Bm6 Guitar Chord

Bm6 is the B minor sixth chord. It has four notes: B, D, F sharp and G sharp. The shape on this page uses open strings and three fingers, so unlike most B chords it needs no barre at all.

213×BDG♯BF♯

Root on the A string at the 2nd fret, with the open D string in the middle of the chord and two fingers above it. Three fingers, no barre.

How to play Bm6, step by step

  1. Index finger: 1st fret, G string
  2. Middle finger: 2nd fret, A string
  3. Ring finger: 2nd fret, high E string
  4. Leave the D and B strings open. Strum from the A string down, skipping the low E.

This is a rare thing: a B chord in open position. Learn it as a way out of barre chords in the key of B or E, not just as a jazz colour.

More ways to play Bm6

There are 2 common Bm6 shapes in total: the standard one at the top of the page, plus these, easiest first. You only ever need one. Tap any card to hear it.

Barre at fret 7
Bm6 guitar chord diagram, barre at fret 7, played 799797

Wide and dark, with the root doubled low down. The sixth sits inside the chord rather than on top, which is what gives it that uneasy, film music colour.

If it sounds unclear

The open D string is muffled
The middle finger on the A string is leaning on it. Stand the finger up and press with the tip so the D rings freely.
The G string note is weak
The index holds the 1st fret of the G string, close to the nut where the string is stiffest. Press firmly and right behind the fret.
The low E rings
It is not part of the chord. Strum from the A string down, or let the middle fingertip touch the low E to keep it quiet.

What makes it a Bm6

B · D · F♯ · G♯ 1 ♭3 5 6

Bm6 is a B minor triad (B, D, F sharp) with a G sharp added, the major sixth. The third stays flat and the sixth stays major, and that combination is what makes every minor sixth chord sound like a question.

Read from G sharp, the same notes spell G#m7b5. Bm6 is also an E9 without its root, which explains why it slips so easily into progressions heading for A.

Bm6 vs Bm7

Bm7 adds an A to B minor and sounds calm. Bm6 adds a G sharp instead, a fret lower than the A, and the chord immediately sounds unresolved.

There is a practical difference too. Bm7 is usually played as a barre at the 2nd fret, while this Bm6 uses open strings and three fingers, so in the key of B it is often the easier chord to reach for.

Bm6 chord questions

Can I play Bm6 without a barre?

Yes, and that is the shape shown here: two open strings and three fingers in the first two frets. It is one of the few B chords that needs no barre.

What is the difference between Bm6 and Bm7?

Bm7 has an A, Bm6 has a G sharp. One fret apart, and the difference between a settled minor chord and a tense one.

Why is the sixth major in a minor chord?

The sixth is counted from the major scale. A minor sixth chord flattens the third but leaves the sixth alone, and that clash of a flat third against a natural sixth is the sound of the chord.

Is Bm6 the same as G#m7b5?

The four notes are identical. B in the bass gives Bm6; G sharp in the bass gives the half diminished chord G#m7b5.

Where would I use Bm6?

As the iv chord in F sharp, as a tension chord in the key of B minor, and in jazz, where minor sixth chords stand in for minor sevenths.

Chords to learn next

Other B chords