The Bm6 piano chord is built from the notes B, D, F#, G#. On piano it is played from the keys B, D, F#, G#, root position first, then in inversions. It is a minor 6th chord, and this page gives you its exact notes, the fingerings that work on the piano, the mistakes to avoid and the progressions it appears in.
What notes are in the Bm6 chord?
The Bm6 chord is a minor 6th chord, and its notes are fixed: B, D, F#, G#. Every voicing on every instrument uses these same notes, in some order and in some octave — change one of them and you are playing a different chord. The table below lists each note with its interval from the root B, so you can see the structure of Bm6 at a glance. On the piano, Bm6 is the keys B, D, F#, G#, and the inversions above move the same notes around.
| Note | Interval |
|---|---|
| B | Root |
| D | b3 |
| F# | 5 |
| G# | 6 |
The root is B, the note the chord is named after and the note your ear hears as home. Above it, the intervals in Bm6 are b3, 5, 6. Once you know the intervals, you can build Bm6 from any root by counting the same semitone steps, which is how the chord works in every key. On the piano, the notes appear in the order the fingering dictates, but the set of notes never changes.
Bm6 sounds tense but beautiful, the chord that makes a minor tonic sound like a question. Listen for that character when you play it — if Bm6 does not sound that way, one of the notes is probably wrong, and the table above is the place to check. On the piano, Bm6 is the keys B, D, F#, G#, and the inversions above move the same notes around.
Comparing Bm6 with its closest relatives helps to fix it in your ear. In short, minor 6th against minor 7th: Bm6 adds the 6th G#; the minor 7th adds the flattened 7th A instead. The 6th sounds more elegant and more tense. Play both chords slowly, one after the other, and notice which note moves. Naming that note out loud while you play is the fastest way to learn the difference. On the piano, Bm6 is the keys B, D, F#, G#, and the inversions above move the same notes around.
How to play Bm6 on piano
On the piano, Bm6 is played from the keys B, D, F#, G#. In root position the lowest note is B, the root, with the other notes stacked above it in the order B, D, F#, G#. Play it with the right hand first, then with the left hand an octave lower, so both hands know the shape of Bm6 before you try it in a progression.
First inversion of Bm6 puts D in the bass, with the notes in the order D, F#, G#, B. The chord is still Bm6 — the notes have not changed, only their order — but the bass note changes how it connects to the chord before and after it. Use this inversion when the bass line wants to step to D rather than jump to B, and practise moving from root position to this inversion without lifting your hand off the keys more than you must.
Second inversion of Bm6 puts F# in the bass, with the notes in the order F#, G#, B, D. The chord is still Bm6 — the notes have not changed, only their order — but the bass note changes how it connects to the chord before and after it. Use this inversion when the bass line wants to step to F# rather than jump to B, and practise moving from root position to this inversion without lifting your hand off the keys more than you must.
Third inversion of Bm6 puts G# in the bass, with the notes in the order G#, B, D, F#. The chord is still Bm6 — the notes have not changed, only their order — but the bass note changes how it connects to the chord before and after it. Use this inversion when the bass line wants to step to G# rather than jump to B, and practise moving from root position to this inversion without lifting your hand off the keys more than you must.
For fingering, a good starting point for Bm6 in root position in the right hand is thumb on B, then one finger per note in order, with the little finger on the top note G#. For the left hand, mirror it: little finger on the low B and thumb on the top note. When a note is a black key — F#, G# — let your longer fingers take it, since they reach the black keys more easily. Practise Bm6 in root position and first inversion, hands separately, then together, at a slow tempo, and use the Piano Chord Finder to check the voicing on the keyboard.
Common mistakes
These are the mistakes that most often make Bm6 sound wrong on the piano, and each one has a concrete fix. Work through them one at a time rather than trying to fix everything at once.
Playing every inversion with the same hand shape. Each inversion of Bm6 needs its own hand shape, because the notes sit under different fingers. If you force the root-position fingering onto an inversion, the hand cramps and notes get missed. Learn the fingering for each inversion of Bm6 separately, hands apart, before you join them. On the piano, play the keys B, D, F#, G# slowly and listen for each note of Bm6 in turn.
Playing the wrong 6th. The added note is G#, a major 6th above the root. Play the flattened 6th and you have a different, much darker sound. On the piano, Bm6 is the keys B, D, F#, G#, and the inversions above move the same notes around.
Forgetting the minor 3rd. The 3rd must stay minor (D). If it comes out as D# the chord becomes a major 6th, a completely different colour. On the piano, the root-position keys B, D, F#, G# show Bm6 most clearly.
Clashing the 6th with the 5th. G# sits a whole step above the 5th F#, so low voicings can sound muddy. Keep the 6th in a higher octave than the 5th. On the piano, Bm6 is the keys B, D, F#, G#, and the inversions above move the same notes around.
Where Bm6 is used
Bm6 is not a diatonic triad in any major or minor key, because it is an extended or altered chord, but its base triad belongs to the key of D major, the key of G major, the key of A major. a chord for slow, exposed playing — it rewards a light touch and space. As a dominant-type chord it also points toward E major, the key a perfect fourth above B, which is the tonic it most often resolves to. That is where Bm6 does its work: not as a home chord, but as a chord that creates movement and then resolves. On the piano, Bm6 is the keys B, D, F#, G#, and the inversions above move the same notes around.
Because Bm6 is an extended or altered chord, it appears in progressions as a colour or a dominant rather than as a diatonic staple. Try it in place of the plain B triad in a progression you already know, and listen to how the extra notes change the feel — that substitution is the usual way extended chords enter real music. The Chord Progression Builder lets you try Bm6 in a progression in any key and hear how it connects to the chords around it. On the piano, Bm6 is the keys B, D, F#, G#, and the inversions above move the same notes around.
The same chord on other instruments is covered in Bm6 on guitar, Bm6 on ukulele, Bm6 on bass, and the scales that fit over it are the B major scale and the B minor pentatonic scale. Learning Bm6 on the piano and then checking it on another instrument is one of the best ways to fix the notes — B, D, F#, G# — in your memory, because the notes stay the same while everything else changes.
Practising Bm6
A short worked example makes Bm6 concrete. Play the four-chord progression E – B – C#m – A in E major, the key Bm6 most often resolves toward: E – B – C#m – A. Play each chord for one bar at a slow tempo, and listen to how Bm6 sounds in that sequence — whether it feels like home, like a lift, or like a chord on its way somewhere else. Then play the same four chords in a different order, starting on Bm6 itself, and notice how its character changes when it opens the progression instead of sitting inside it. On the piano, Bm6 is the keys B, D, F#, G#, and the inversions above move the same notes around.
For a second exercise, play Bm6 and then the chord a fourth above B, back and forth, four times each. That move — a chord and the chord a fourth above it — is the most common resolution in Western music, and it is the move Bm6 is built for when it acts as a dominant. Finish by playing Bm6 on its own, slowly, and naming each note out loud as you play it: B, D, F#, G#. Naming the notes while you play them is what turns a shape into knowledge you can use in any key. Test yourself with the Practice Chord Quiz and keep time with the Metronome as the tempo rises. On the piano, Bm6 is the keys B, D, F#, G#, and the inversions above move the same notes around.
Frequently asked questions
What is the first inversion of Bm6?
The first inversion of Bm6 puts D in the bass, with the notes in the order D, F#, G#, B. The chord is still Bm6 — only the bass note has changed — and it is the inversion to use when the bass line steps to D.
Which fingers do you use for Bm6 on piano?
In the right hand, start with the thumb on B and one finger per note in order, ending with the little finger on G#. In the left hand, mirror it with the little finger on the low B. Longer fingers take the black keys, so check which notes of Bm6 are black keys before you settle on a fingering.
What notes are in Bm6?
Bm6 contains B, D, F#, G#: the root B, the minor 3rd D, the perfect 5th F# and the added 6th G#. The 6th is the note that gives it its elegant, noir colour. On the piano, check the root-position keys above for that note.
Is Bm6 major or minor?
Minor. Its 3rd is D, a minor 3rd above B. The added 6th G# does not change that — it only adds colour to the minor triad. On the piano, check the root-position keys above for that note.
Where is Bm6 used?
Bm6 is a minor tonic in jazz and a colour chord in minor-key songs. It appears as the i chord in minor keys and the iv chord in major keys, often in slow, exposed passages. On the piano, check the root-position keys above for that note.