G#m6 Piano Chord

G#m6 is the G sharp minor sixth chord. It has four notes: G sharp, B, D sharp and F. The thumb and middle finger take the black keys while B and F stay white under the other two.

1G♯2B3D♯5FC3C4

G♯ at the bottom, then B, D♯ and F. Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1. The keys alternate black, white, black, white.

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

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

The hand alternates black, white, black, white here, which keeps every finger on its own level. Start the thumb well into the keyboard so the pattern lies flat under the hand.

Inversions of G#m6

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

First inversionB D♯ F G♯
G#m6 piano chord diagram, first inversion, B D♯ F G♯
Lighter than root position, with the minor third leading and the two black keys now framed inside the hand.
Second inversionD♯ F G♯ B
G#m6 piano chord diagram, second inversion, D♯ F G♯ B
Open and unresolved, with the tense fifth and sixth pair at the bottom of the hand. It reads as a chord partway through a move.
Third inversionF G♯ B D♯
G#m6 piano chord diagram, third inversion, F G♯ B D♯
With F underneath, these four pitches are exactly Fm7b5, and half diminished is what the ear hears. The double identity is standard jazz currency.

If it sounds off

The chord sounds calm instead of restless
The top note is F, not F sharp. F sharp would make it G#m7. The sixth is the white key one below.
The thumb slides off G sharp
The root is a narrow black key. Play it with the side of the thumb tip and keep the wrist level so the hand does not drag it toward the white keys.
The alternating keys feel lumpy
Black, white, black, white asks each finger for a slightly different depth. Practise the four notes as one dropped shape until the levels even out.

What makes it a G#m6

G♯ · B · D♯ · F 1 ♭3 5 6

G#m6 is a G sharp minor triad, G sharp, B and D sharp, with a sixth added on top. Spelled strictly that sixth is E sharp, but charts write the plain enharmonic F, the same key on the keyboard. The sixth stays major even though the chord is minor, which is the whole point of the family.

It is the iv chord in E flat, where charts usually spell the chord Abm6, and a standby of jazz and older pop. Read from the top note, the same four pitches spell Fm7b5, the half diminished chord, so the bass note decides which name fits.

G#m6 vs G#m7

Both add a fourth note to G sharp minor. G#m7 adds F sharp, a black key, and settles; G#m6 adds F natural, the white key below it, and leans.

Hold G sharp, B and D sharp and rock the little finger between F sharp and F. One half step down, and the chord goes from resting to reaching.

Questions about G#m6

Is G#m6 the same as Abm6?

Yes, one chord with two spellings. The minor family is usually written with sharps, so G sharp is the name used here.

Why is the sixth written F instead of E sharp?

Strict spelling from the G sharp minor scale gives E sharp, but E sharp is the same key as F, and chord charts write the name players read fastest.

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

The top note. G#m7 has F sharp and relaxes; G#m6 has F, one key lower, and pushes forward.

What fingers do you use for G#m6?

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

Where is G#m6 used?

In jazz and older pop, usually spelled Abm6 as the iv chord of E flat, and anywhere a G sharp minor chord needs motion rather than rest.

Chords to learn next

Other G# chords