Bm6 — B, D, F♯, G♯ — is a B minor triad with an added major sixth. The chord is the i6 of B minor and is enharmonic to G♯ half-diminished. Bach's Mass in B minor uses related minor-tonic colours; jazz uses Bm6 as a final cadence in B-minor tunes.
Intervals
The B minor 6 chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:
- B→Dminor 3rd3 semitones
- D→F#major 3rd4 semitones
- F#→G#major 2nd2 semitones
On the keyboard
Each note of the B minor 6 chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.
On the guitar
One voicing of the B minor 6 chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.
- 1B
- ♭3D
- 5F#
- 6G#
Common mistakes
Bm6 has G♯ as its sixth — borrowed from B Dorian (which has G♯ as the raised 6th of B natural minor). Don't confuse with Bm7 (which has A natural as the m7). On guitar, Bm6 is typically a closed-position 4-string voicing.
In context
Bm6 is the i6 of B minor (often used as a final tonic in B-minor jazz). The cadence C♯m7♭5 → F♯7 → Bm6 closes many B-minor tunes. The chord is also enharmonic to G♯ half-diminished, which makes it useful as a pivot for modulation.
Drill it
The B 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 a Bm6 chord?
- Bm6 contains four notes: B (root), D (minor third), F♯ (perfect fifth), and G♯ (major sixth).
- Is Bm6 the same as G♯ half-diminished?
- Enharmonically yes — same four pitches. Bm6 has B as root (minor tonic); G♯ø has G♯ as root (ii of F♯ minor).
- How is Bm6 different from Bm7?
- Only the top note changes. Bm6 has G♯ (major sixth); Bm7 has A natural (minor seventh). The 6 sits a step lower than the m7.
- What pieces use Bm6?
- B-minor jazz standards often end on Bm6. Bach's Mass in B minor uses related minor-tonic colours; many film scores in B minor borrow the Dorian raised-6 colour that defines Bm6.