F minor sixth (Fm6) chord on banjo

Looking for the Fm6 chord on banjo? It is a minor sixth chord (a minor triad plus a major sixth), made of four notes: F – A♭ – C – D.

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

Position 3medium

Position 5easy

Position 9easy

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the Fm6 chord sounds like

A minor sixth chord is a minor triad with a major sixth: dark but taut, with a film-noir feel. It is a common minor tonic in gypsy jazz, tango and jazz.

Notes of the Fm6 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	F	root
3	A♭	minor third (3 semitones)
5	C	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
6	D	major sixth (9 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape, barre at fret 1

String 1 (D): open (D4)
String 2 (B): fret 1, index finger (C4)
String 3 (G): fret 1, index finger (A♭3)
String 4 (D): fret 3, ring finger (F3)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 1; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 3

String 1 (D): fret 6, little finger (A♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 3, middle finger (D4)
String 3 (G): fret 5, ring finger (C4)
String 4 (D): fret 3, index finger (F3)

Position 5

String 1 (D): fret 6, ring finger (A♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 6, middle finger (F4)
String 3 (G): fret 5, index finger (C4)
String 4 (D): open (D3)

Five-string banjo in open G tuning (g D G B D). The diagram shows the four long strings; the short 5th string (g) rings open – avoid it when G is not in the chord. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The Fm6 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

C minor: iv6 (subdominant)
E♭ major: ii6

Similar chords and substitutes

If Fm6 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

A♭ – relative major: two shared notes
C♯ – the major chord a major third below: two shared notes
Fm7 – a fuller, softer minor colour

Same notes

Dm7b5 – the same notes with a different root

Simpler versions

Fm – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Fm6 chord?

F, A♭, C, D. The root is F; the intervals of the other notes from the root: minor third, perfect fifth, major sixth.

What is the easiest way to play Fm6 on banjo?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”, rated easy. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some Fm6 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 4-note chord. The fifth (C) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without it.

How is the Fm6 chord written?

The chord symbol is Fm6, and its full name is F minor sixth.