What notes are in an Am6 chord?

Am6 contains four notes: A (root), C (minor third), E (perfect fifth), and F♯ (major sixth).

Is Am6 the same as F♯ half-diminished?

Enharmonically yes — same four pitches. Am6 has A as root (minor tonic); F♯ø has F♯ as root (ii of E minor, also the Tristan chord transposed).

How is Am6 different from Am7?

Only the top note changes. Am6 has F♯ (major sixth); Am7 has G (minor seventh). The 6 sits a step lower than the m7.

"Autumn Leaves" (in A minor) often ends on Am6. Many A-minor jazz standards use Am6 as a tonic. The chord is also famous as the enharmonic equivalent of F♯ø, used in Wagner's Tristan-style writing.

A minor 6 chord — notes, intervals, and practice

Am6 — A, C, E, F♯ — is an A minor triad with an added major sixth. The chord is the i6 of A minor and is enharmonic to F♯ half-diminished. On guitar, the closed-position Am6 voicing is one of the most-used m6 chords in jazz.

Intervals

The A minor 6 chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:

A→Cminor 3rd3 semitones
C→Emajor 3rd4 semitones
E→F#major 2nd2 semitones

On the keyboard

Each note of the A minor 6 chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.

On the guitar

One voicing of the A minor 6 chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.

1A
♭3C
5E
6F#

Common mistakes

Am6 has F♯ as its sixth — borrowed from A Dorian (which has F♯ as the raised 6th of A natural minor). Don't confuse with Am7 (which has G natural as the m7) or Amaj7 (which would change the third too). The F♯ is the chord's identifying note.

In context

Am6 is the i6 of A minor (often used as a final tonic in A-minor jazz). "Autumn Leaves" (in A minor) ends on Am6 in some arrangements. The cadence Bm7♭5 → E7 → Am6 closes many A-minor tunes — and the chord is also enharmonic to F♯ half-diminished, the famous "Tristan-chord-related" sonority.

Drill it

The A minor 6 chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.

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Frequently asked

What notes are in an Am6 chord?: Am6 contains four notes: A (root), C (minor third), E (perfect fifth), and F♯ (major sixth).
Is Am6 the same as F♯ half-diminished?: Enharmonically yes — same four pitches. Am6 has A as root (minor tonic); F♯ø has F♯ as root (ii of E minor, also the Tristan chord transposed).
How is Am6 different from Am7?: Only the top note changes. Am6 has F♯ (major sixth); Am7 has G (minor seventh). The 6 sits a step lower than the m7.
What pieces use Am6?: "Autumn Leaves" (in A minor) often ends on Am6. Many A-minor jazz standards use Am6 as a tonic. The chord is also famous as the enharmonic equivalent of F♯ø, used in Wagner's Tristan-style writing.