-used four-note voicing on guitar and in piano left hands. Strings A-D-G, frets 5-5-4 (position 1).
Drop the third-highest voice of the close voicing an octave: a wide, open sound. Strings A-D-B, frets 2-5-3 (position 1).
Root, seventh and third only. The fifth is dropped — it adds nothing to the chord's identity — leaving a light, clear voicing. Strings E-A, frets 3-2.
Bill Evans-style left-hand voicing: the third on the bottom, the ninth on top, the bass player supplies the root. Strings G-B-e, frets 4-3-5 (position 1).
The companion rootless voicing with the seventh on the bottom. Alternate A and B so the top voice moves by step through a ii–V–I. Strings E-G-B, frets 5-4-3 (position 1).
Reference
| Chord tone | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | G | unison |
| 3 | B | major 3rd |
| 5 | D | perfect 5th |
| 6 | E | major 6th |
Arpeggio: G6 arpeggio on guitar. Scale: G Major (Ionian).
Common questions
G, B, D, E — chord tones 1 3 5 6. Rootless voicings add the 9th, A, and leave the root to the bass.
The shell voicing (root, seventh, third) on strings E, A: three notes, one comfortable shape, and it still sounds unmistakably like G6.
Start from the close voicing G B D E and drop the second note from the top an octave: D – G – B. It spreads the chord so it fits the hand — and on guitar it fits four adjacent strings.
G6 is a tonic alternative to maj7, especially on the last chord of a tune. Its character is open, classic, swing-era.
Keep going
Same chord on piano · Major 6th hub.
Other chords from G