Bbm6 Bb minor sixth chord
- Notes
- Bb Db F G
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 6
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 9 above the root
- Also written
- A#m6 (A# C# E# F##)
- Other symbols
- Bbmin6, Bb−6
Bb to Db is a minor third (3 semitones), Db to F is a major third (4 semitones), F to G is a major second (2 semitones). A minor triad plus the major sixth, G. The sixth and the minor third Db are a tritone apart, which gives the chord its dark, unresolved colour. With G in the bass the same four keys read as Gm7b5.
Bbm6 on the piano
Root position from Bb4: Bb4, Db5, F5, G5. Middle C is C4.
Bbm6 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 Bb as its lowest note.
x 1 x 0 2 1 (low E to high e)
Sounds Bb2 G3 Db4 F4
6 x 5 6 6 x (low E to high e)
Sounds Bb2 G3 Db4 F4
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 Bbm6
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 | Bb Db F G | Bbm6 | |
| 1st inversion | Db F G Bb | Gm7b5/Db (also read as Bbm6/Db) | |
| 2nd inversion | F G Bb Db | Gm7b5/F (also read as Bbm6/F) | |
| 3rd inversion | G Bb Db F | Gm7b5 (also read as Bbm6/G) |
Where Bbm6 fits
Bbm6 is ii6 in Ab major, iv6 in F minor, i6 in Bb minor. As i6 it is the tonic chord of a minor key when the melody uses the raised sixth of the melodic minor scale, G; many jazz tunes in minor end on it rather than on Bbm7.