F major sixth

F6

Also written Fmaj6 · FM6 · Fadd6

NotesF · A · C · D
Formula1 · 3 · 5 · 6
F1A3C5D6
Root position

A tonic where the 6th does the 7th's job — sweeter than Fmaj7, the sound of a swing-era ending. F6 has exactly the notes of Dm7; which one it is depends on the bass.

How pianists voice F6

Nobody plays a jazz chord in root position. These are the shapes that actually get played — the same ones Cadenza shows when you play the chord.

Shell Left hand

F1A3D6

1 · 3 · 6 — root, 3rd and 6th: the three notes that say what the chord is. Left hand, low; everything else is colour.

Rootless A From the 3rd

A3C5D6G9

3 · 5 · 6 · 9 — no root: the bass player has it. The left-hand voicing of modern jazz piano. Without F underneath, the same keys read as Am11 — the bass turns them into F6.

Rootless B From the 6th

D6G9A3C5

6 · 9 · 3 · 5 — the other half of the pair. A and B alternate through a ii–V–I so the hand barely moves. Without F underneath, the same keys read as D7sus4 — the bass turns them into F6.

Drop 2 Two hands

C5F1A3D6

5 · 1 · 3 · 6 — close position with the second voice from the top dropped an octave: wider, warmer, the standard for chord melody.

F6 inversions

The same 4 notes with a different one in the bass. Each inversion is written as a slash chord.

Root position F6

F1A3C5D6

Root at the bottom, stacked in 3rds: 1 · 3 · 5 · 6.

1st inversion F6/A

A3C5D6F1

A (the 3) in the bass: 3 · 5 · 6 · 1.

2nd inversion F6/C

C5D6F1A3

C (the 5) in the bass: 5 · 6 · 1 · 3.

3rd inversion F6/D

D6F1A3C5

D (the 6) in the bass: 6 · 1 · 3 · 5.

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