Am6 A minor sixth chord
- Notes
- A C E F#
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 6
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 9 above the root
- Other symbols
- Amin6, A−6
A to C is a minor third (3 semitones), C to E is a major third (4 semitones), E to F# is a major second (2 semitones). A minor triad plus the major sixth, F#. The sixth and the minor third C are a tritone apart, which gives the chord its dark, unresolved colour. With F# in the bass the same four keys read as F#m7b5.
Am6 on the piano
Root position from A4: A4, C5, E5, F#5. Middle C is C4.
Am6 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 A as its lowest note.
x 0 2 2 1 2 (low E to high e)
Sounds A2 E3 A3 C4 F#4
5 x 4 5 5 x (low E to high e)
Sounds A2 F#3 C4 E4
x 12 x 11 13 12 (low E to high e)
Sounds A3 F#4 C5 E5
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 Am6
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 | A C E F# | Am6 | |
| 1st inversion | C E F# A | F#m7b5/C (also read as Am6/C) | |
| 2nd inversion | E F# A C | F#m7b5/E (also read as Am6/E) | |
| 3rd inversion | F# A C E | F#m7b5 (also read as Am6/F#) |
Where Am6 fits
Am6 is ii6 in G major, iv6 in E minor, i6 in A 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 Am7.