Julie Swihart

Minor Sixth Chords

Let’s look at how to play a Dm6 chord on the piano. We’ll also learn the pattern for building 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.

Another way to build minor chords is to take the matching major chord and lower the middle note 1/2 step.

Then to convert the minor chord into a minor sixth chord, we’ll add the sixth note of the matching major scale (learn how to build a major scale here).

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 a Dm6 Chord

Let’s build a Dm6 chord on the piano. We’ll start with a Dm chord, using the first, third and fifth notes of the D minor scale: D – F – A

These are the same notes we get if we start with a D major chord (D – F♯ – A) and lower the middle note 1/2 step.

Then we’ll add the sixth note of the D major scale to the chord: B

So to play a Dm6 chord, we’ll play:

D – F – A – B

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 to play. 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 play a Dm6 chord on the piano, and you can use this pattern to build any minor sixth chord.

Understanding the patterns used to build different chords makes the piano easier to understand. Once you understand a pattern for a particular type of chord, you can apply it again and again, starting on different notes!