Chord · C Minor 6th
Cm6 Chord
Cm6 is C, Eb, G and A — smoky, sophisticated; classic jazz minor.
Cm6 on every instrument
The same 4 notes, 6 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What Cm6 is made of
Cm6 (C minor sixth) is built from the notes C, Eb, G, A, with the interval pattern 1, b3, 5, 6.
Stack 1, b3, 5 and 6 on a root of C and you get C, Eb, G and A. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a minor sixth chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why Dm6 sounds like a transposed Cm6.
Minor 6th: Smoky, sophisticated; classic jazz minor.
Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with E♭ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain Cm6
All 4 notes sit inside the scale of 2 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Major keys
Minor keys
Other chords on C
Same root, different colour.
The same minor sixth shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about Cm6
- What notes are in the Cm6 chord?
- Cm6 is made of C, Eb, G and A — the 1, b3, 5 and 6 degrees of a minor sixth chord built on C.
- What keys use the Cm6 chord?
- Every note of Cm6 belongs to 2 keys: Bb Major (ii), G Minor (iv). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play Cm6 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows Cm6 on guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin and banjo — 10 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Learn the theory behind it
Why Cm6 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.