Construction
| Note | Interval | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| B | Root | 1 |
| D | Minor 3rd | ♭3 |
| F♯ | Perfect 5th | 5 |
| G♯ | Major 6th | 6 |
Fingering
| Note | Key color | Right hand | Left hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | white | thumb (1) | little finger (5) |
| D | white | index finger (2) | middle finger (3) |
| F♯ | black | middle finger (3) | index finger (2) |
| G♯ | black | little finger (5) | thumb (1) |
Right hand: thumb (1) on B, index finger (2) on D, middle finger (3) on F♯, little finger (5) on G♯.
Left hand: little finger (5) on B, middle finger (3) on D, index finger (2) on F♯, thumb (1) on G♯.
B Minor 6th Inversions
- Root positionB – D – F♯ – G♯
- 1st inversion (Bm6/D)D – F♯ – G♯ – B
- 2nd inversion (Bm6/F♯)F♯ – G♯ – B – D
- 3rd inversion (Bm6/G♯)G♯ – B – D – F♯
Key Signature
A chord has no key signature of its own, but the B Minor 6th is the tonic (i) chord of B Minor, which shares the signature of its relative major, D Major: 2 sharps (F♯, C♯).
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 B Minor
These are the triads built on each degree of B Minor:
Scales That Include the B Minor 6th
- A Major (ii)
- F# Minor (iv)
- B Dorian (i)
- C# Phrygian (vii)
- D Lydian (vi)
- E Mixolydian (v)
- F# Aeolian (iv)
- G# Locrian (iii)
Same Notes, Other Names
The notes B – D – F♯ – G♯ aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell:
B Minor 6th : Frequently Asked Questions
What is the B Minor 6th chord on piano?
What notes are in the B Minor 6th chord?
How does Bm6 differ from Bm7?
How is Bm6 used?
Is Bm6 the same as G#m7b5?
What songs use Minor 6th?
How does Bm6 differ from B6?
B 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 | B3 D4 F♯4 G♯4 | 9 | 124 mm | none | identical | |
| Close, first inversion | D4 F♯4 G♯4 B4 | 9 | 124 mm | none | identical | |
| Close, second inversion | F♯4 G♯4 B4 D5 | 8 | 110 mm | none | identical | |
| Close, third inversion | G♯4 B4 D5 F♯5 | 10 | 138 mm | none | identical | |
| Drop 2 | F♯3 B3 D4 G♯4 | 14 | 193 mm | none | identical | |
| Drop 3 | D3 B3 F♯4 G♯4 | 18 | 248 mm | none | identical | |
| Drop 2 and 4 | B2 F♯3 D4 G♯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 | B2 G♯3 D4 | 15 | 206 mm | omits F♯ | subset | |
| Guide tones, ♭3 and 6 | D4 G♯4 | 6 | 83 mm | omits B and F♯ | subset | |
| Rootless close | D4 F♯4 G♯4 | 6 | 83 mm | omits B | 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 | B | B3, D4, F♯4, G♯4 | 7 | 9 | 124 mm |
| First inversion: Bm6/D | D | D4, F♯4, G♯4, B4 | 6/5 | 9 | 124 mm |
| Second inversion: Bm6/F♯ | F♯ | F♯4, G♯4, B4, D5 | 4/3 | 8 | 110 mm |
| Third inversion: Bm6/G♯ | G♯ | G♯4, B4, D5, F♯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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bm | drops G♯ | 1 ♭3 5 | 3 |
| Bm7 | G♯ becomes A | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 | 3 |
| BmMaj7 | G♯ becomes A♯ | 1 ♭3 5 7 | 3 |
| Bdim7 | F♯ becomes F | 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭♭7 | 3 |
| B6 | D becomes D♯ | 1 3 5 6 | 3 |
| Bm9 | G♯ becomes A, C♯ | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 9 | 3 |
| B | D, G♯ becomes D♯ | 1 3 5 | 2 |
| Bdim | F♯, G♯ becomes F | 1 ♭3 ♭5 | 2 |
| Bsus2 | D, G♯ becomes C♯ | 1 2 5 | 2 |
| Bsus4 | D, G♯ becomes E | 1 4 5 | 2 |
| Bmaj7 | D, G♯ becomes D♯, A♯ | 1 3 5 7 | 2 |
| B7 | D, G♯ becomes D♯, A | 1 3 5 ♭7 | 2 |
Frequencies
| Note | MIDI | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| B3 | 59 | 246.94 Hz |
| D4 | 62 | 293.66 Hz |
| F♯4 | 66 | 369.99 Hz |
| G♯4 | 68 | 415.30 Hz |
Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.
Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector
- Absolute pitch class set
- {11, 2, 6, 8}
- Normal order
- [6, 8, 11, 2]
- Prime form
- (0258)
- Forte number
- 4-27
- Interval vector
- <012111>
| Pair | Interval | Semitones | Interval class |
|---|---|---|---|
| B to D | Minor third | 3 | 3 |
| B to F♯ | Perfect fifth | 7 | 5 |
| B to G♯ | Major sixth | 9 | 3 |
| D to F♯ | Major third | 4 | 4 |
| D to G♯ | Tritone | 6 | 6 |
| F♯ to G♯ | 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 B, 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.