Cm6 chord: minor sixth
Cm6 is the minor sixth chord on C: C, Eb, G and A (1–b3–5–6). Cm6 stacks the root C, the minor third Eb, the perfect fifth G and the major sixth A. The minor sixth adds the major sixth to the minor triad.
Notes in Cm6: C – Eb – G – AFormula: 1 – b3 – 5 – 6In the formula, the numbers count steps of the major scale starting from the note that names the chord; "b" lowers a half step, "#" raises one — and a slash names the bass note.
It has a particularly expressive and ambiguous color, between the minor tonic and the minor subdominant.
The same chord on all four instruments
Where to use it
It works as an elegant closing chord in minor songs, when a plain minor feels like too little. It is also the movie-style surprise chord when borrowed into a major key — Fm6 showing up in a song in C, for instance.
Part of the Sixths family.