Dm6 is D minor with one note added, B, and that note changes the mood completely: darker, more mysterious, a little cinematic. The open shape is easier than D minor itself, two fingers and two open strings. The real lesson is listening for the B, because that is what turns D minor into Dm6.
Dm6 chord: notes and shapes at a glance
- Name: D minor sixth
- Symbol: Dm6
- Notes: D, F, A, B
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dm6, open | xx0201 | D A B F | Two fingers and two open strings. The open B string is the sixth. |
| Dm6, fifth fret | x57767 | D A D F B | The D minor barre shape with the high E raised from A to B. Root on the fifth string, movable. |
| Dm6, compact | 10 x 9 10 10 x | D B F A | A four note jazz voicing, root on the low E, fifth string muted. Short and percussive. |
| Dm6, tenth fret barre | 10 12 12 10 12 10 | D A D F B D | The full six string version, root on the low E. A stretch, but every string rings. |
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.
Dm6 on the neck: every D, F, A, B
Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of Dm6: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still Dm6.
From D minor to Dm6 in one move
Play D minor, xx0231. Now lift the finger from the B string at fret 3: the open B rings instead of D. That is Dm6, xx0201. The second finger stays on the G string at fret 2 (A), the first finger stays on the high E at fret 1 (F).
Play the two chords back to back, Dm then Dm6, and listen to the second string. Only that note moves, and it carries the whole change of color. If you do not know D minor yet, start with the D minor chord page.
The sixth is B, not B flat
The "m" in Dm6 is about the third, F. The 6 is a major sixth above D, which is B natural. This catches a lot of players, because B flat belongs to the key of D minor and B natural does not.
| Chord | Notes | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| Dm6 | D, F, A, B | Minor, open, mysterious |
| Dm(b6) | D, F, A, Bb | Minor, heavier, sadder |
| Dm7 | D, F, A, C | Minor, soft |
That B natural is why Dm6 does not appear among the plain chords of any major key. It comes from the melodic minor and the dorian sound, and it is the classic way to make a minor home chord feel richer, especially in jazz and gypsy jazz.
One shape, three names: Dm6, Bm7b5, G9
Dm6 shares its four notes with other chords, and the bass note decides which one you hear.
- D in the bass: Dm6, a minor home chord with color.
- B in the bass: the same notes read B, D, F, A: a B minor seven flat five (Bm7b5), the half diminished sound.
- G in the bass: G, B, D, F, A is a G9. Your xx0201 is that G9 without its root, so if a bass player plays G under you, the shape works as a dominant chord that pulls to C.
Jazz guitarists use this all the time: small m6 voicings double as ninth chords as soon as someone else plays the root. The same family exists on every root; see Cm6 and Em6.
Progressions to practice
| Progression | Shapes | What to listen for |
|---|---|---|
| Dm, Dm6 | xx0231 to xx0201 | Only the B string moves, from D to B. |
| A7, Dm6 | x02020 to xx0201 | V7 to i in D minor: the C# of A7 resolves up to D, and Dm6 lands softer than a plain Dm. |
| Em7b5, A7, Dm6 | 010030, x02020, xx0201 | The minor ii V i, the cadence jazz players use to end in D minor. |
Common mistakes: letting the low E and A ring in xx0201 (start the strum on the D string), confusing Dm6 with Dm7 (B versus C), and swapping Dm6 for every D minor without checking the melody. If the tune sings a B flat over that chord, Dm6 will clash.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Dm6 on guitar?
What notes are in a D minor 6 chord?
Does Dm6 have a B flat?
What is the difference between Dm6 and Dm7?
Why does Dm6 sound like another chord?
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.