Chord Colors

A flat minor six chord

Inversions

4fr 6fr 9fr

(root position)

Notes and intervals

1 A flat Root
2 C flat Minor 3rd
3 E flat Perfect 5th
4 F Major 6th

Keys that use A flat minor six

A flat minor six is diatonic to these keys, where it acts as the chord shown.

About the A flat minor six chord

The A flat minor six chord is a A flat minor sixth built from A flat, C flat, E flat, F. You will most often meet it as the i° chord in F Locrian. Tap the keys or frets above to hear each note, or press Play chord to hear them together.

It is also written G sharp minor six , which spells the same notes enharmonically.

Other A flat chords

Simpler triads

Suspended

Sixths and sevenths

Extensions

Altered

Functional relationships

These chords are where this one most naturally comes from and resolves to inside a key.

Relative major B

The relative major uses the same notes and key signature, so it works as a brighter home base.

Parallel major A flat

The parallel major keeps the same root note but raises the third, giving the same key a brighter, happier sound.

Dominant E flat

The dominant is a fifth above the root, and it builds tension that pulls strongly back to this chord.

Subdominant D flat minor

The subdominant is a fourth above the root (a fifth below), and it usually leads on to the dominant or back home.

Tritone substitution A seven

The tritone substitution stands in for this chord's dominant with a dominant seventh a half step above the root, which slides down by a half step to resolve here.

What do the colors mean?

Every note has its own fixed color, laid out around the circle of fifths. Once you know the colors, chords and scales turn into patterns you can recognize at a glance.

There is so much more to explore

Play any chord or scale, transpose it, and watch it move around the color wheel in the free Chord Colors app.

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