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Sixth chord in swing
Root, third, fifth and major sixth – a major chord with an added sixth, one of the most common chords in jazz – up and back in swing rhythm: long–short.
A major sixth chord arpeggio in swing rhythm. You sing the root, major third, fifth and major sixth, then come back down to a held root. Long and short notes alternate, a triplet-style lilt that gives jazz its bounce. The sixth is the chord's color tone, sitting a whole step above the fifth. Instead of one vowel, you sing scat syllables, one per note: doo ba doo ba doo ba dah.
How to do it
- Listen to the piano play the swing pattern once, then sing along with it.
- Sing one scat syllable per note: doo, ba, doo, ba, doo, ba, then dah on the final root.
- Lean on the long “doo” notes and let each short “ba” fall lightly, like a pickup.
- Aim each note at its row on the roll. The sixth should sit clearly above the fifth.
- Hold the last root for two beats. Repetitions step up a semitone, then come back down.
Coach's tip: The sixth is a bright note just above the fifth – don’t mistake it for the octave or the seventh. Lean on the long “doo”, let the short “ba” go by lightly.
What to watch out for
Straight, even notes are the most common mistake. If every syllable has the same length, the swing disappears, so stress the long notes and shorten the short ones. The sixth often lands flat, because singers aim for the fifth instead. Keep the “ba” syllables quiet, since pushing them makes the line choppy. If the tempo feels fast, use the slider to slow it. Stop if your voice tires.
Who it's for
Level 1, good for beginners who want to feel swing without a complicated line, and for jazz curious singers. Use it in the main block after a warm-up such as Scat warm-up in swing. Then try Major triad 1-3-5-3-1 for a plain version of the same shape. It's tagged Jazz, so choosing that style makes it come up more often in the daily training.
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Related exercises
- Major triad 1-3-5-3-1 The basic broken chord.
- 1-3-5-8-5-3-1 Chord with the octave. The most popular exercise in singing lessons.
- Minor triad The broken minor chord.
- Octave leap 1-8-1 One leap, but a big one. Connects registers.
- Scat warm-up in swing Root, second, third, fifth and back down – lightly, on “doo-bee”. Swing rhythm: the first note of each pair is longer, the second short, as in jazz.
- Major pentatonic Five notes that almost all pop runs are built from.