Minor sixth chord
The minor sixth chord: a minor triad with the sixth added. It sounds dark and lyrical, and it is common in jazz, pop and minor-key harmony. Spelled in all twelve keys, with guitar shapes and piano diagrams.
On C
- Symbol
- Cm6
- Formula
- 1 ♭3 5 6
- Notes
- 4
- Also written
- Cmin6
What it sounds like
Cm6 is C, E♭, G and A: a minor triad with the major sixth, nine semitones above the root, added. The sixth sits a tritone above the minor third, E♭ to A, so the chord has a rough edge against its dark third. Without a seventh, the tension stays moderate, and the sound is more lyrical than a minor seventh chord. The minor third darkens the sound and the sixth lifts the top, which gives the chord its wistful colour.
How it is used
The minor sixth appears as the tonic, i6, in minor keys, and as the subdominant, iv6, where it works as a soft predominant. In jazz and pop it often closes a piece, with the sixth lifting the final sound. It has no seventh to resolve, so it moves freely, and it can move to iv, to V or to a chord a fourth away. Writers in classical and popular styles use it as a colouring chord rather than a driving one.
How it is built
The minor sixth is a root with a minor third, a perfect fifth and a major sixth, 0, 3, 7 and 9 semitones above the root. Common symbols are Cm6, Cmin6 and C-6. The chord has the same notes as Am7♭5, which is A, C, E♭ and G, the half-diminished seventh a minor third below the root, so the two names differ only in the bass. The first inversion is Cm6/E♭, the second is Cm6/G, and Cm6/A is the half-diminished chord in root position.
How to practise it
Play Cm6 and then Am7♭5 in succession. The notes are the same, and only the bass changes from C to A. Next play Cm6 with the A on top, then lift the A out to reach Cm, and hear how the sixth colours the triad. Finally, play i6 and iv6 in A minor, and listen to how the sixth colours each chord.
Minor sixth chord in every key
Every chord is spelled by letter name. Click a symbol for its page, with inversions and guitar shapes.
| Chord | Notes | Hear it |
|---|---|---|
| Cm6 | C E♭ G A | |
| C♯m6 | C♯ E G♯ A♯ | |
| D♭m6 | D♭ F♭ A♭ B♭ | |
| Dm6 | D F A B | |
| E♭m6 | E♭ G♭ B♭ C | |
| Em6 | E G B C♯ | |
| Fm6 | F A♭ C D | |
| F♯m6 | F♯ A C♯ D♯ | |
| Gm6 | G B♭ D E | |
| G♯m6 | G♯ B D♯ E♯ | |
| A♭m6 | A♭ C♭ E♭ F | |
| Am6 | A C E F♯ | |
| B♭m6 | B♭ D♭ F G | |
| Bm6 | B D F♯ G♯ |
Further reading
- Chord Symbols Explained: Major, Minor, Seventh and Slash ChordsHarmony · 8 min
- Jazz Chord Voicings: Shell and Rootless Voicings ExplainedJazz & Popular Harmony · 7 min
- Chord Extensions Explained: Ninths, Elevenths and ThirteenthsJazz & Popular Harmony · 7 min
Questions
What is the difference between Cm6 and Cm7?
Cm6 adds A, a major sixth above C, and Cm7 adds B♭, a minor seventh above C. The sixth sounds sweeter and sits nine semitones above the root. The minor seventh sits ten semitones above the root and has a pull toward a lower note. Both keep the minor third and fifth.
Is Cm6 the same as Am7♭5?
They contain the same notes, A, C, E♭ and G, so they sound alike in a block. The names differ because the root differs. Cm6 puts C at the bottom with A as the sixth, and Am7♭5 puts A at the bottom with a half-diminished seventh. The bass note usually shows which name a writer meant.
Why does a minor sixth sound softer than a minor seventh?
The sixth is a major sixth above the root, and it has no pull toward a lower note. The minor seventh is a dissonance that wants to fall by step. Without that pull, the minor sixth sounds calmer and more lyrical, so it suits slower, lyrical passages.