Cm6 is C minor with one more note, A, sitting on top. That single note changes the mood: the chord stays minor, but it loses its heaviness and takes on the poised, slightly vintage sound of jazz standards and bossa nova. Learn where the A is in each shape and you have the whole chord.
Cm6 chord: notes and shapes at a glance
- Name: C minor sixth
- Symbol: Cm6
- Notes: C, Eb, G, A
Each shape below is written from the thickest string to the thinnest: a
number is the fret, 0 an open string, x a string you
do not play. New to this? See how to read chord diagrams.
| Shape | Frets, low E to high E | Notes, low to high | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cm6, four strings | xx1213 | Eb A C G | The easiest way in: all four notes on the top strings. Eb sits in the bass, so it sounds lighter than the full chord. |
| Cm6, root on the A string | x31213 | C Eb A C G | The reference shape: the same four strings plus C on the fifth string, so the chord stands on its root. |
| Cm6, movable | x35545 | C G C Eb A | The C minor barre shape with the high E raised to A at fret 5. No open strings: move it anywhere for any minor sixth. |
| Cm6, jazz grip | 8x788x | C A Eb G | Four notes, root on the low E at fret 8, fifth string muted. Compact and dark, the voicing of jazz and bossa comping. |
Read each diagram from the thickest string on the left to the thinnest on the right. A cross means the string is not played, a circle means it rings open.
Cm6 on the neck: every C, Eb, G, A
Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of Cm6: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still Cm6.
How to play Cm6, step by step
Start with the reference shape, x31213. It sits in the first
three frets and uses a small barre.
- First finger flat across the fourth, third and second strings at fret 1. It only needs to sound two notes: Eb on the D string and C on the B string.
- Second finger on the third string (G) at fret 2. That note is A, the sixth: the note that makes the chord.
- Third finger on the fifth string (A) at fret 3: C, the root.
- Fourth finger on the first string (high E) at fret 3: G, the fifth.
- Leave the low E silent and strum from the fifth string down.
The four colors of C minor
Cm6 makes most sense next to its siblings. Each adds a single note to C minor, and each note gives a different mood.
| Chord | Added note | Character | Where you hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cm7 | Bb | Round, a little bluesy | Funk, soul, the ii of Bb major |
| Cm6 | A | Elegant, poised, vintage | Jazz, bossa nova, Gypsy jazz |
| Cm(maj7) | B | Dramatic, tense | Film scores, endings of phrases |
| Cm(b6) | Ab | Dark, heavy | Spanish flavors, tragic moods |
A quick ear exercise: hold a plain C minor, then play these four in a row. It is the fastest way to hear why the minor sixth is the brightest of the enriched minor chords. And compare it with C6, the major sixth: same A on top, but over E instead of Eb.
Cm6 and Am7b5: same notes, different job
Spell Cm6 from A and you get A, C, Eb, G: the notes of A half-diminished,
Am7b5. On guitar, the bass decides which one you are playing. With C at
the bottom, as in x31213 or 8x788x, the ear
hears C minor with a sixth. Put A under the same notes and it hears Am7b5,
a chord that wants to move on.
This is also why xx1213, with Eb in the bass, sounds a little
less settled than the other shapes. It is still Cm6, but it shines most
when a bass player or a second guitar holds the C underneath.
The full barre version, 8 10 10 8 10 8, plays C, G, C, Eb, A,
C and is correct, but the fingering is awkward for most hands. The jazz
grip 8x788x gives you the same sound with less effort.
Where Cm6 goes, and how to get there
Cm6 usually does one of two jobs. It replaces a plain C minor as the home chord of a minor key, especially in jazz and bossa, where a bare triad sounds unfinished. And it is the chord a minor ii V i lands on: Dm7b5, G7, Cm6.
| Change | Shapes | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Cm to Cm6 | x35543 to x35545 | Only the high E moves, from G at fret 3 to A at fret 5. The clearest way to hear what the sixth does. |
| Cm7 to Cm6 | x3131x to x31213 | Bb on the G string becomes A, one fret down, and the fourth finger adds G on the high E. |
| G7 to Cm6 | 320001 to x31213 | The V to i of C minor. On the fifth string, B at fret 2 rises to C at fret 3: that half step is the resolution. |
| Dm7b5, G7, Cm6 | x5656x, 320001, x31213 | The minor ii V i. Slow at first: the jump from fret 5 to the open G7 is the hard part. |
The Cm7b5 chord does the same ii job in the key of Bb minor. For the shape of a minor sixth on another root, see the Dm6 chord.
Common mistakes with Cm6
- Playing Ab instead of A. The sixth in Cm6 is A natural. Ab gives you a different, much darker chord.
- Confusing Cm6 with Cm7. Cm7 has Bb, Cm6 has A. One fret apart on the G string, a different world to the ear.
- Letting the low E ring in
x31213. An open E is not in the chord and clashes with the Eb. - Burying the sixth. If the A on the G string is muted, the chord loses its color. Check it on its own.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a Cm6 chord?
Does C minor 6 have an A or an Ab?
How do you play Cm6 on guitar?
Is Cm6 the same as Am7b5?
What is the difference between Cm6 and Cm7?
Who made this
Guitar Social Club is the work of Yohann Abbou, a guitar teacher in Paris who teaches adults. Every shape on this page is written string by string and checked against standard tuning, and the diagrams are drawn from those same fret numbers. The rest of our free guitar tools, including the chord finder, work the same way.
More about Yohann on his page, and about why Guitar Social Club exists.