F minor sixth

Fm6

Also written Fmin6 · F−6

NotesF · A♭ · C · D
Formula1 · ♭3 · 5 · 6
F1C5D6A♭♭3
Root position

The tonic of minor-key jazz, with a bright major 6th on top of the minor triad. Fm6 has the same notes as Dø7, a relationship behind countless minor ii–V–i lines.

How pianists voice Fm6

Nobody plays a jazz chord in root position. These are the shapes that actually get played — the same ones Cadenza shows when you play the chord.

Shell Left hand

F1D6A♭♭3

1 · ♭3 · 6 — root, 3rd and 6th: the three notes that say what the chord is. Left hand, low; everything else is colour.

Rootless A From the 3rd

C5D6G9A♭♭3

♭3 · 5 · 6 · 9 — no root: the bass player has it. The left-hand voicing of modern jazz piano. Without F underneath, the same keys read as A♭maj7(♯11) — the bass turns them into Fm6.

Rootless B From the 6th

D6G9C5A♭♭3

6 · 9 · ♭3 · 5 — the other half of the pair. A and B alternate through a ii–V–I so the hand barely moves.

Drop 2 Two hands

C5F1D6A♭♭3

5 · 1 · ♭3 · 6 — close position with the second voice from the top dropped an octave: wider, warmer, the standard for chord melody.

Fm6 inversions

The same 4 notes with a different one in the bass. Each inversion is written as a slash chord.

Root position Fm6

F1C5D6A♭♭3

Root at the bottom, stacked in 3rds: 1 · ♭3 · 5 · 6.

1st inversion Fm6/A♭

C5D6F1A♭♭3

A♭ (the ♭3) in the bass: ♭3 · 5 · 6 · 1.

2nd inversion Fm6/C

C5D6F1A♭♭3

C (the 5) in the bass: 5 · 6 · 1 · ♭3.

3rd inversion Fm6/D

D6F1C5A♭♭3

D (the 6) in the bass: 6 · 1 · ♭3 · 5.

Play a chord. See its name.

The free chord finder names whatever you play — on a MIDI keyboard, with your mouse or on your computer keys — with the same engine as Cadenza.

Or let the app follow you.

Cadenza names every chord you play, live, writes what you played as sheet music, and puts the keyboard straight into OBS. The core is free forever.