G Minor 6th (Gm6)

1+b3+5+6
GDEBb
4 4
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Notes in G Minor 6th

G (root)BbDE

Inversions

Same notes as G Minor 6th, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.

Root position

G in the bass

GDEBb

1st inversion

Bb in the bass

DEGBb

2nd inversion

D in the bass

DEGBb

3rd inversion

E in the bass

EGDBb

Open voicings

A close-position chord like G Minor 6th can sound cluttered in the middle of the keyboard. Jazz players open it up by dropping one note down an octave, spreading the same notes wider without changing the chord.

Drop 2

D on the bottom

DGEBb

Drop 3

Bb on the bottom

GDE

G Minor 6th consists of G, Bb, D and E, played at the same time.

A minor triad with a major sixth on top carries a bittersweet color a plain minor chord doesn't have. Composers reach for it when a minor chord needs an extra touch of melancholy without sliding into the more overtly jazzy sound of a minor seventh.

Difficulty: Intermediate. Category: Sixth chords. Click any key on the diagram above to hear that single note.