C#m6 Piano Chord

C#m6 is the C sharp minor sixth chord. It has four notes: C sharp, E, G sharp and A sharp. Three of them are black keys; only the E under the index finger is white.

1C♯2E3G♯5A♯C4C5

C♯ at the bottom, then E, G♯ and A♯. Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1. Every key here is black except the E.

How to play C#m6 on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the C♯ above middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): C♯
  3. Index finger (2): E
  4. Middle finger (3): G♯
  5. Little finger (5): A♯
  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 C♯ on its own as a bass note.

The hand lives on the black keys here, with just the index finger dropping down to E. Sit the fingers well into the keyboard so nothing has to stretch backward for the white key.

Inversions of C#m6

The same 4 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are C#m6; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionE G♯ A♯ C♯
C#m6 piano chord diagram, first inversion, E G♯ A♯ C♯
Lighter, and easier under the hand than root position: the one white key now anchors the bottom and the black keys stack above it.
Second inversionG♯ A♯ C♯ E
C#m6 piano chord diagram, second inversion, G♯ A♯ C♯ E
Open and unresolved, with the tense fifth and sixth pair moved to the bottom of the hand. It reads as a chord in motion.
Third inversionA♯ C♯ E G♯
C#m6 piano chord diagram, third inversion, A♯ C♯ E G♯
With A♯ underneath, these four notes are exactly A#m7b5, and the ear hears half diminished. The double identity is a feature, not a flaw.

If it sounds off

The chord sounds smooth instead of tense
The top note is A sharp, not B. B natural would make it C#m7. The sixth is the black key one below B.
The white E gets lost
Three fingers on black keys hold the hand deep in the keyboard, and the index has to reach forward and down to E. Keep it curved so the note speaks as clearly as the others.
The outer notes are uneven
Thumb and little finger both sit on black keys, which is an unusual grip. Keep the wrist level and let the arm weight fall evenly through both ends of the hand.

What makes it a C#m6

C♯ · E · G♯ · A♯ 1 ♭3 5 6

C#m6 is a C sharp minor triad, C sharp, E and G sharp, with an A sharp added: the major sixth, nine half steps above the root. The sixth stays major even though the chord is minor, and that mismatch of a flat third against a natural sixth is the chord's whole character.

It is the iv chord in A flat, where charts usually spell it Dbm6, and a standby of jazz and older pop. The same four notes read from A sharp spell A#m7b5, the half diminished chord, so which chord you are playing depends on the bass.

C#m6 vs C#m7

Both add a fourth note to C sharp minor. C#m7 adds B, a white key, and settles; C#m6 adds A sharp, the black key just below it, and leans.

Hold C sharp, E and G sharp and rock the little finger between B and A sharp. One key apart on the keyboard, and the chord swings between rest and motion.

Questions about C#m6

Is C#m6 the same as Dbm6?

Yes, one chord with two spellings. C sharp is how the minor family is usually written, so it is the name used here.

What is the difference between C#m6 and C#m7?

The top note. C#m7 has B and sounds settled; C#m6 has A sharp, one key lower, and sounds restless.

What fingers do you use for C#m6?

Right hand: thumb on C sharp, index on E, middle on G sharp, little finger on A sharp, 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 measured from the major scale. C#m6 flattens the third to E but keeps the sixth at A sharp, and that deliberate mismatch is what a minor sixth chord is.

Where is C#m6 used?

In jazz and older pop, usually written Dbm6 as the iv chord of A flat, and anywhere a C sharp minor needs to move forward rather than sit.

Chords to learn next

Other C# chords