B♭m6 chord on piano
The B♭m6 chord, or B flat minor 6th, stacks 4 notes on B♭: B♭, D♭, F and G. Musicians write its formula 1 ♭3 5 6.
Notes and intervals of B♭m6
Each note of B♭m6 has a job. Counted from the root, you get root (B♭), minor 3rd (D♭), perfect 5th (F) and major 6th (G). Change one of these intervals and you get a different chord, which is why the formula 1 ♭3 5 6 is worth memorising rather than the shape alone.
| Degree | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | root | B♭ |
| ♭3 | minor 3rd | D♭ |
| 5 | perfect 5th | F |
| 6 | major 6th | G |
How to play B♭m6 on piano
Put your right-hand thumb on B♭, then add the other notes: B♭, D♭, F and G. Teachers usually suggest the fingering 1-2-3-5 (left hand: 5-3-2-1). Press the keys together, release, and repeat until the chord sounds even.
Inversions of B♭m6
An inversion keeps the same notes but puts another one in the bass. B♭m6 has 3 inversions besides root position: 1st inversion (D♭ F G B♭), 2nd inversion (F G B♭ D♭) and 3rd inversion (G B♭ D♭ F). Inversions let you move between chords with tiny hand movements, which is how pianists make progressions sound smooth.
Which keys use B♭m6?
B♭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 B♭m6
These scales share every note of B♭m6: B flat melodic minor scale and B flat Dorian mode. B flat melodic minor scale is the safest choice; the others add more colour.
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 B♭m6 chord?
B♭m6 (B flat minor 6th) contains B♭, D♭, F and G. In intervals: root (B♭), minor 3rd (D♭), perfect 5th (F) and major 6th (G).
How do you play B♭m6 on piano?
Play B♭, D♭, F and G 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 B♭m6?
B flat melodic minor scale fits B♭m6 best. Other scales that contain all its notes: B flat Dorian mode.
What key is B♭m6 in?
B♭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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