Bbm6 Piano Chord

Bbm6 is the B flat minor sixth chord. It has four notes: B flat, D flat, F and G. The bottom two are black keys, so the hand starts deep in the keyboard, with the white keys F and G under the last two fingers.

1B♭2D♭3F5GC3C4

B♭ at the bottom, then D♭, F and G. Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1. The two black keys sit under the thumb and index finger.

How to play Bbm6 on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the B♭ below middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): B♭
  3. Index finger (2): D♭
  4. Middle finger (3): F
  5. Little finger (5): G
  6. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 3, 2, 1 an octave lower, or just B♭ on its own as a bass note.

With the thumb on B flat the hand has to sit well into the keys. Let the knuckles come over the black keys rather than reaching for them from the white key edge.

Inversions of Bbm6

The same 4 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are Bbm6; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionD♭ F G B♭
Bbm6 piano chord diagram, first inversion, D♭ F G B♭
Lighter and more forward leaning, with the minor third in the bass and both black keys now at the outside of the hand.
Second inversionF G B♭ D♭
Bbm6 piano chord diagram, second inversion, F G B♭ D♭
Open and on its way somewhere. F and G a whole step apart at the bottom keep the chord sounding like a step rather than an arrival.
Third inversionG B♭ D♭ F
Bbm6 piano chord diagram, third inversion, G B♭ D♭ F
With G underneath, these four notes are exactly Gm7b5, the half diminished chord, and that is what most ears will hear. Use it knowingly.

If it does not sound right

The chord sounds settled, not bittersweet
The top note is G, not A flat. A flat would give Bbm7. The sixth is the white key G, one key below it.
The thumb keeps slipping off B flat
Black keys are narrow. Play B flat with the side of the thumb tip and keep the wrist level; a dropped wrist pulls the thumb toward the white keys.
D flat is quiet
It sits under the index finger between two stronger fingers. Lean the hand a little toward the thumb side so the index carries its share.

What makes it a Bbm6

B♭ · D♭ · F · G 1 ♭3 5 6

Bbm6 is a B flat minor triad, B flat, D flat and F, with a G added: the major sixth, nine half steps above the root. The sixth stays major even though the chord is minor, and that mix of a flat third with a natural sixth is what gives the chord its restless colour.

It is the iv chord in F and a standby of jazz and older pop, where it usually walks to F. The same four notes read from G spell Gm7b5, the half diminished chord, so the bass note decides which of the two the ear hears.

Bbm6 vs Bbm7

Both add a fourth note to B flat minor. Bbm7 adds A flat and sounds smooth and settled; Bbm6 adds G, one key lower, and sounds like a question.

Hold B flat, D flat and F and rock the top finger between A flat and G. One key on the keyboard, and the chord flips between resting and leaning.

Questions about Bbm6

Is Bbm6 the same as A#m6?

Yes, one chord with two names. B flat is the spelling the flat keys this chord lives in actually use, so it is the one written here.

What is the difference between Bbm6 and Bbm7?

The top note. Bbm7 has A flat and settles; Bbm6 has G, the white key one below it, and pushes forward.

What fingers do you use for Bbm6?

Right hand: thumb on B flat, index on D flat, middle on F, little finger on G, which is 1, 2, 3 and 5. Left hand plays 5, 3, 2, 1.

Why does a minor chord have a major sixth?

The sixth is counted from the major scale. In Bbm6 the third is flattened to D flat while the sixth stays G, and that mismatch is what a minor sixth chord is.

Where is Bbm6 used?

As the iv chord in F, and across jazz and older pop, where minor sixth chords often stand in for the plain minor when the music needs to keep moving.

Chords to learn next

Other Bb chords