A♭ Minor 6th

Fretboard

On the fretboard, B represents C♭.

Adjust labels, frets, and palette in the interactive view.

Voicings & shapes

About

The A♭m6 chord (A♭–C♭–E♭–F) pairs a minor third with a natural (major) sixth, creating an unusual tension between the dark minor quality and the unexpectedly bright sixth. This combination implies the melodic minor scale, where the natural 6th and natural 7th distinguish it from natural minor. The m6 chord is commonly used as a tonic minor in jazz — often preferred over A♭m7 when a composer wants to avoid the subdominant connotations of the ♭7. The F is the chord’s defining color and must be present; the 5th can be dropped. Compared to A♭m7, m6 is less bluesy and more harmonically specific.

Chord diagrams

Ab Minor 6th voicing charts — tap a sheet to open it full size to save or print.