Fm6 F minor sixth chord
- Notes
- F Ab C D
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 6
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 9 above the root
- Other symbols
- Fmin6, F−6
F to Ab is a minor third (3 semitones), Ab to C is a major third (4 semitones), C to D is a major second (2 semitones). A minor triad plus the major sixth, D. The sixth and the minor third Ab are a tritone apart, which gives the chord its dark, unresolved colour. With D in the bass the same four keys read as Dm7b5.
Fm6 on the piano
Root position from F4: F4, Ab4, C5, D5. Middle C is C4.
Fm6 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 F as its lowest note.
1 x 0 1 1 x (low E to high e)
Sounds F2 D3 Ab3 C4
x 8 x 7 9 8 (low E to high e)
Sounds F3 D4 Ab4 C5
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 Fm6
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 | F Ab C D | Fm6 | |
| 1st inversion | Ab C D F | Dm7b5/Ab (also read as Fm6/Ab) | |
| 2nd inversion | C D F Ab | Dm7b5/C (also read as Fm6/C) | |
| 3rd inversion | D F Ab C | Dm7b5 (also read as Fm6/D) |
Where Fm6 fits
Fm6 is ii6 in Eb major, iv6 in C minor, i6 in F minor. As i6 it is the tonic chord of a minor key when the melody uses the raised sixth of the melodic minor scale, D; many jazz tunes in minor end on it rather than on Fm7.