Cm6 Guitar Chord

Cm6 guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.

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Shape 1/2

Chord shapes:(2 positions)

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Barre 3

Arpeggio for this shape

P - i - m - a · Classic Ascending (4/4 · 4 notes · Level 1)

The thumb plays C on the 5th and the three top strings add up to 3 different notes. All 6 arpeggios

Steady bass with uniform ascending movement.

Speed:

What sets Cm6 apart

The notes of Cm6 are C, Eb, G and A. C is the root, Eb the minor third, G the fifth and A the sixth. Said aloud, its notes are C, E flat, G and A.

String by string, low to high, it plays C, G, C, Eb and A. C rings twice across the five strings, and it is the root. It runs from C on string 5 up to A on string 1.

For Cm6, your index finger barres fret 3. String 6 is not played. Your hand covers three frets, from 3 to 5. There is one more position, starting at fret 8.

Change only string 1 in Cm6 and you have Cm. Cm6 and Eb have Eb and G in common. Ab shares two positions with this shape.

Cm6 belongs to two keys. In Bb major it is the ii6 and in G minor the iv6.

Chord Progressions

Explore recommended harmonic circles on CifraLab:

Recommended practice sequences

01Cm Cm - Ab - Fm - G7 02Eb Eb - Cm - Fm - Bb7 03Bb Bb - Gm - Cm - F7 04Gm Gm - Eb - Cm - D7

Music Theory & Formula

Component notes and harmonic structure (Cm6)

Formula: Minor Sixth (1 - ♭3 - 5 - 6)

Constituent chord intervals:

C 1Eb ♭3G 5A 6

Root Bass (Fundamental String)5th String (A) • Fret 3 (C)

String Control (Muted & Active)5 / 6 • 1 X Muted

2 Fretboard Positions

Other fretboard positions for Cm6:

Select each shape in the diagram above to view and listen to it

Barre 3

Barre fret 3

5 / 6 stringsRoot: 5th String (A)

String Control (Muted & Active):

6th String (Low E)

×Muted

Do not play

Root

5th String (A)

Fret 3Barre

CDegree 1

4th String (D)

Fret 5Finger 3

GDegree 5

3rd String (G)

Fret 5Finger 4

CDegree 1

2nd String (B)

Fret 4Finger 2

1st String (High E)

Fret 5Finger 4

ADegree 6

Placement tip: Barre fret 3. Press: 4th String (D) at fret 5 with your Ring finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 5 with your Pinky finger, 2nd String (B) at fret 4 with your Middle finger, 1st String (High E) at fret 5 with your Pinky finger. Don't play: 6th String (Low E).

Barre 8

Barre fret 8

6 / 6 stringsRoot: 6th String (Low E)

String Control (Muted & Active):

Root

6th String (Low E)

Fret 8Barre

CDegree 1

5th String (A)

Fret 10Finger 3

GDegree 5

4th String (D)

Fret 10Finger 3

CDegree 1

3rd String (G)

Fret 8Barre

2nd String (B)

Fret 10Finger 4

ADegree 6

1st String (High E)

Fret 8Barre

CDegree 1

Placement tip: Barre fret 8. Press: 5th String (A) at fret 10 with your Ring finger, 4th String (D) at fret 10 with your Ring finger, 2nd String (B) at fret 10 with your Pinky finger.

Biomechanics & Posture

Ergonomic tips to play without tension or fatigue (Cm6)

Barre

The shape in numbers

Item	In this chord
Frets	3 to 5
Barre	fret 3, from the 5th to the 1st string
Fretting fingers	4
Open	none
Muted	6th

What to check

At fret 3, only the barre sounds the 5th string.

What every chord shares is in the fingering reading.

Transitions & Pivot Fingers

Most common chord transitions from Cm6

Listen: Cm6 → Cm · Ab · Fm

Cm6 → Cm01

Pivot / Anchor Finger:4 shared positions

Stay in place

string 5, fret 3
string 4, fret 5
string 3, fret 5
string 2, fret 4

Move

string 1, fret 3

Cm6 → Ab02

Pivot / Anchor Finger:2 shared positions

Stay in place

string 3, fret 5
string 2, fret 4

Move

string 6, fret 4
string 5, fret 6
string 4, fret 6
string 1, fret 4

Cm6 → Fm03

Pivot / Anchor Finger:1 shared position

Stay in place

string 5, fret 3

Move

string 6, fret 1
string 4, fret 3
string 3, fret 1
string 2, fret 1
string 1, fret 1

Cm6 in every key

Cm6 sits in the scale of 2 keys.

Main shape at a glance

Difficulty: 4/5
Highest fret: 5
Frets the hand covers: 3
Barre: Yes
Strings that ring: 5/6
Fretting fingers: 4

Major keys

ii6Bb major

Minor keys

iv6G minor

Cm6 on other instruments

PianoThe same notes on the keyboard.All togetherHear guitar, piano, bass and violin together.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions about the chord (Cm6)

The questions that come up most when playing this chord

Which strings are played and which are muted in the Cm6 chord?

To play the Cm6 chord on guitar, only 5 strings are played, from string 5 to string 1. Muted strings must be gently dampened with the fleshy side of a fretting finger to prevent dissonance.

What is the root bass note of the Cm6 chord and on which string is it located?

The primary bass note of the Cm6 chord is its root note: C. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 5 at fret 3.

When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.

What notes make up the Cm6 chord and what is its formula?

The Cm6 chord is constructed using the 1 - ♭3 - 5 - 6 formula (Minor Sixth). Its constituent pitches are C, Eb, G, A.

How do you prevent the Cm6 chord from buzzing or sounding muted?

To prevent fret buzz on the Cm6 barre chord, roll your index finger slightly outward (about 15 degrees) to press with its harder bony edge. Position your finger directly behind the fret wire and apply gentle arm pull from your back rather than squeezing with thumb force.

Study sheet · High resolution

Official Cm6 chord diagram

Cm6 guitar chord diagram with fingering for fingers 1 to 4

Download HD sheet

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Other chords in the C family:

Chord C Chord C#m Chord Cm Chord C7 Chord Cmaj7 Chord C#m7 Chord Cm7 Chord Csus2