The Truth About Cmb6 [closed]

Question

Cm6 contains an A Because the minor interval itself is derived from a major's. Cm: C, Eb, G. If Cm6 is built on its own minor scales C, Eb, G, Ab, then Cm7 will contain C, Eb, G, A instead of C, Eb, G, Bb. Because according to its minor scale , the 7th interval is already Bb. Cmb6 Contains C, Eb, G, Ab. Cb6 Contains C, E, G, Ab. The Ab is the b6.

Answer 1

This answer is on the premise that the OP is asking how Cm6 (and Cm7) are built.

A little knowledge is sometimes a dangerous thing! I think(?) here, you fell into the trap that the 6th note in C minor is Ab. Well, in some minor scales, the 6th degree is Ab - natural minor is one, but there's the melodic minor ascending which has Anat.

One thing is that Cm6 does not mean C with a minor 6 note - otherwise it would be C E G Ab - somewhat dissonant. Neither does it mean another dissonant C Eb G Ab. It is always C Eb G A, sounding a little better to boot.

True, the minor interval is derived from the major. (A minor interval is a semitone smaller than its major equivalent). BUT mainly as far as the third is concerned. Thus a major or minor key/scale/chord. Cm7 is in fact C Eb G Bb, not your C Eb G A, because A is the 6th note (of the melodic minor), thus producing Cm6.

After all this there's the rare-ish chord Cm maj7 - C Eb G B which again comes happily from the diatonics of C minor. No rules broken there either!

Cb6 exists, but not as you know it. It's more commonly called B6! spelled B D# F# G#...There is no use for a major (or minor) chord with a b6 note.