Minor 6th Chords (m6) | Guitar Chord Shapes and Voicing Charts

A minor 6 chord (often written as m6 or min6) is a minor triad with an added major 6th interval above the root.

This chord adds color and sophistication to minor harmony, bridging the gap between simple triads and more complex jazz voicings.

In this article, we’ll break down what a minor 6 chord is, how it’s built, and how to play it on guitar.

Difference Between min6 and maj6?

In comparison with major 6 chords, minor 6 have a minor third (b3) instead of a major third (3).

Exemple with C minor, the sixth (A) is added to the C minor triad (C-Eb-G). So, Cm6 is built with C, Eb, G and A).

C minor 6	C	Eb	G	A
Intervals	1	b3	5	6
C major 6	C	E	G	A
Intervals1	1	3	5	6

What is the Difference Between a min6 and a min7 chord?

Minor seventh chord formula is 1 - b3 - 5 - b7 whereas minor 6 is 1 - b3 - 5 - 6.

In other words, to build a minor 6 chord from a minor seventh chord, you just have to lower the minor seventh with a semitone.

C minor 6	C	Eb	G	A
Intervals	1	b3	5	6
C minor 7	C	Eb	G	Bb
Intervals	1	b3	5	b7

Comparison With half-diminished Chord (m7b5)

One interesting and useful thing to know about minor 6 chords is that they contain the same notes a m7b5 voicing. Indeed, a half-diminished chord is built the same as a minor 6 chord three semitones higher.

Am7b5	A	C	Eb	G
Cminor 6		C	Eb	G	A

Drop 2 Minor Sixth Chords

The chart below show the 4 voicings related to the 12 minor 6 guitar chord shapes below.

These positions are based on the drop 2 minor seventh guitar chords.

By comparing them, you will see that the sixth has simply replaced the minor seventh.

Root position	R	5	6	b3
1st inversion (third in the bass)	b3	6	R	5
2nd inversion (fifth in the bass)	5	R	b3	6
3rd inversion (sixth in the bass)	6	b3	5	R

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Last edited: 2025-07-13

Comments

1 Riley Carter On 2025-07-13

Great post! I’ve been exploring minor 6 chords on guitar and this looks like it lays everything out clearly. I see there are a few common voicing positions—are there suggestions for using these in real musical contexts, like chord progressions or comping ideas? Would love to know how to apply them beyond practice.

jazz-guitar-licks On 2025-07-13

Hi Riley! Thanks for your comment. For real musical application, you can treat the m6 as a color-rich tonic or use it as a substitute in minor ii–V–I progressions. For instance, try swapping a m7 chord for an m6 to add a brighter feel. And yes — you’ll often find the m6 built from drop‑2 shapes, making it easy to voice-switch in a progression .
Stef