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A♭ minor 6th chord on guitar (A♭m6)
Also called or written A♭m6, A♭min6, A♭min maj6 or A♭ Minor Major 6
A♭ minor 6th contains A♭, C♭, E♭, and F. The 4th fret barre voicing uses all six strings and demands a full index finger barre.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, 6
- Root positionA♭–C♭–E♭–FA♭m64-6-6-4-6-4
- First inversionC♭–E♭–F–A♭A♭m6/C♭×-2-1-1-0-1
- Second inversionE♭–F–A♭–C♭A♭m6/E♭×-×-1-1-0-1
- Third inversionF–A♭–C♭–E♭A♭m6/F1-2-1-1-0-×
How do you play an A♭ minor 6th chord on guitar?
A♭ minor 6th is played at the 4th fret as 4 6 6 4 6 4: barre your index finger across fret 4, middle finger on the A string at fret 6, ring finger on the D string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 2 | E♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 3 | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 1 (barre) | C♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 4 | F (6) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
AdvancedThe index finger must barre all six strings at the 4th fret while the pinky stretches to the 6th fret on the B string.
6th fret
A♭ minor 6th is played at the 6th fret as × × 6 8 6 7: index finger on the D string at fret 6, pinky finger on the G string at fret 8, middle finger on the B string at fret 6 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 7. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 2 | F (6) |
| 1 (e) | 7 | 3 | C♭ (♭3) |
9th fret
A♭ minor 6th is played at the 9th fret as × 11 9 10 9 11: barre your index finger across fret 9, ring finger on the A string at fret 11, middle finger on the G string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 11. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 3 | A♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 2 | F (6) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 4 | E♭ (5) |
A♭min6/C♭ inversion · open position
A♭ minor 6th is played in open position as × 2 1 1 0 1: pinky finger on the A string at fret 2, index finger on the D string at fret 1, middle finger on the G string at fret 1 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 1. The B string rings open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 4 | C♭ (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | E♭ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 2 | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | open | — | C♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 3 | F (6) |
A♭min6/C♭ inversion · fret 6
A♭ minor 6th is played at the 6th fret as 7 6 6 8 6 7: barre your index finger across fret 6, middle finger on the low E string at fret 7, pinky finger on the G string at fret 8 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 7.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7 | 2 | C♭ (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (6) |
| 1 (e) | 7 | 3 | C♭ (♭3) |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ minor 6th is built from 1, ♭3, 5, 6. The major 6th interval between A♭ and F gives the chord its colour. The nearest contrast is A♭ minor, which drops the 6th.
What goes wrong with A♭ minor 6th?
- The barre does not press hard enough, causing the high e or B string to buzz.
- The pinky touches the G string, muting it.
- The middle finger leans on the low E string, deadening the bass note.
When to use it
A♭ minor 6th works over A♭ minor and A♭ 5th chords. It fits E♭ natural minor and F♯ major keys. Use it in jazz, blues, and R&B progressions where the 6th adds colour. Try it with A♭ minor and B♭ minor.
Changing to and from A♭ minor 6th
- Slide the shape down two frets to the 2nd fret to play <a href="/guitar/f-sharp-minor-6-chord">F♯ minor 6th</a>.
Which voicing to use
The 4th fret voicing uses a full barre and keeps the bass on A♭. The 6th fret voicing is easier but still has the bass on A♭. The A♭min6/B inversion puts C♭ in the bass for a darker sound.
Other A♭ chords
Common questions
How is A♭ minor 6th written?
A♭ minor 6th is written A♭m6 or A♭min6. The symbol A♭m6, min maj6 is also used. The ASCII root spelling is Ab. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between A♭ minor 6th and A♭ minor?
A♭ minor 6th adds the major 6th, F, to the A♭ minor triad. A♭ minor contains only A♭, C♭, and E♭. The 6th gives a brighter, more colourful sound.
Why does A♭ minor 6th sound jazzy?
The major 6th interval creates a softer dissonance than the minor 7th. It is common in jazz and swing. The chord also appears in blues and R&B.