If you’re interested in learning about six-three and six-four chords, then you arrived at the right page.
There are musical concepts that are known only by scholarly musicians: six-three and six-four chords are inclusive.
But before we go into all that, let’s prepare our minds by reviewing the concept of inversion.
A Quick Review On The Concept Of The Inversion Of Chords
A chord according to Jermaine Griggs consists of a collection of three or more related notes (agreeable or not) which may be played or heard together.
In the C major triad:
C is the first
E is the third
G is the fifth
Although the tones of the C major triad are played in numerical order — from the first, to the third, and then to the fifth tones; the tones of the C major triad can be reordered. Reordering the notes of a chord is technically defined as chord inversion.
“Check It Out…”
The C major triad:
…can be reordered in such a way that E:
…comes before G:
…and C:
Altogether, we have E-G-C:
…an inversion of the C major triad.
The notes of the C major triad can also be reordered in such a way that G:
…comes before C:
…and E:
…and this produces G-C-E:
…which is also an inversion of the C major triad.
Attention: Chord inversion applies to triads and seventh chords only. Extended chords CANNOT be inverted.
Six-Three Chords – Explained
The inversion of a triad in root position produces a first inversion chord if the root is the highest sounding note.
For example, the C major triad (in root position):
…can be inverted to E-G-C:
…and that’s the first inversion of the C major triad — which is known to music scholars as the six-three chord.
“What Is A Six-Three Chord?”
The first inversion of the C major triad (or of any other triad) is known as a six-three chord because of the intervals between chord tones (intervallic components).
Using the C major triad (played in first inversion):
…as a reference, the interval between E and C:
…is a sixth interval, while the interval between E and G:
…is a third interval.
So, the first inversion of the given triad (the C major triad):
…consists of two intervals:
The sixth interval
The third interval
Consequently, it’s called the six-three chord.
So, the first inversion of the C major triad:
…is described as a six-three chord because of the intervals it consists of.
Six-three chords are distinguishable from other inversions because of the interval between the chord tones. For example, given the F-B-D triad:
…one can determine if it’s a first inversion chord or not by breaking down the distance between its chord tones.
F-D:
…is a sixth interval, while F to B:
…is a fourth interval.
From the interval between chord tones in the F-B-D chord (which is six-four), it’s clear that the F-B-D chord is not a first inversion chord because instead of the six-three interval between chord tones, the F-B-D chord consists of a six-four between successive tones.
So, now we know that the F-B-D chord is six-four, let’s breakdown six-four chords.
 Quick Insights On Six-Four Chords
The inversion of a triad in first inversion produces a second inversion chord. For example, the C major triad (played in first inversion):
…can be inverted to G-C-E:
…and that’s the second inversion of the C major triad — which is known to music scholars as the six-four chord.
“What Is A Six-Four Chord?”
The second inversion of the C major triad (or of any other triad) is known as a six-four chord because of the intervals between chord tones (intervallic components).
Using the C major triad (played in first inversion):
…as a reference, the interval between G and E:
…is a sixth interval, while the interval between G and C:
…is a fourth interval.
So, the second inversion of the given triad (the C major triad):
…consists of two intervals:
The sixth interval
The fourth interval
Consequently, it’s called the six-four chord.
So, the second inversion of the C major triad:
…is described as a six-four chord because of the intervals it consists of.
Final Words
Now that you know what six-three and six-four chords are and the difference between them. I hope that determining whether a chord is a first inversion or second inversion chord should be a lot easier for you.
See you in the next lesson!
