The minor sixth chord adds a major sixth above the root to a minor triad (1-♭3-5-6). It is a classic color in standards and jazz because the sixth brightens the minor triad while keeping the minor third. It often appears as the first inversion of a major seventh chord a minor third below (same pitch classes), so context and bass motion determine how listeners label it.
Construction
Formula: 1-♭3-5-6. In Cm6, spell C-E♭-G-A.
Usage
Minor tonic colors, i–VI motions, and jazz lines that alternate between m7 and m6 on the same root for melodic variation.
Examples
- Standards with i6 tonic color
- Swing-era minor chord voicings
- Bossa and Latin minor progressions
Play
Watch for voice leading into the sixth; avoid awkward cross-relations with surrounding harmony.
Ear-training cues
Minor triad plus a major sixth above the root—warm, slightly old-school jazz minor.
