B♯m6 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The B♯m6 chord is a minor sixth chord built on the root note B♯. Its notes are B♯, D♯, F𝄪 and G𝄪. It's enharmonically the same chord as Cm6.
Minor sixth chords are darker than a plain minor triad but never sour. A major sixth sitting over a minor third gives them a wistful, cinematic quality that turns up in bossa nova, French chanson and film noir scores.
- Notes
- B♯ · D♯ · F𝄪 · G𝄪
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · 6
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 9
- Note
- B♯
- Quality
- Minor 6
- Symbol
- B♯m6
B♯m6 on piano
4 notes
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play B♯m6 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on B♯, index finger on D♯, middle finger on F𝄪 and little finger on G𝄪. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard D♯ is a black key and B♯, F𝄪 and G𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call C, G and A. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- B♯1
- D♯♭3
- F𝄪5
- G𝄪6
B♯m6 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, B♯m6 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Don't play string 6.
B♯ · D♯ · F𝄪 · G𝄪
Try B♯m6 on the virtual piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
B♯m6 chord notes
Also known as Cm6
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B♯(B#) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | D♯(D#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | F𝄪(F##) | |
| 6 | Major sixth | 9 | G𝄪(G##) |
How to use the B♯m6 chord
The B♯m6 chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth and a major sixth. Start at the root B♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: B♯, D♯, F𝄪 and G𝄪. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Minor sixth chords act as the iv chord in a major key or as the tonic of a Dorian passage, and they are a staple of jazz turnarounds. They also make a striking substitute for a plain minor chord at a cadence.
How B♯m6 differs from similar chords
B♯m6 adds a major sixth to B♯m, where B♯m7 adds a minor seventh a half step higher. That major sixth forms a tritone with the minor third, which gives the chord its bittersweet tension. The same four notes spell the half-diminished chord built on its sixth.
Where B♯m6 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key B♯m6 would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the B♯m6 chord?
- The B♯m6 chord contains B♯, D♯, F𝄪 and G𝄪 (B#, D#, F## and G## in plain text).
- Is the B♯m6 chord major or minor?
- B♯m6 is a minor sixth chord. Minor sixth chords are darker than a plain minor triad but never sour. A major sixth sitting over a minor third gives them a wistful, cinematic quality that turns up in bossa nova, French chanson and film noir scores.
- How do you play B♯m6 on piano?
- Place your fingers on B♯, D♯, F𝄪 and G𝄪 and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard D♯ is a black key and B♯, F𝄪 and G𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call C, G and A.
- How do you play B♯m6 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the B♯m6 chord?
- B♯m6 is enharmonically equivalent to Cm6. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.