Chord Shapes

Minor 6/9

Intervals: 1-b3-5-6-9. A lush extension of the minor 6 chord and a classic tonic minor sound in modern jazz. It aligns naturally with the melodic minor scale (1-2-b3-4-5-6-7) and is often used for long i chords in bossa novas and ballads. In voicings, players frequently omit the 5th and stack b3-6-9 around the root. Compared with m7 or m9 it feels smoother and more “finished”, making it a popular final chord choice in minor standards. It captures the bittersweet mixture of minor colour and gentle brightness described in many melodic minor tunes.