Gm6 chord on guitar

Gm6 is G, B♭, D and E. The easiest shape is 3-1-0-0-3-0. Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.

3-1-0-0-3-0 · open · easy

Notes: G · B♭ · D · E
Formula: 1 · ♭3 · 5 · 6
First shape: 3-1-0-0-3-0

How to play Gm6 on guitar

Shape 1, 3-1-0-0-3-0, reading from the low E string on the left:

Index finger: A string, 1st fret (B♭).
Middle finger: low E string, 3rd fret (G).
Ring finger: B string, 3rd fret (D).
Let the open D, G and high E strings ring (D, G and E).

Arch your fingers so their tips come down vertically. That keeps them off the open strings, which have to ring for the chord to sound complete.

Other ways to play Gm6

3-5-5-3-5-3: barre shape at the 3rd fret, medium. Built on the Em6 open shape with the barre as a movable nut; the root is on the 6th string.
x-10-12-9-11-x: movable shape at the 9th fret, medium. This is the open Am6 shape with a barre behind it, root on the 5th string.
15-13-12-12-15-12: partial barre shape at the 12th fret, medium. Higher up the neck it sounds brighter; handy when another guitar is already playing a lower shape.

Capo shortcuts for Gm6

A capo turns an open chord into Gm6: capo on the 3rd fret and play the open Em6 shape (0-2-2-0-2-0) or capo on the 5th fret and play the open Dm6 shape (x-x-0-2-0-1). Handy when the rest of the song's chords also have open shapes in that position.

Moving between Gm6 and its neighbours

The chords Gm6 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

C (V in F major): Gm6 (3-1-0-0-3-0) to C (x-3-2-0-1-0): your index finger lands on the B string, 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the D string, 2nd fret, move the ring finger to the A string, 3rd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. Shared notes: G and E. C on guitar
B♭ (IV in F major): Gm6 (3-1-0-0-3-0) to B♭ (x-1-3-3-3-1): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 1st fret, your middle finger lands on the D string, 3rd fret, the ring finger slides across to the G string at the same fret, the pinky finger comes down on the B string, 3rd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. Listen for B♭ and D, which stay put while the rest moves. B♭ on guitar
F (I in F major): Gm6 (3-1-0-0-3-0) to F (1-3-3-2-1-1): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 1st fret, move the middle finger to the G string, 2nd fret, the ring finger goes to the A string, 3rd fret, the pinky finger comes down on the D string, 3rd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. F on guitar

Gm6 is G minor with a major sixth added. Gm6 sounds moody and cinematic and often replaces Gm as the home chord of a minor jazz tune. The slow arpeggio button above makes that quality easy to hear.

Getting Gm6 under your fingers

Before strumming, play 3-1-0-0-3-0 note by note: G then B♭ then D then G then D then E. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Then switch to 3-5-5-3-5-3 and back four times without looking at your hand.

Keys and progressions with Gm6

Gm6 on piano and ukulele

Switching instruments? Try Gm6 on ukulele or Gm6 on piano, or compare them on the Gm6 chord page.

Close to Gm6

Other minor sixth chords

Gm6 on guitar: questions

What notes are in Gm6 on guitar?

G, B♭, D and E. In the 3-1-0-0-3-0 shape the strings play G (low E string), B♭ (A string), D (D string, open), G (G string, open), D (B string) and E (high E string, open), so G and D are doubled.

What's the easiest way to play Gm6 on guitar?

3-1-0-0-3-0, shape 1 above. It uses open strings, so there is no barre to press.

Is Gm6 a barre chord on guitar?

Not usually: 3-1-0-0-3-0 needs no barre. The barre versions come later, higher on the neck.

Which string does Gm6 start on?

In the 3-1-0-0-3-0 shape the lowest string you play is the low E string at the 3rd fret, which is G, the root.

Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside Gm6. Updated September 2026.