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Fm6

Character: dark, cool

  1. FRtriad
  2. A♭♭3triad
  3. C5triad
  4. D6add
Open Fm6 in the chord libraryDownload the Fm6 chart (PDF)
Voicings

13 ways to play Fm6

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 1st inversion Fm6/A♭
5 6 7 8 5 R 6 ♭3

Frets x x 6 7 6 xNotes A♭ D FIntervals ♭3 6 1Base triadF minor, 1st inversion

The 6th takes the 5th’s string.

CC shape Root position Fm6
5 6 7 8 5 6 ♭3 R 5 R

Frets x 8 6 7 6 8Notes F A♭ DIntervals 1 ♭3 6Base triadF minor, root position

The 6th takes the 5th’s string.

CC shape 2nd inversion Fm6/C
5 6 7 8 6 ♭3 R 5 5 R

Frets 8 8 6 7 6 8Notes C F A♭ DIntervals 5 1 ♭3 6Base triadF minor, 2nd inversion

The 6th gets a string of its own.

AA shape 2nd inversion Fm6/C
8 9 10 11 6 ♭3 R 5 R

Frets x 8 10 10 9 10Notes C F A♭ DIntervals 5 1 ♭3 6Base triadF minor, 2nd inversion

The 6th gets a string of its own.

AA shape Root position Fm6
8 9 10 11 5 6 ♭3 R

Frets x x x 10 9 10Notes F A♭ DIntervals 1 ♭3 6Base triadF minor, root position

The 6th takes the 5th’s string.

AA shape 2nd inversion AnchoredFm6
7 8 9 10 R ♭3 6 5 R 5

Frets x 8 10 7 9 8Notes F C D A♭Intervals 1 5 6 ♭3Base triadF minor, 2nd inversion

The root drops to the string below the triad. The 6th takes the root’s string.

GG shape 1st inversion Fm6/A♭
10 11 12 13 5 R 6 ♭3

Frets x 11 12 10 x xNotes A♭ D FIntervals ♭3 6 1Base triadF minor, 1st inversion

The 6th takes the 5th’s string.

EE shape 1st inversion Fm6/A♭
1 2 3 4 5 R 6 ♭3 R

Frets 1 x x 1 3 1Notes A♭ D FIntervals ♭3 6 1Base triadF minor, 1st inversion

The 6th takes the 5th’s string.

EE shape Root position Fm6
1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭3 R R 5 R

Frets 1 3 3 1 3 1Notes F A♭ DIntervals 1 ♭3 6Base triadF minor, root position

The 6th takes the 5th’s string.

EE shape 2nd inversion Fm6/C
1 2 3 4 6 ♭3 R 5 R R

Frets 1 3 3 1 3 1Notes C F A♭ DIntervals 5 1 ♭3 6Base triadF minor, 2nd inversion

The 6th gets a string of its own.

EE shape 2nd inversion AnchoredFm6
1 2 3 4 R ♭3 6 5 R R 5

Frets 1 3 0 1 1 1Notes F C D A♭Intervals 1 5 6 ♭3Base triadF minor, 2nd inversion

The root drops to the string below the triad. The 6th takes the root’s string.

DD shape 2nd inversion Fm6/D
3 4 5 6 7 5 ♭3 R 6

Frets x x x 7 6 4Notes D F A♭Intervals 6 1 ♭3Base triadF minor, 2nd inversion

The 6th takes the 5th’s string.

DD shape 2nd inversion AnchoredFm6
3 4 5 6 R ♭3 6 5 R

Frets x x 3 5 3 4Notes F C D A♭Intervals 1 5 6 ♭3Base triadF minor, 2nd inversion

The root drops to the string below the triad. The 6th takes the root’s string.

The rules

The construction rules Fm6 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.

  4. The root can move down

    When an extension needs the root’s string, the root can drop to the string below the triad: an anchored voicing keeps the bass and frees a string on top.

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

Minor 6th in every key

More chords on F

Fm6 chord questions

What notes are in Fm6?

Fm6 is spelled F A♭ C D: F is the root, A♭ is the ♭3rd, C is the 5th, D is the 6th.

What is the formula of Fm6?

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

How many ways can you play Fm6 on guitar?

This page shows 13 voicings of Fm6, filed under the five CAGED shapes and named by inversion, from the open position up to the 16th fret.