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F♯ minor 6th chord on guitar (F♯m6)
Also called or written F♯m6, F♯min6, F♯min 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 2nd fret on the B string while the other fingers hold a close cluster.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, 6
- Root positionF♯–A–C♯–D♯F♯m62-0-1-2-2-×
- First inversionA–C♯–D♯–F♯F♯m6/A×-0-1-2-2-2
- Second inversionC♯–D♯–F♯–AF♯m6/C♯×-4-4-2-4-2
- Third inversionD♯–F♯–A–C♯F♯m6/D♯×-×-1-2-2-2
How do you play an F♯ minor 6th chord on guitar?
F♯ minor 6th is played in open position as 2 0 1 2 2 ×: middle finger on the low E string at fret 2, index finger on the D string at fret 1, ring finger on the G string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 2. The A string rings open. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 2 | F♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | D♯ (6) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 3 | A (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 4 | C♯ (5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
AdvancedThe pinky must stretch to the 2nd fret on the B string while the other fingers hold a close cluster on the low E, D, and G strings.
2nd fret
F♯ minor 6th is played at the 2nd fret as 2 4 4 2 4 2: barre your index finger across fret 2, middle finger on the A string at fret 4, ring finger on the D string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 4.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 2 | C♯ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 4 | 3 | F♯ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 1 (barre) | A (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 4 | D♯ (6) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
4th fret
F♯ minor 6th is played at the 4th fret as × × 4 6 4 5: index finger on the D string at fret 4, pinky finger on the G string at fret 6, middle finger on the B string at fret 4 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 5. 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) | 4 | 1 | F♯ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 4 | C♯ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 2 | D♯ (6) |
| 1 (e) | 5 | 3 | A (♭3) |
7th fret
F♯ minor 6th is played at the 7th fret as × 9 7 8 7 9: barre your index finger across fret 7, ring finger on the A string at fret 9, middle finger on the G string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 9. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 3 | F♯ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 1 (barre) | A (♭3) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 2 | D♯ (6) |
| 2 (B) | 7 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 9 | 4 | C♯ (5) |
F♯min6/A inversion
F♯ minor 6th is played in open position as × 0 1 2 2 2: index finger on the D string at fret 1, middle finger on the G string at fret 2, ring finger on the B string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 2. The A string rings open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | D♯ (6) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 2 | A (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 3 | C♯ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 4 | F♯ (1) |
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 high e string and deaden its muted 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 F♯m6–Bm6–C♯7. 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 B string and letting it ring open.
- Slide the shape up one fret to the 3rd fret to play G minor 6th.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing keeps the bass on F♯ and suits strummed passages. The F♯min6/A inversion at the 1st fret puts A in the bass for a darker, more ambiguous sound.
Other F♯ chords
Common questions
How is F♯ minor 6th written?
F♯ minor 6th is written F♯m6, min maj6, or F♯min6. The ASCII root is F#. It is also spelled G♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
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.