Banjo C6 chord (Open D)C sixth on the 5-string banjo: 2 3 3 5, and 5 more shapes

C6 chord chart for 5-string banjo in Open D tuning: 2 3 3 5, from the 2nd fret, with the short 5th string marked
C6 (C sixth) on the 5-string banjo, Open D: 2 3 3 5, string 4 to string 1. Fingers are numbered on the dots; copper marks the root; the green ring on the left is the 5th string, solid when it’s in the chord.

Frets, string 4 to string 1: 2 3 3 5 (from the 2nd fret)

  1. String 4 (D): 2nd fret, index finger, E
  2. String 3 (F♯): 3rd fret, middle finger, A
  3. String 2 (A): 3rd fret, ring finger, C
  4. String 1 (D): 5th fret, little finger, G
  5. String 5, the short f♯: open, F♯, not in the chord

Sounds: E A C G  ·  C6 is C, E, G, A (1 · 3 · 5 · 6)

The 5th string: the short f♯ rubs against the G in this shape, a semitone away: some players let it ring, some skip it.

With a capo: on the 5th fret it’s 0 1 2 2 (frets counted from the capo), an open G6 shape. Spike the 5th string at the 10th fret to keep it in tune with the capo.

Open D tuning: f♯DF♯AD, the short 5th string first, then strings 4 to 1.

Hear it in the app ›

The link can’t set the tuning: the app starts in open G. Choose Open D once in its Settings and it remembers.

More C6 shapes

  1. 1231f♯EACE2 3 3 2
    at the nut · no 5th
  2. 5fr1234f♯GCEA5 6 7 7
    5fr
  3. 7fr341f♯CEAA10 10 0 7
    7fr · no 5th
  4. 10fr123f♯CEAC10 10 0 10
    10fr · no 5th
  5. 14fr1231f♯EACE14 15 15 14
    14fr · no 5th

Other C chords in Open D

CCmC7Cm7Cmaj7C6Csus4Csus2CdimCaug

Other sixth chords

G6A6D6C6B6E6F6B♭6

C6 in other tunings

Open GDouble CSawmillC Tuning

All Open D banjo chords · Printable chart (PDF) · How to tune · The app