G#m6 Chord on Guitar
G#m6 = G# – B – D# – F (Root, Minor 3rd, Perfect 5th, Major 6th)
G#m6 raises the fifth of the G# minor barre by two frets to the major sixth, the same small physical move that turns F# minor and G minor into their own m6 versions one and two frets down — a disproportionately large emotional shift for how little changes in the hand.
G#-B-F: root, minor third, and major sixth, with the fifth dropped from this compact voicing and the root doubled. Pairing a minor third with a major sixth is the defining interval combination of the Dorian mode, giving G#m6 that same restless, cinematic quality tied to film-score minor passages and modal jazz rather than a plain minor triad's straightforward sadness. It works as a more harmonically active substitute for plain G# minor, particularly effective right before a cadence into D# major or D#7.
Fingerings
Barre (4th fret)
How to Practice It
From the G# minor barre, move the finger holding the fifth up two frets to the sixth, checking that the new note actually rings rather than getting muted, since the fifth disappears from this voicing entirely. Practice resolving G#m6 into G#m and then into D#7 to hear the sixth's pull toward that dominant rather than treating the chord as an isolated curiosity.
Common Progressions
- G#m – G#m6 – D#7 – G#m (i – i6 – V7 – i in G# minor, a classic minor cadential move)
- G#m6 – C# – G#m6 (a static Dorian-flavored vamp)
- E – G#m6 – F# (a color substitution for G#m within B major-adjacent material)
- G#m6 – F# – E – D#7 (a descending minor-key turnaround)
FAQ
- What note does G#m6 change relative to plain G# minor?
- The fifth (D#) is replaced by the major sixth (F), so the fifth drops out of this particular voicing while the sixth becomes the new color tone.
- Why is G#m6 described as sounding Dorian?
- The Dorian mode pairs a minor third with a major sixth, exactly the two color intervals present in an m6 chord, giving it that mode's characteristic moody-but-not-fully-dark quality.
- Is G#m6 much harder to fret than G# minor?
- Not really — one finger moves two frets further than it would for the plain minor triad, with no additional fingers required.
- When is G#m6 a better choice than plain G#m?
- When a minor progression wants extra harmonic motion or a moodier edge, especially right before a dominant chord, since the added sixth points toward that resolution more strongly than a plain minor triad.
- Is this chord sometimes labeled Abm6?
- Yes, in flat-key charts, though the fingering and sound stay identical to G#m6 regardless of the spelling.
G#m6 on other instruments: G#m6 on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.