Julie Swihart

Minor Sixth Chords

Let’s learn how to play an Am6 chord on the piano. We’ll also learn the pattern for playing any minor sixth chord.

What Are Minor Sixth Chords?

Minor sixth chords are minor chords with an added note. The added note is the sixth note of the matching major scale.

So to build a minor sixth chord, we’ll start by building a minor chord. Minor chords are built using the first, third and fifth notes of the matching minor scale (learn how to build a minor scale here).

Another way to build a minor chord is to build the matching major chord, and then lower the middle note 1/2 step.

To convert the minor chord into a minor sixth chord, we’ll add the sixth note of the matching major scale.

Chord Types Printable

Learn to play 17 types of piano chords using 12 different root notes with this 34-page PDF! Chords are sorted both by their root note (C, D, E, etc.) and type (major, minor, augmented, diminished, etc.).

Get the Printable

How to Play an Am6 Chord

Now let’s build an Am6 chord on the piano. We’ll start by building an Am chord, using the first, third and fifth notes of an A minor scale: A – C – E

Next we’ll add the sixth note of the A major scale: F♯

So to play an Am6 chord, we’ll play:

A – C – E – F♯

You can use this pattern to build any minor sixth chord. First build a minor chord, then add the sixth note of the matching major scale.

Other Chord Types

There are many other chord types you can learn. Here are some others:

Major
Minor
Augmented
Diminished
Second
Minor Second
Suspended
Fifth
Sixth
Seventh
Minor Seventh
Major Seventh
Ninth
Minor Ninth
Major Ninth

Conclusion

Now you know how to build an Am6 chord on the piano, and you can use that knowledge to build any other minor sixth chord!

Seeing the patterns on the piano and using them to build chords is a wonderful way to learn the piano quickly, and to play creatively!