Construction
| Note | Interval | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| A♯ | Root | 1 |
| C♯ | Minor 3rd | ♭3 |
| E♯ | Perfect 5th | 5 |
| F♯♯ | Major 6th | 6 |
Fingering
| Note | Key color | Right hand | Left hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| A♯ | black | index finger (2) | little finger (5) |
| C♯ | black | middle finger (3) | ring finger (4) |
| E♯ | white | ring finger (4) | middle finger (3) |
| F♯♯ | white | little finger (5) | index finger (2) |
Right hand: index finger (2) on A♯, middle finger (3) on C♯, ring finger (4) on E♯, little finger (5) on F♯♯.
Left hand: little finger (5) on A♯, ring finger (4) on C♯, middle finger (3) on E♯, index finger (2) on F♯♯.
A♯ Minor 6th Inversions
- Root positionA♯ – C♯ – E♯ – F♯♯
- 1st inversion (A♯m6/C♯)C♯ – E♯ – F♯♯ – A♯
- 2nd inversion (A♯m6/E♯)E♯ – F♯♯ – A♯ – C♯
- 3rd inversion (A♯m6/F♯♯)F♯♯ – A♯ – C♯ – E♯
Key Signature
A chord has no key signature of its own, but the A♯ Minor 6th is the tonic (i) chord of A♯ Minor, which shares the signature of its relative major, C♯ Major: 7 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯, B♯).
Order of sharps
Sharps are added to a key signature in a fixed order. Each new sharp key adds the next sharp on the list.
Mnemonic: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle
Chords in the Key of A♯ Minor
These are the triads built on each degree of A♯ Minor:
Scales That Include the A♯ Minor 6th
- Ab Major (ii)
- F Minor (iv)
- Bb Dorian (i)
- C Phrygian (vii)
- Db Lydian (vi)
- Eb Mixolydian (v)
- F Aeolian (iv)
- G Locrian (iii)
Same Notes, Other Names
The notes A♯ – C♯ – E♯ – F♯♯ aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell:
A♯ Minor 6th : Frequently Asked Questions
What notes are in A♯m6?
How do you play A♯m6 on piano?
What are the inversions of A♯m6?
What is the difference between A♯m6 and A♯m?
What is an easy A♯m6 for small hands?
What are the frequencies of A♯m6?
What is the set class of A♯m6?
How do I transpose A♯m6 to another key?
Is B♭m6 the same as A♯m6?
A♯ Minor 6th in detail
Exact
Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.
| Type | Notes | Semitones | Span | Omissions and additions | Set relation | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close, root position | A♯3 C♯4 E♯4 F×4 | 9 | 124 mm | none | identical | |
| Close, first inversion | C♯4 E♯4 F×4 A♯4 | 9 | 124 mm | none | identical | |
| Close, second inversion | E♯4 F×4 A♯4 C♯5 | 8 | 110 mm | none | identical | |
| Close, third inversion | F×4 A♯4 C♯5 E♯5 | 10 | 138 mm | none | identical | |
| Drop 2 | E♯3 A♯3 C♯4 F×4 | 14 | 193 mm | none | identical | |
| Drop 3 | C♯3 A♯3 E♯4 F×4 | 18 | 248 mm | none | identical | |
| Drop 2 and 4 | A♯2 E♯3 C♯4 F×4 | 21 | 289 mm | none | identical |
Reduced
A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.
| Type | Notes | Semitones | Span | Omissions and additions | Set relation | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shell, root 6 ♭3 | A♯2 F×3 C♯4 | 15 | 206 mm | omits E♯ | subset | |
| Guide tones, ♭3 and 6 | C♯4 F×4 | 6 | 83 mm | omits A♯ and E♯ | subset | |
| Rootless close | C♯4 E♯4 F×4 | 6 | 83 mm | omits A♯ | subset |
Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).
| Position | Bass note | Notes in order | Figured bass | Semitones | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | A♯ | A♯3, C♯4, E♯4, F×4 | 7 | 9 | 124 mm |
| First inversion: A♯m6/C♯ | C♯ | C♯4, E♯4, F×4, A♯4 | 6/5 | 9 | 124 mm |
| Second inversion: A♯m6/E♯ | E♯ | E♯4, F×4, A♯4, C♯5 | 4/3 | 8 | 110 mm |
| Third inversion: A♯m6/F× | F× | F×4, A♯4, C♯5, E♯5 | 4/2 | 10 | 138 mm |
One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.
| Progression | Key | Role | Sequence | Voice leading |
|---|
Root motion, common tones and voice displacement are computed from pitch class sets. Roman numerals follow common practice functional harmony.
Change one note
Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.
| Chord | Change | Formula | Common tones |
|---|---|---|---|
| A♯m | drops F× | 1 ♭3 5 | 3 |
| A♯m7 | F× becomes G♯ | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 | 3 |
| A♯mMaj7 | F× becomes G× | 1 ♭3 5 7 | 3 |
| A♯dim7 | E♯ becomes E | 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭♭7 | 3 |
| A♯6 | C♯ becomes C× | 1 3 5 6 | 3 |
| A♯m9 | F× becomes G♯, B♯ | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 9 | 3 |
| A♯ | C♯, F× becomes C× | 1 3 5 | 2 |
| A♯dim | E♯, F× becomes E | 1 ♭3 ♭5 | 2 |
| A♯sus2 | C♯, F× becomes B♯ | 1 2 5 | 2 |
| A♯sus4 | C♯, F× becomes D♯ | 1 4 5 | 2 |
| A♯maj7 | C♯, F× becomes C×, G× | 1 3 5 7 | 2 |
| A♯7 | C♯, F× becomes C×, G♯ | 1 3 5 ♭7 | 2 |
Frequencies
| Note | MIDI | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| A♯3 | 58 | 233.08 Hz |
| C♯4 | 61 | 277.18 Hz |
| E♯4 | 65 | 349.23 Hz |
| F×4 | 67 | 392.00 Hz |
Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.
Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector
- Absolute pitch class set
- {10, 1, 5, 7}
- Normal order
- [5, 7, 10, 1]
- Prime form
- (0258)
- Forte number
- 4-27
- Interval vector
- <012111>
| Pair | Interval | Semitones | Interval class |
|---|---|---|---|
| A♯ to C♯ | Minor third | 3 | 3 |
| A♯ to E♯ | Perfect fifth | 7 | 5 |
| A♯ to F× | Major sixth | 9 | 3 |
| C♯ to E♯ | Major third | 4 | 4 |
| C♯ to F× | Tritone | 6 | 6 |
| E♯ to F× | Major second | 2 | 2 |
Where these facts come from
Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a minor 6th applied to the root A♯, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.