Cm69

Cm69 is C, Eb, G, A and D, a minor six-nine. The shape this page opens on is written x3123x, lowest string first.

Note by note. C is the root, Eb is the minor third, G is the fifth, A is the sixth and D is the ninth.

Also written Cm6/9, Cmin6/9 or C-6/9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 10 common shapes for Cm69 on the guitar, and 43 derived voicings in 5 families.

One note away. Change a single note of Cm69 and you have Cm6 (with one note taken away), Cm9 (with one note moved), CmMaj9 (with one note moved), Cmadd9 (with one note taken away) or C69 (with one note moved).

In which keys. Every note of Cm69 belongs to G minor (the iv) and Bb major (the ii).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x3123x, x30045, 8677xx, x67788, 8-x-7-8-8-10, 8-x-10-8-10-10, x-x-10-8-10-10, x-10-10-8-10-10, 11-10-10-12-10-10, x-15-13-14-15-x.

Under the hand. 1 of the 10 shapes here sits in open position, and the first uses 2 open strings with 1 left unplayed. 5 of the 10 need a barre. Together they cover the neck from the 1st fret to the 15th.

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. Cm69 has x3123x, 8677xx, x-x-10-8-10-10, x-15-13-14-15-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Cm69 has x3123x, 8677xx, x-x-10-8-10-10, x-15-13-14-15-x, xx1535, 5515xx, x5754x, xx7748.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Cm69 has 5x153x, x5x545, 8x774x, x-6-x-7-10-8, 10-x-10-8-10-x, x-15-x-14-15-11, 11-x-12-14-13-x, x-12-x-8-13-10.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Cm69 has x0103x, xx1233, x6778x, x-x-12-12-10-11, x-x-13-14-15-15, x5524x, x5x243, xx5745.

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. Cm69 has x0004x, xx0045, 5600xx, 5x004x.

Tensions. A shell of Cm69, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 11 (F).

What kind of chord this is. Cm69 is a minor chord — root, minor third, fifth. minor chords on every root, and what they are for.

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