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C♯ minor 6th chord on guitar (C♯m6)
Also called or written C♯m6, C♯min6, C♯min maj6 or C♯ Minor Major 6
C♯ minor 6th contains C♯, E, G♯, and A♯. The 2nd fret voicing is advanced because the index finger must barre the D and B strings while the pinky stretches to the 4th fret.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, 6
- Root positionC♯–E–G♯–A♯C♯m6×-4-2-3-2-4
- First inversionE–G♯–A♯–C♯C♯m6/E0-1-2-1-2-0
- Second inversionG♯–A♯–C♯–EC♯m6/G♯4-4-2-3-2-×
- Third inversionA♯–C♯–E–G♯C♯m6/A♯×-1-2-1-2-0
How do you play a C♯ minor 6th chord on guitar?
C♯ minor 6th is played at the 2nd fret as × 4 2 3 2 4: barre your index finger across fret 2, ring finger on the A string at fret 4, middle finger on the G string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 4. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 3 | C♯ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 1 (barre) | E (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 2 | A♯ (6) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 4 | G♯ (5) |
AdvancedThe index finger must barre the D and B strings cleanly while the pinky reaches the 4th fret on the high e string.
9th fret
C♯ minor 6th is played at the 9th fret as 9 11 11 9 11 9: barre your index finger across fret 9, middle finger on the A string at fret 11, ring finger on the D string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 2 | G♯ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 3 | C♯ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 1 (barre) | E (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 4 | A♯ (6) |
| 1 (e) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (1) |
11th fret
C♯ minor 6th is played at the 11th fret as × × 11 13 11 12: index finger on the D string at fret 11, pinky finger on the G string at fret 13, middle finger on the B string at fret 11 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 12. 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) | 11 | 1 | C♯ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 4 | G♯ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 2 | A♯ (6) |
| 1 (e) | 12 | 3 | E (♭3) |
C♯min6/E inversion · open position
C♯ minor 6th is played in open position as 0 1 2 1 2 0: index finger on the A string at fret 1, ring finger on the D string at fret 2, middle finger on the G string at fret 1 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 2. The low E and high e strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | open | — | E (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | A♯ (6) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 3 | E (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 2 | G♯ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 4 | C♯ (1) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | E (♭3) |
C♯min6/E inversion · fret 2
C♯ minor 6th is played at the 2nd fret as × × 2 3 2 4: index finger on the D string at fret 2, ring finger on the G string at fret 3, middle finger on the B string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 4. 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) | 2 | 1 | E (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 3 | A♯ (6) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 2 | C♯ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 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 to preserve the C♯ bass note.
When to use it
C♯ minor 6th works as a tonic in C♯ minor progressions, such as C♯m6–F♯m6–G♯7. 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 3rd fret to play D minor 6th.
Which voicing to use
The 2nd fret voicing keeps the bass on C♯ and suits strummed passages. The C♯min6/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 C♯m6, min maj6, or C♯min6. The ASCII root is C#. It is also spelled D♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
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 2nd fret voicing?
The low E is muted to keep the bass note on C♯, which is the root. Letting it ring would create an E in the bass and muddy the voicing.