G♭m6 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The G♭m6 chord is a minor sixth chord built on the root note G♭. Its notes are G♭, B𝄫, D♭ and E♭. It's enharmonically the same chord as F♯m6.
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
- G♭ · B𝄫 · D♭ · E♭
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · 6
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 9
- Note
- G♭
- Quality
- Minor 6
- Symbol
- G♭m6
G♭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 G♭m6 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on G♭, index finger on B𝄫, middle finger on D♭ and little finger on E♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♭, D♭ and E♭ are black keys and B𝄫 is white, the key you'd normally call A. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- G♭1
- B𝄫♭3
- D♭5
- E♭6
G♭m6 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, G♭m6 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. String 5 rings open.
G♭ · B𝄫 · D♭ · E♭
Try G♭m6 on the virtual piano
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G♭m6 chord notes
Also known as F♯m6
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | G♭(Gb) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | B𝄫(Bbb) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | D♭(Db) | |
| 6 | Major sixth | 9 | E♭(Eb) |
How to use the G♭m6 chord
The G♭m6 chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth and a major sixth. Start at the root G♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: G♭, B𝄫, D♭ and E♭. 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 G♭m6 differs from similar chords
G♭m6 adds a major sixth to G♭m, where G♭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 G♭m6 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key G♭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 G♭m6 chord?
- The G♭m6 chord contains G♭, B𝄫, D♭ and E♭ (Gb, Bbb, Db and Eb in plain text).
- Is the G♭m6 chord major or minor?
- G♭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 G♭m6 on piano?
- Place your fingers on G♭, B𝄫, D♭ and E♭ 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 G♭, D♭ and E♭ are black keys and B𝄫 is white, the key you'd normally call A. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play G♭m6 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. String 5 rings open.
- What is another name for the G♭m6 chord?
- G♭m6 is enharmonically equivalent to F♯m6. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.