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F minor 6th chord on guitar (Fm6)
Also called or written Fm6, Fmin6, Fmin maj6 or F Minor Major 6
F minor 6th contains F, A♭, C, and D. The open voicing is advanced because the pinky must stretch to the 3rd fret on the A string while the other fingers hold a close cluster.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, 6
- Root positionF–A♭–C–DFm61-3-0-1-1-×
- First inversionA♭–C–D–FFm6/A♭4-3-3-5-3-4
- Second inversionC–D–F–A♭Fm6/C×-3-0-1-1-1
- Third inversionD–F–A♭–CFm6/D×-×-0-1-1-1
How do you play an F minor 6th chord on guitar?
F minor 6th is played in open position as 1 3 0 1 1 ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 1, pinky finger on the A string at fret 3, middle finger on the G string at fret 1 and ring finger on the B string at fret 1. The D string rings open. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1 | 1 | F (1) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 4 | C (5) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (6) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 2 | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 3 | C (5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
AdvancedThe pinky must stretch to the 3rd fret on the A string while the other fingers hold a close cluster on the low E, G, and B strings.
Open · D on top
F minor 6th is played in open position as 1 3 0 1 3 ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 1, ring finger on the A string at fret 3, middle finger on the G string at fret 1 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 3. The D string rings open. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1 | 1 | F (1) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 3 | C (5) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (6) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 2 | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (6) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
1st fret
F minor 6th is played at the 1st fret as 1 3 3 1 3 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, middle finger on the A string at fret 3, ring finger on the D string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 3.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 2 | C (5) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 3 | F (1) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (6) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
3rd fret
F minor 6th is played at the 3rd fret as × × 3 5 3 4: index finger on the D string at fret 3, pinky finger on the G string at fret 5, middle finger on the B string at fret 3 and ring 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) | 3 | 1 | F (1) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 4 | C (5) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 2 | D (6) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 3 | A♭ (♭3) |
6th fret
F minor 6th is played at the 6th fret as × 8 6 7 6 8: barre your index finger across fret 6, ring finger on the A string at fret 8, middle finger on the G string at fret 7 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 8. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 3 | F (1) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 7 | 2 | D (6) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 4 | C (5) |
Why it sounds like that
F minor 6th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, 5, 6. The major 6th, D, adds a bright, unresolved colour to the minor triad. Compare it to F minor, which stops at the 5th.
What goes wrong with F minor 6th?
- Letting the pinky collapse onto the D string and deaden its open note.
- Strumming the high e string, which is muted because its open note is outside the chord.
When to use it
F minor 6th works as a tonic in F minor progressions, such as Fm6–B♭m6–C7. Its bittersweet colour suits jazz ballads and folk fingerpicking. Try it with F minor or F 5th.
Changing to and from F minor 6th
- Move from F minor 6th to F minor by lifting the pinky off the A string and letting it ring open.
- Slide the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret to play F♯ minor 6th.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing keeps the bass on F and suits strummed passages. The 1st fret barre voicing keeps the same bass note but adds fullness for higher-register lines.
Other F chords
Common questions
How is F minor 6th written?
F minor 6th is written Fm6, min maj6, or Fmin6.
What is the difference between F minor 6th and F minor 7th?
F minor 6th has a major 6th (D), while F minor 7th has a minor 7th (E♭). The 6th gives a brighter, more melodic colour.
Why is the high e string muted in the open voicing?
The high e string is muted because its open note is outside the chord. Letting it ring would add a non-chord tone and muddy the voicing.