F# Minor 6th (F#m6)

Also written as Gb Minor 6th (Gb and F# are the same key).

1+b3+5+6
AF#C#D#
4 4
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Notes in F# Minor 6th

F# (root)AC#D#

Inversions

Same notes as F# Minor 6th, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.

Root position

F# in the bass

AF#C#D#

1st inversion

A in the bass

AC#D#F#

2nd inversion

C# in the bass

AC#D#F#

3rd inversion

D# in the bass

AD#F#C#

Open voicings

A close-position chord like F# Minor 6th can sound cluttered in the middle of the keyboard. Jazz players open it up by dropping one note down an octave, spreading the same notes wider without changing the chord.

Drop 2

C# on the bottom

AC#F#D#

Drop 3

A on the bottom

F#C#D#

Press F#, A, C# and D# together on the keyboard and you're playing F# Minor 6th.

A minor triad with a major sixth on top carries a bittersweet color a plain minor chord doesn't have. Composers reach for it when a minor chord needs an extra touch of melancholy without sliding into the more overtly jazzy sound of a minor seventh.

Difficulty: Intermediate. Category: Sixth chords. Click any key on the diagram above to hear that single note.