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 | white | thumb (1) | little finger (5) |
| C | white | index finger (2) | middle finger (3) |
| E | white | middle finger (3) | index finger (2) |
| F♯ | black | little finger (5) | thumb (1) |
Right hand: thumb (1) on A, index finger (2) on C, middle finger (3) on E, little finger (5) on F♯.
Left hand: little finger (5) on A, middle finger (3) on C, index finger (2) on E, thumb (1) on F♯.
A Minor 6th Inversions
- Root positionA – C – E – F♯
- 1st inversion (Am6/C)C – E – F♯ – A
- 2nd inversion (Am6/E)E – F♯ – A – C
- 3rd inversion (Am6/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: no sharps or flats.
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
- G Major (ii)
- E Minor (iv)
- A Dorian (i)
- B Phrygian (vii)
- C Lydian (vi)
- D Mixolydian (v)
- E Aeolian (iv)
- F# 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 Am6?
How do you play Am6 on piano?
What are the inversions of Am6?
What is the difference between Am6 and Am?
What is an easy Am6 for small hands?
What are the frequencies of Am6?
What is the set class of Am6?
How do I transpose Am6 to another key?
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 | A3 C4 E4 F♯4 | 9 | 124 mm | none | identical | |
| Close, first inversion | C4 E4 F♯4 A4 | 9 | 124 mm | none | identical | |
| Close, second inversion | E4 F♯4 A4 C5 | 8 | 110 mm | none | identical | |
| Close, third inversion | F♯4 A4 C5 E5 | 10 | 138 mm | none | identical | |
| Drop 2 | E3 A3 C4 F♯4 | 14 | 193 mm | none | identical | |
| Drop 3 | C3 A3 E4 F♯4 | 18 | 248 mm | none | identical | |
| Drop 2 and 4 | A2 E3 C4 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 | A2 F♯3 C4 | 15 | 206 mm | omits E | subset | |
| Guide tones, ♭3 and 6 | C4 F♯4 | 6 | 83 mm | omits A and E | subset | |
| Rootless close | C4 E4 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 | A3, C4, E4, F♯4 | 7 | 9 | 124 mm |
| First inversion: Am6/C | C | C4, E4, F♯4, A4 | 6/5 | 9 | 124 mm |
| Second inversion: Am6/E | E | E4, F♯4, A4, C5 | 4/3 | 8 | 110 mm |
| Third inversion: Am6/F♯ | F♯ | F♯4, A4, C5, E5 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Am | drops F♯ | 1 ♭3 5 | 3 |
| Am7 | F♯ becomes G | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 | 3 |
| AmMaj7 | F♯ becomes G♯ | 1 ♭3 5 7 | 3 |
| Adim7 | E becomes E♭ | 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭♭7 | 3 |
| A6 | C becomes C♯ | 1 3 5 6 | 3 |
| Am9 | F♯ becomes G, B | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 9 | 3 |
| A | C, F♯ becomes C♯ | 1 3 5 | 2 |
| Adim | E, F♯ becomes E♭ | 1 ♭3 ♭5 | 2 |
| Asus2 | C, F♯ becomes B | 1 2 5 | 2 |
| Asus4 | C, F♯ becomes D | 1 4 5 | 2 |
| Amaj7 | C, F♯ becomes C♯, G♯ | 1 3 5 7 | 2 |
| A7 | C, F♯ becomes C♯, G | 1 3 5 ♭7 | 2 |
Frequencies
| Note | MIDI | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| A3 | 57 | 220.00 Hz |
| C4 | 60 | 261.63 Hz |
| E4 | 64 | 329.63 Hz |
| F♯4 | 66 | 369.99 Hz |
Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.
Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector
- Absolute pitch class set
- {9, 0, 4, 6}
- Normal order
- [4, 6, 9, 0]
- 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.