A♭m6 chord on piano
A♭m6 (A flat minor 6th) is a minor 6th chord built on A♭. It has 4 notes, A♭, C♭, E♭ and F, and its formula is 1 ♭3 5 6.
Notes and intervals of A♭m6
From the root upwards, A♭m6 contains root (A♭), minor 3rd (C♭), perfect 5th (E♭) and major 6th (F). Those intervals give the chord its colour: the formula 1 ♭3 5 6 works the same way in every key, so once you know it for A♭ you can build the chord on any note.
| Degree | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | root | A♭ |
| ♭3 | minor 3rd | C♭ |
| 5 | perfect 5th | E♭ |
| 6 | major 6th | F |
How to play A♭m6 on piano
Find A♭ and play A♭, C♭, E♭ and F together. With the right hand, a common fingering is 1-2-3-5. With the left hand, reverse it (5-3-2-1). Keep your wrist level and let the fingers curve, so all 4 keys go down at the same time.
Inversions of A♭m6
An inversion keeps the same notes but puts another one in the bass. A♭m6 has 3 inversions besides root position: 1st inversion (C♭ E♭ F A♭), 2nd inversion (E♭ F A♭ C♭) and 3rd inversion (F A♭ C♭ E♭). Inversions let you move between chords with tiny hand movements, which is how pianists make progressions sound smooth.
Which keys use A♭m6?
A♭m6 is not built from the notes of a single major key, so it usually appears as a colour chord: a borrowed chord, a passing chord or a suspension that resolves to the next chord.
Scales to play over A♭m6
To improvise over A♭m6, start with A flat melodic minor scale. All of these scales contain every note of the chord: A flat melodic minor scale and A flat Dorian mode. Aim for the chord notes on strong beats and use the other notes to move between them.
About minor 6th chords
A minor triad with a major sixth added: 1 ♭3 5 6. Dark but bittersweet, mysterious, a little film noir. The major sixth and the minor third form a tritone, which gives the chord a gentle, unresolved tension. That major sixth is the colour note of the Dorian mode. For example Am6: A C E F♯.
Use it as a minor tonic (im6) in jazz, gypsy jazz, bossa nova and tango, often as the final chord. A classic line descends inside one minor chord: i, im(maj7), im7, im6. It also replaces iv in minor keys (ivm6), and it has the same notes as the m7♭5 on its sixth (for example Am6 and F♯m7♭5).
Root position 1 ♭3 5 6 is close and slightly dense; for an open sound, play the root and fifth in the left hand and ♭3, 6 and 9 in the right. Keep the root in the bass: with the sixth in the bass, the chord turns into a m7♭5. Bossa nova pianists often add the 9 to make a minor 6/9.
The 6 in m6 is a major sixth (F♯ in Am6), not a minor sixth (F): Am(♭6) is a different, darker sound. Do not confuse m6 with m7 either: the seventh (G in Am7) is one semitone above the sixth. And m6 is not the same as a minor chord with the sixth in the bass, which is a slash chord.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the A♭m6 chord?
A♭m6 (A flat minor 6th) contains A♭, C♭, E♭ and F. In intervals: root (A♭), minor 3rd (C♭), perfect 5th (E♭) and major 6th (F).
How do you play A♭m6 on piano?
Play A♭, C♭, E♭ and F together with the right-hand fingering 1-2-3-5. You can also play it in 3 inversions, shown on this page.
What scale goes with A♭m6?
A flat melodic minor scale fits A♭m6 best. Other scales that contain all its notes: A flat Dorian mode.
What key is A♭m6 in?
A♭m6 does not belong to a single major key. It is used as a colour chord that borrows notes from outside the key.
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