A minor sixth (Am6) chord on guitar

Minor sixth chord (a minor triad plus a major sixth) on A: the notes of the Am6 chord are A – C – E – F♯.

Dots show:

Open positionmedium

Position 3medium

Position 4easy

E shape, fret 5medium

D shape, fret 7medium

A shape, fret 12medium

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 Am6 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 Am6 chord

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

How to play it – with fingering

Open position

String 1 (e): fret 2, little finger (F♯4)
String 2 (B): fret 1, index finger (C4)
String 3 (G): fret 2, ring finger (A3)
String 4 (D): fret 2, middle finger (E3)
String 5 (A): open (A2)
String 6 (E): not played

Position 3

String 1 (e): open (E4)
String 2 (B): fret 5, little finger (E4)
String 3 (G): fret 5, little finger (C4)
String 4 (D): fret 4, middle finger (F♯3)
String 5 (A): fret 3, index finger (C3)
String 6 (E): fret 5, ring finger (A2)

Position 4

String 1 (e): open (E4)
String 2 (B): fret 5, ring finger (E4)
String 3 (G): fret 5, middle finger (C4)
String 4 (D): fret 4, index finger (F♯3)
String 5 (A): open (A2)
String 6 (E): not played

The “C, A, G, E and D shapes” are the CAGED system: you slide the shape of the open C, A, G, E or D chord up the neck and your index finger (a barre) takes over the job of the nut. That way the same chord can be played in five places, anywhere on the fretboard.

Tuning: E A D G B E (low to high). String 6 is the thickest, the low E. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Playing Am6 with a capo

A capo clamps all the strings at one fret, so a familiar open shape sounds higher. You can also get a Am6 chord with these open shapes:

Capo: fret 5
shape: Em6

Capo: fret 7
shape: Dm6

Rework a whole song for a capo: chord transposer →

Which keys is it in?

The Am6 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

E minor: iv6 (subdominant)
G major: ii6

Similar chords and substitutes

If Am6 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

C – relative major: two shared notes
F – the major chord a major third below: two shared notes
Am7 – a fuller, softer minor colour

Same notes

F♯m7b5 – the same notes with a different root

Simpler versions

Am – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
A5 – all 2 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Am6 chord?

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

What is the easiest way to play Am6 on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Position 4”, rated easy. We show 6 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck. With a capo you can also play it as a Em6 shape at fret 5 or a Dm6 shape at fret 7.

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 Am6 shapes?

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

How is the Am6 chord written?

The chord symbol is Am6, and its full name is A minor sixth.