Cm6 C minor sixth chord
- Notes
- C Eb G A
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 6
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 9 above the root
- Other symbols
- Cmin6, C−6
C to Eb is a minor third (3 semitones), Eb to G is a major third (4 semitones), G to A is a major second (2 semitones). A minor triad plus the major sixth, A. The sixth and the minor third Eb are a tritone apart, which gives the chord its dark, unresolved colour. With A in the bass the same four keys read as Am7b5.
Cm6 on the piano
Root position from C4: C4, Eb4, G4, A4. Middle C is C4.
Cm6 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 C as its lowest note.
x 3 x 2 4 3 (low E to high e)
Sounds C3 A3 Eb4 G4
8 x 7 8 8 x (low E to high e)
Sounds C3 A3 Eb4 G4
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 Cm6
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 | C Eb G A | Cm6 | |
| 1st inversion | Eb G A C | Am7b5/Eb (also read as Cm6/Eb) | |
| 2nd inversion | G A C Eb | Am7b5/G (also read as Cm6/G) | |
| 3rd inversion | A C Eb G | Am7b5 (also read as Cm6/A) |
Where Cm6 fits
Cm6 is ii6 in Bb major, iv6 in G minor, i6 in C minor. As i6 it is the tonic chord of a minor key when the melody uses the raised sixth of the melodic minor scale, A; many jazz tunes in minor end on it rather than on Cm7.