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C minor 6th chord on guitar (Cm6)
Also called or written Cm6, Cmin6, Cmin maj6 or C Minor Major 6
C minor 6th contains C, E♭, G, and A. The 1st fret voicing is advanced because the index finger must barre the D and B strings while the other fingers stretch.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, 6
- Root positionC–E♭–G–ACm6×-3-1-2-1-3
- First inversionE♭–G–A–CCm6/E♭×-×-1-2-1-3
- Second inversionG–A–C–E♭Cm6/G3-0-1-0-1-3
- Third inversionA–C–E♭–GCm6/A×-0-1-0-1-3
How do you play a C minor 6th chord on guitar?
C minor 6th is played at the 1st fret as × 3 1 2 1 3: barre your index finger across fret 1, ring finger on the A string at fret 3, middle finger on the G string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 3 | C (1) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 2 | A (6) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 (barre) | C (1) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (5) |
AdvancedThe index finger must barre the D and B strings cleanly while the pinky reaches the 3rd fret on the high e string.
8th fret
C minor 6th is played at the 8th fret as 8 10 10 8 10 8: barre your index finger across fret 8, middle finger on the A string at fret 10, ring finger on the D string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 10.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 8 | 1 (barre) | C (1) |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 2 | G (5) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 3 | C (1) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 4 | A (6) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 1 (barre) | C (1) |
10th fret
C minor 6th is played at the 10th fret as × × 10 12 10 11: index finger on the D string at fret 10, pinky finger on the G string at fret 12, middle finger on the B string at fret 10 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 11. 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) | 10 | 1 | C (1) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 4 | G (5) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 2 | A (6) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 3 | E♭ (♭3) |
13th fret
C minor 6th is played at the 13th fret as × 15 13 14 13 15: barre your index finger across fret 13, ring finger on the A string at fret 15, middle finger on the G string at fret 14 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 15. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 15 | 3 | C (1) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 14 | 2 | A (6) |
| 2 (B) | 13 | 1 (barre) | C (1) |
| 1 (e) | 15 | 4 | G (5) |
Cmin6/E♭ inversion
C minor 6th is played at the 1st fret as × × 1 2 1 3: index finger on the D string at fret 1, ring finger on the G string at fret 2, middle finger on the B string at fret 1 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. 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) | 1 | 1 | E♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 3 | A (6) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 2 | C (1) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (5) |
Why it sounds like that
C minor 6th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, 5, 6. The major 6th, A, adds a bright, unresolved colour to the minor triad. Compare it to C minor, which stops at the 5th.
What goes wrong with C minor 6th?
- Letting the index finger lift off the B string, causing a muted note.
- Strumming the low E string, which is muted because its open note is outside the chord.
When to use it
C minor 6th works as a tonic in C minor progressions, such as Cm6–Fm6–G7. Its bittersweet colour suits jazz ballads and folk fingerpicking. Try it with C minor or C 5th.
Changing to and from C minor 6th
- Move from C minor 6th to C minor by lifting the pinky off the high e string and letting it ring open.
- Slide the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret to play C♯ minor 6th.
Which voicing to use
The 1st fret voicing keeps the bass on C and suits strummed passages. The Cmin6/E♭ inversion at the 1st fret puts E♭ in the bass for a darker, more ambiguous sound.
Other C chords
Common questions
How is C minor 6th written?
C minor 6th is written Cm6, min maj6, or Cmin6.
What is the difference between C minor 6th and C minor 7th?
C minor 6th has a major 6th (A), while C minor 7th has a minor 7th (B♭). The 6th gives a brighter, more melodic colour.
Why is the low E string muted in the 1st fret voicing?
The low E is muted because its open note is outside the chord. Letting it ring would add a non-chord tone and muddy the voicing.