Minor Sixth Chords

Let’s look at how to play an Fm6 (“F minor sixth”) chord on the piano. We’ll also learn the pattern for building any other 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.

To build a minor sixth chord, we’ll start by building a minor chord. We can build a minor chord by taking the matching major chord and lowering 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.

Chord Types Printable

Learn to play 17 types of piano chords using 12 different root notes with this 35-page PDF! Chords are sorted both by their root note and type.

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How to Play an Fm6 Chord

To build an Fm6 chord, we’ll start by building an F minor chord. We can build an F minor chord by taking an F major chord, F – A – C, and lowering the middle note 1/2 step: F – A♭ – C

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

So to play an Fm6 chord, we’ll play: F – A♭ – C – D

F – A♭ – C – D

We can use this pattern to build any other minor sixth chord! We can build a minor chord and then add the sixth note of the matching major scale.

Other Chord Types

Some other chord types you can learn are:

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 Fm6 chord on the piano, and you can use this pattern to build any other minor sixth chord!

Piano chords are a great way to enjoy music and to play creatively!