Cm6/9

Character: dark, open

  1. CRtriad
  2. E♭♭3triad
  3. G5triad
  4. A6add
  5. D9add
Voicings

3 ways to play Cm6/9

Every voicing sits inside one of the five CAGED shapes, low to high on the neck, with its octave doublings in grey.

  • Triad note
  • Substitute
  • Added
  • Anchored root
  • Bass
  • Doubling
CC shape Root position Cm6/9
1 2 3 4 5 9 6 ♭3 R

Frets x 3 1 2 3 xNotes C E♭ A DIntervals 1 ♭3 6 9Base triadC minor, root position

The 6th takes the 5th’s string. The 9th gets a string of its own.

GG shape Root position Cm6/9
5 6 7 8 5 9 6 ♭3 R

Frets 8 6 7 7 x xNotes C E♭ A DIntervals 1 ♭3 6 9Base triadC minor, root position

The 6th takes the 5th’s string. The 9th gets a string of its own.

EE shape Root position Cm6/9
8 9 10 11 5 9 6 ♭3 R

Frets x x 10 8 10 10Notes C E♭ A DIntervals 1 ♭3 6 9Base triadC minor, root position

The 6th takes the 5th’s string. The 9th gets a string of its own.

The rules

The construction rules Cm6/9 follows

  1. Start from a triad

    Root, 3rd and 5th, stacked in thirds. The 3rd makes it major or minor; the 5th makes it diminished or augmented when it moves.

  2. No 7th, no stack

    6, add9, add11 and 6/9 are a triad with a colour note, not a stack. Without a 7th the chord sounds open rather than jazzy.

  3. On guitar, something has to give

    Each extension takes the string of a triad note that matters less, usually the 5th, or gets a string of its own. The root and 3rd stay: they say what the chord is.

All the rules, with examples, in the guide to the chord library.

Minor 6/9 in every key

Cm6/9 chord questions

What notes are in Cm6/9?

Cm6/9 is spelled C E♭ G A D: C is the root, E♭ is the ♭3rd, G is the 5th, A is the 6th, D is the 9th.

What is the formula of Cm6/9?

1 ♭3 5 6 9. It is a C minor triad with the 6th, 9th stacked on top.

How many ways can you play Cm6/9 on guitar?

This page shows 3 voicings of Cm6/9, filed under the five CAGED shapes and named by inversion, from the open position up to the 16th fret.