Abm6 Ab minor sixth chord
- Notes
- Ab Cb Eb F
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 6
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 9 above the root
- Also written
- G#m6 (G# B D# E#)
- Other symbols
- Abmin6, Ab−6
Ab to Cb is a minor third (3 semitones), Cb to Eb is a major third (4 semitones), Eb to F is a major second (2 semitones). A minor triad plus the major sixth, F. The sixth and the minor third Cb are a tritone apart, which gives the chord its dark, unresolved colour. With F in the bass the same four keys read as Fm7b5.
Abm6 on the piano
Root position from Ab4: Ab4, Cb5, Eb5, F5. Middle C is C4.
Abm6 on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has Ab as its lowest note.
4 x 3 4 4 x (low E to high e)
Sounds Ab2 F3 Cb4 Eb4
x 11 x 10 12 11 (low E to high e)
Sounds Ab3 F4 Cb5 Eb5
The E-shape and A-shape grips are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play minor sixth chords on other roots.
Inversions of Abm6
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | Ab Cb Eb F | Abm6 | |
| 1st inversion | Cb Eb F Ab | Fm7b5/B | |
| 2nd inversion | Eb F Ab Cb | Fm7b5/Eb (also read as Abm6/Eb) | |
| 3rd inversion | F Ab Cb Eb | Fm7b5 (also read as Abm6/F) |
Where Abm6 fits
Abm6 is ii6 in Gb major, iv6 in Eb minor, i6 in Ab minor. As i6 it is the tonic chord of a minor key when the melody uses the raised sixth of the melodic minor scale, F; many jazz tunes in minor end on it rather than on Abm7.