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9 semitones · pure 5:3

The major sixth

Nine semitones, a bright, wide leap. Together its two notes blend warmly, which is why so much harmony moves in sixths and thirds.

Songs that start with a major sixth

Going up: My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean, from "My" to "Bon". Going down: the spiritual Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen, from "No" to "bo".

The sixth as a third turned over

Turn a major sixth upside down and you get a minor third: C up to A, then A up to C. Two voices a sixth apart sound much like a third with one voice moved an octave, which is why harmony parts swap between the two so easily.

More intervals

Free tools by Stackapella

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Stackapella teaches you to sing harmony one part at a time, right in your browser.

Stackapella recording the alto part of Amazing Grace: each note is a bar with its name, and the one being sung says A little low, go up. Stackapella recording the alto part of Amazing Grace: each note is a bar with its name, and the one being sung says A little low, go up. Stackapella recording the alto part of Amazing Grace: each note is a bar with its name, and the one being sung says A little low, go up. Stackapella recording the alto part of Amazing Grace: each note is a bar with its name, and the one being sung says A little low, go up.
  • A guide sings your partHear your line over the others, slow it down, then take your turn.
  • Your notes light upEach note shows where you landed, and a hint when to go up or down.
  • Record every part yourselfStack your takes in time until you're the whole choir.
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Questions

What is a major sixth?

An interval of nine semitones: C to A, or G to E. Its pure ratio is 5:3.

What is a sixth chord?

A chord with a major sixth added above the root: C6 is C, E, G and A. It's a sweet, settled sound, common as a final chord in swing and close-harmony singing.

How do I sing a major sixth in tune?

Hear it as do up to la: from the first note, sing up the major scale in your head to its sixth note, then jump straight there.

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Ready to know them by ear? Try interval ear trainingInterval ear training · Name the gap between two notes