Bm6

Bm6 is B, D, F# and G#, a minor sixth. The shape this page opens on is written x20102, lowest string first.

Also written Bmin6, B-6 or B minor 6. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 9 common shapes for Bm6 on the guitar, and 37 derived voicings in 4 families.

In which keys. Every note of Bm6 belongs to F# minor (the iv) and A major (the ii).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x20102, x2413x, x24x34, xx4434, x5647x, 7x6777, 799797, x-x-9-11-9-10, x-14-12-13-12-14.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Bm6 has x201xx, 756xxx, x-14-12-13-x-x, x2x13x, 7x67xx, x-14-x-13-15-x, 7-11-12-x-x-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Bm6 has 2201xx, xx0102, xx4434, 4544xx, xx6777, x9979x, x-x-9-11-9-10, 10-11-9-11-x-x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Bm6 has 2x010x, x2x132, 4x443x, x5x474, 7x677x, x9x797, 10-x-9-11-9-x, x-11-x-11-12-10.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. Bm6 has 7x6770, 454400, 4x4430, x56470, xx6700, xx0604.

Tensions. A shell of Bm6, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 9 (C#) and the 11 (E).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.