Double Stops: Sixths

If thirds are the Motown sound, sixths are the Memphis one. They are the interval behind a great deal of Steve Cropper and Curtis Mayfield, and they are instantly recognisable once you know what you are hearing.

A sixth is a wider gap than a third, and the practical consequence on guitar is that the two notes are not on neighbouring strings. You play them on the third and first strings, skipping the second string in the middle. That skipped string has to be silenced, which is the technical challenge of this lesson — either let the underside of your fretting finger rest against it, or pick the two notes with separate fingers and avoid it entirely.

Here is the same C major scale, harmonised in sixths.

C major in sixths, first and third strings

The second string stays silent throughout. Each pair is one scale note on the third string and the note a sixth above it on the first.

e
B
G
D
A
E

--1-----3-----5-----7-----8-----10-----12--|
-------------------------------------------|
--2-----4-----5-----7-----9-----10-----12--|
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Fingerpicking these, or using a pick and your second finger together, is much easier than strumming them, precisely because of the string in the middle. Most players who use this sound a lot end up picking with their fingers.

And here is the sound in a phrase — up and back down, which is the most common way it appears.

A sixths phrase

C-A up to E-C and back. Slide between the pairs rather than lifting off, and it starts to sound like a record.

e
B
G
D
A
E

--5-----7-----8-----7-----5--|
-----------------------------|
--5-----7-----9-----7-----5--|
-----------------------------|
-----------------------------|
-----------------------------|

One detail that makes a disproportionate difference: slide into the pairs rather than placing them. Take the shape one fret below the target and slide up into it on the beat. That small smear is a large part of why this sound feels vocal rather than mechanical.

Back to the C track to try it.

The same groove in C. Alternate between triad stabs on the backbeat and a sixths phrase at the end of every second bar.