B flat sixth (Bb6) chord on cavaquinho
- Notes
- B♭DFG
- Formula
- 1356
How to play Bb6 on cavaquinho
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Shape 1 · fret 3 · barre
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Shape 2 · fret 5
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Shape 3 · fret 7
no 5th (F)
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Shape 4 · fret 11
no 5th (F)
Some shapes leave out: 5th (F). The caption of each one says what is missing. The 5th is the first to go: it barely changes the sound of the chord.
Numbers are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky. x = do not play the string, o = open string. The coloured dot is the root (B flat).
Bb6 inversions on cavaquinho
On the cavaquinho a seventh chord fits whole on the 4 strings, one note on each, and that is how it accompanies in choro. Below are the positions with the root, the 3rd, the 5th and the 7th on the lowest string (in sixth chords the 6th does not go to the bass: that would rename the chord), whenever the position fits the hand.
Root (B♭) in the bassroot position · Bb6
Root (B♭) in the bassroot position · Bb6
3rd (D) in the bass1st inversion · Bb6/D
5th (F) in the bass2nd inversion · Bb6/F
About the sixth chord
A major chord with a sixth: cheerful, "round" and a little retro, without the tension of a seventh. Typical of swing, choro and bossa, and of endings in old-school jazz; in rock'n'roll, alternating the major chord with the 6 is the basis of many riffs.
Notes and intervals of Bb6
Bb6 (B flat sixth) is built from 4 notes. Each one fills a degree of the chord:
- B♭ · 1 · root
- D · 3 · major third
- F · 5 · perfect fifth
- G · 6 · major sixth
Other B flat chords
- Bb
- Bbm
- Bb7
- Bb7M
- Bbm7
- Bbm7(b5)
- Bb°
- Bb°7
- Bb+
- Bbsus2
- Bbsus4
- Bb7sus4
- Bb5
- Bbadd9
- Bb6
- Bbm6
- Bb9
- Bbm(add9)
- Bbm9
- Bb7M(9)
- Bbm(7M)
- Bb7M(#5)
- Bb7(b9)
Sixth: other roots
Frequently asked questions
How do you play the Bb6 chord on cavaquinho?
Bb6 (B flat sixth) has 4 fingerings on this page, from easiest to hardest. Each diagram shows the fingers, the open strings (o) and the strings you do not play (x), and you can hear every shape.
What notes are in Bb6?
The notes of Bb6 are B♭, D, F, G. The formula is 1 · 3 · 5 · 6: root, major third, perfect fifth, major sixth.
What does Bb6 mean?
Bb6 is the chord symbol for B flat sixth. A major chord with a sixth: cheerful, "round" and a little retro, without the tension of a seventh. Typical of swing, choro and bossa, and of endings in old-school jazz; in rock'n'roll, alternating the major chord with the 6 is the basis of many riffs.
Can I play Bb6 on other instruments?
Yes. Bb6 also has a page on guitar, on ukulele, with the fingerings for each instrument.