Piano chord
A♭m6A flat minor sixth
- A♭1
- C♭♭3
- E♭5
- F6
- Notes
- 4
- Positions
- 4
- Span
- 9semitones
- Fingers
- 1-2-4-5
How to play A♭m6 on piano
- Find A♭: it is the root and the lowest note of the chord in root position.
- Right hand: 1 on A♭, 2 on C♭, 4 on E♭, 5 on F.
- Or with the left hand: 5 on A♭, 4 on C♭, 2 on E♭, 1 on F.
- Press the keys together, with curved fingers and a loose wrist, and let them ring.
Root position · A♭ – C♭ – E♭ – F
1st inversion · C♭ – E♭ – F – A♭
2nd inversion · E♭ – F – A♭ – C♭
3rd inversion · F – A♭ – C♭ – E♭
Numbers on the keys are fingers: 1 thumb, 2 index, 3 middle, 4 ring, 5 little finger.
A♭m6 inversions
Use these 4 positions to move between chords with as little hand movement as possible. Root position starts on A♭; the inversions start on the other notes of the chord.
- Root positionbass: A♭Right hand 1-2-4-5 · Left hand 5-4-2-1
- 1st inversionbass: C♭Right hand 1-3-4-5 · Left hand 5-3-2-1
- 2nd inversionbass: E♭Right hand 1-2-3-5 · Left hand 5-4-2-1
- 3rd inversionbass: FRight hand 1-2-3-5 · Left hand 5-4-3-1
A♭m6 with two hands
A full sound: the left hand plays A♭ an octave lower, the right hand plays A♭–C♭–E♭–F.
A♭m6 on other instruments
About the A♭m6 chord
To build A flat minor sixth, take these 4 notes from the root up: A♭ (1), C♭ (♭3), E♭ (5), F (6). A minor sixth: a minor triad plus the major sixth. Dark and mysterious, common in jazz, tango and film music.
The keys are A♭ – C♭ – E♭ – F, counted up from A♭; the distance from the lowest to the highest key is 9 semitones. Any hand that reaches an octave can hold A♭m6, so it works in either hand.
In the inversions of A♭m6 the root moves up and another note takes the bass. In the 1st inversion the bass is C♭ (C♭–E♭–F–A♭). In the 2nd inversion the bass is E♭ (E♭–F–A♭–C♭). In the 3rd inversion the bass is F (F–A♭–C♭–E♭).
Compared with A♭m, A♭m6 has one more note, F.
Questions
What notes are in the A♭m6 chord?
A♭m6 (A flat minor sixth) has 4 notes: A♭ (1), C♭ (♭3), E♭ (5), F (6).
How many inversions does A♭m6 have?
A♭m6 can be played in 4 positions: Root position (A♭–C♭–E♭–F); 1st inversion (C♭–E♭–F–A♭); 2nd inversion (E♭–F–A♭–C♭); 3rd inversion (F–A♭–C♭–E♭).
What is the difference between A♭m6 and A♭m?
Compared with A♭m, A♭m6 has one more note, F.
Can I play A♭m6 with one hand?
Yes. In root position A♭m6 spans 9 semitones, less than an octave, so one hand holds it easily.