Julie Swihart

Minor Sixth Chords

Let’s look at how to play a Gm6 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 (learn how to build a minor scale here).

Another way to build a minor chord is to build 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, etc.).

Get the Printable

How to Play a Gm6 Chord

So to build the Gm6 chord, we’ll start by building a G minor chord using the first, third and fifth notes of a G minor scale: G – B♭ – D.

Then we’ll add the sixth note of the G major scale, E.

So to play a Gm6 chord on the piano, we’ll play:

G – B♭ – D – E

You can use this pattern to build any minor sixth chord. First build a minor chord by playing the first, third and fifth notes of the matching minor scale. Or take the matching major chord and lower the middle note 1/2 step.

Then add the sixth note of the matching major scale to the chord, to create a minor sixth chord.

Other Chord Types

There are many other types of chords you can build. Here are some others:

Major
Minor
Augmented
Diminished
Second
Minor second
Fifth
Suspended
Sixth
Seventh
Minor seventh
Major seventh
Ninth
Minor ninth
Major ninth

Conclusion

Now you know how to build minor sixth chords on the piano, and you can use this pattern to build any minor sixth chord!

The patterns on the piano can be used again and again, starting on different notes, to build different types of chords. And understanding the patterns makes learning the piano so much more enjoyable!