F♭m6 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The F♭m6 chord is a minor sixth chord built on the root note F♭. Its notes are F♭, A𝄫, C♭ and D♭. It's enharmonically the same chord as Em6.
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
- F♭ · A𝄫 · C♭ · D♭
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · 6
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 9
- Note
- F♭
- Quality
- Minor 6
- Symbol
- F♭m6
F♭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 F♭m6 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on F♭, index finger on A𝄫, middle finger on C♭ and little finger on D♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard D♭ is a black key and F♭, A𝄫 and C♭ are white, the keys you'd normally call E, G and B. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- F♭1
- A𝄫♭3
- C♭5
- D♭6
F♭m6 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, F♭m6 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. Strings 6, 3 and 1 ring open.
F♭ · A𝄫 · C♭ · D♭
Play F♭m6 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
F♭m6 chord notes
Also known as Em6
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | F♭(Fb) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | A𝄫(Abb) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | C♭(Cb) | |
| 6 | Major sixth | 9 | D♭(Db) |
How to use the F♭m6 chord
The F♭m6 chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth and a major sixth. Start at the root F♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: F♭, A𝄫, C♭ and D♭. 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 F♭m6 differs from similar chords
F♭m6 adds a major sixth to F♭m, where F♭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 F♭m6 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key F♭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 F♭m6 chord?
- The F♭m6 chord contains F♭, A𝄫, C♭ and D♭ (Fb, Abb, Cb and Db in plain text).
- Is the F♭m6 chord major or minor?
- F♭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 F♭m6 on piano?
- Place your fingers on F♭, A𝄫, C♭ and D♭ 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 F♭, A𝄫 and C♭ are white, the keys you'd normally call E, G and B.
- How do you play F♭m6 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. Strings 6, 3 and 1 ring open.
- What is another name for the F♭m6 chord?
- F♭m6 is enharmonically equivalent to Em6. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.