A 6/9 chord is spelled with the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 9th notes of the major scale. See the below examples:
6/9 Chord Construction: 1 3 5 6 9
G 6/9 Contains: G B D E A
C 6/9 Contains: C E G A D
A 6/9 Contains: A C# E F# B
E 6/9 Contains: E G# B C# F#
As you can see, there is no 7th of any kind in this chord, which is what makes it so unique.
The presence of either a major seventh or a flat seventh (dominant seventh) is what gives an extended chord its personality – so by not having a seventh, the six nine chord is very ambiguous and versatile.
Chord Construction is such an important skill for any Guitar Thinker! Practice these two chord shapes while naming the notes of the major scale within. You will notice the order in which the notes are played (after the root note) differs between the two shapes shown above. How so?


