Minor 6 chords consist of the root note in the bass with an added sixth above it, commonly referred to as a sixth chord but technically any triad with an added sixth interval above its root note.
Addition of a sixth to a minor triad creates its first-inversion major version, making a naturally occurring triad that could sound dissonant against other chords if used improperly.
Easiest Form
This video guitar lesson provides the easiest form of a minor 6 chord for beginner guitarists. Only two fingers are necessary to play this version, which makes learning an inversion or barre shape challenging yet still manageable for most beginners.
This chord is constructed on a minor triad and then further modified with an added sixth note for an exceptional sound that adds jazzy or dramatic flair. Additionally, this works very well as an I chord in minor keys for rhythm playing variations and could add some unique characters.
As you start learning the chord, use simple fingering to ensure all strings ring clearly. Start by placing your first finger onto string B at fret 1; then, move down one fret until your second finger lands on string D at fret 2, so only five lower strings (A & high E are not being played) are played at any one time.
Once you can play this basic chord comfortably, it’s time to experiment with inversions and barre shapes. This version of the chord requires your third finger to move over to string C on fret 5, making it slightly more challenging than previous iterations of chord. Once again, be sure that all strings ring clearly before proceeding with other inversions.
Note that this chord shares its root with the major 7 chord we examined previously; this is because chord naming conventions remain consistent regardless of which scale you use; you could refer to this chord as Amib6 or Fmaj7 depending on its use.
The chord is an iconic feature of funk music and can be found in songs by artists such as Noah Cyrus, Neil Young and the Beach Boys. Adding it to any rhythm section gives each song its own individual sound without becoming predictable over time.
Easiest Inversion
An inverted minor 6 chord can be altered in various ways to change its sound, with one easy method being moving the bottom note – in this instance the fifth note – up into the chord’s melody line as an G5/D chord. This change will darken up its sound while creating a stronger effect overall.
Use the same technique to invert a major 6 chord. Simply swapping out seventh for sixth will yield Gmaj6 chord – perfect for use in power progressions like Led Zeppelin did on their iconic ” Stairway to Heaven ” riff!
Minor 6th chords have an appealing quality in that they resemble minor triads with the addition of a sixth note – they contain a root (1), minor third (b3), perfect fifth (5) and sixth note (6) – making them similar to half-diminished chords rather than major 7th chords.
Identification of inverted chords on sheet music can be extremely helpful, as it allows you to avoid learning an entirely new chord shape for something that should otherwise be simple. If unsure which inversion a particular chord belongs to, just look at its top edge.
If you want to quickly expand your chord repertoire, learning simple inversions is an effective way to do just that. They add much-needed variation beyond simply playing it in its root position and can breathe new life into your guitar playing! With some practice and time on your hands, inverting any chord will become easy; get out there and start exploring some inversions of your favorite chords; who knows? You might just end up creating some magic all by yourself!
Easiest Barre Shape
A minor 6 chord is similar to a minor seventh chord in construction, except the minor seventh is reduced by half-tone to create less dissonant yet still dark sounds. This makes this chord perfect for adding some edge or using in blues music style; or you could try dropping down to half tone for even darker results. You could also lower minor seventh by full tone to produce half-diminished chord which features even darker sounds than minor 6s.
If you have learned barre chord shapes in this series before, this lesson should be relatively straightforward to execute. This chord shape is based on an open E major shape; when played at the first fret it forms an F major barre chord thanks to how its nut acts as a bar that holds down all strings on the fretboard; thus making this moveable chord which allows its key not to change!
To create a minor 6 barre chord, begin by placing your index finger across all six strings at the first fret – as with an E major barre chord – as in this video clip. Next, place your ring and pinkie fingers underneath the first string at its second fret as shown below – this should create a slight pull on both thumb and fingers but no pressure down onto strings; with practice this shape becomes easier to finger.
Not to be forgotten with this chord is that, unlike some of the other barre chords in this lesson, it does not qualify as a power chord. Therefore, you should avoid oversqueezing your hands too hard when performing this chord, using your finger tips rather than pads – this can help avoid sore fingers after prolonged practice!
Easiest Movable Shape
Addition of the minor sixth is an effective and straightforward method of altering a chord’s sound, providing it with more of a rich, full tone and making chord progressions faster to build. All it requires are some easy-to-remember shapes that form this new chord voicing allowing for fast chord building progressions.
The E major bar chord shape should be your starting point when learning how to play guitar. Most guitarists learn this movable shape early on and it forms a significant portion of chords they can play on guitar. To play this chord effectively, fret down all strings except the thickest string with your index finger; leaving open strings as bass notes that can be muted by placing your thumb over them.
Next, move this shape higher up the neck until you create a G major barre chord. To do this, move your index finger up to the second fret on B string and middle finger up to fifth fret on D string; leaving open strings and top strings for bass notes that you can mutes by placing your thumb over them.
Now you need to shift this shape up another octave, creating the D minor barre chord. To do this, move your index finger up to the third fret of A string while your middle finger down nine frets of D string; leaving G string open for bass note playing which you can mute by placing thumb over string.
This shape resembles that of an E major barre chord and can be moved along the fretboard as needed to form different voicings of a minor 6 chord. You might have come across this chord before, as it’s common in popular songs or movies. Add this variation of minor chords to your repertoire to create interesting variations on its basic form!