B♭m6 chord on guitar

B♭m6 is B♭, D♭, F and G. The usual shape is 6-8-8-6-8-6, a barre at the 6th fret. Hit Play and watch each string light as it sounds.

6-8-8-6-8-6 · barre · medium

Notes: B♭ · D♭ · F · G
Formula: 1 · ♭3 · 5 · 6
First shape: 6-8-8-6-8-6

How to play B♭m6 on guitar

Shape 1, 6-8-8-6-8-6, reading from the low E string on the left, starts at the 6th fret:

Barre the 6th fret with your index finger, covering all the strings.
Put your middle finger on the A string at the 8th fret, which is F.
Put your ring finger on the D string at the 8th fret, which is B♭.
Put your pinky finger on the B string at the 8th fret, which is G.

Barres get easier further up the neck because the strings sit lower. At the 6th fret you need less pressure than you think.
The pinky takes a note here. Keep it curved and close to the fretboard between chords so it has less distance to travel.

Other ways to play B♭m6

x-1-3-0-2-x: open shape, easy. Only the thinner strings sound, which cuts through a band without getting muddy.
x-13-15-12-14-x: movable shape at the 12th fret, medium. The root is on the A string; it's the Am6 shape moved up the neck.

Playing B♭m6 with a capo

No barre needed if a capo is allowed: capo on the 1st fret and play the open Am6 shape (x-0-2-2-1-2) or capo on the 6th fret and play the open Em6 shape (0-2-2-0-2-0). The chord sounds as B♭m6 because the capo raises every string by a half step.

B♭m6 chord changes

The chords B♭m6 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

E♭ (V in A♭ major): B♭m6 (6-8-8-6-8-6) to E♭ (x-x-1-3-4-3): the index finger goes to the D string, 1st fret, your middle finger lands on the G string, 3rd fret, move the ring finger to the high E string, 3rd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Listen for B♭ and G, which stay put while the rest moves. E♭ on guitar
C♯ (IV in A♭ major): B♭m6 (6-8-8-6-8-6) to C♯ (x-4-6-6-6-4): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 4th fret, the middle finger goes to the D string, 6th fret, move the ring finger to the G string, 6th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Shared notes: D♭ and F. C♯ on guitar
A♭ (I in A♭ major): B♭m6 (6-8-8-6-8-6) to A♭ (4-6-6-5-4-4): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 4th fret, move the middle finger to the G string, 5th fret, the ring finger goes to the A string, 6th fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. A♭ on guitar

B♭m6 is B♭ minor with a major sixth added. B♭m6 sounds moody and cinematic and often replaces B♭m as the home chord of a minor jazz tune. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

A short B♭m6 drill

Arpeggiate 6-8-8-6-8-6 from the lowest string: B♭, F, B♭, D♭, G, B♭. Then strum it and listen for the same 6 notes together. Finish by moving between 6-8-8-6-8-6 and x-1-3-0-2-x to learn two positions of the same chord.

Written A♯m6, it's the same chord with the same frets.

Keys and progressions with B♭m6

B♭m6 on piano and ukulele

Switching instruments? Try B♭m6 on ukulele or B♭m6 on piano, or compare them on the B♭m6 chord page.

Next to try on guitar

Other minor sixth chords

B♭m6 on guitar: questions

What notes are in B♭m6 on guitar?

B♭, D♭, F and G. In the 6-8-8-6-8-6 shape the strings play B♭ (low E string), F (A string), B♭ (D string), D♭ (G string), G (B string) and B♭ (high E string), so B♭ are doubled.

What's the easiest way to play B♭m6 on guitar?

x-1-3-0-2-x. Open strings do part of the work, so no barre.

Is B♭m6 a barre chord on guitar?

In its standard form, yes. 6-8-8-6-8-6 has your index finger across the 6th fret. The barre-free alternative is x-1-3-0-2-x.

Which string does B♭m6 start on?

In the 6-8-8-6-8-6 shape the lowest string you play is the low E string at the 6th fret, which is B♭, the root.

Shapes and sound are generated from the notes B♭, D♭, F and G and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.