Having trouble forming Fmaj7-6

[Gotterdamerung]

Not sure how to form this on my tenor guitar--it's tuned GDAE. Any help would be appreciated.

[jmp]

I would approach it like this for starters:

F = x 3 3 5
Fmaj7 = x 2 3 5
Fmaj7-6 = x 2 4 5

[mrmando]

How about 6 3 0 0 ? It has all 4 notes and is easily reachable on my 23" scale tenor.

[mandocrucian]

What chord precedes it, and what comes after? That's going to be a big factor in what voicing you use

[Gotterdamerung]

What chord precedes it, and what comes after? That's going to be a big factor in what voicing you use

The song is John Gorka's version of "Christmas Bells"--he plays it with capo on the 3rd fret: C, G6, Fmaj7-6, Am, G.

Thanks for the help thus far.

[Robert Smyth]

I would approach it like this for starters:

F = x 3 3 5
Fmaj7 = x 2 3 5
Fmaj7-6 = x 2 4 5

Wouldn't it be x255? The 6 would be D, not C#. Correct me if I'm wrong!

[mrmando]

Well, the simplest C and G6 are 0230 and 0020, respectively. You could then shift up to 6300 and then slide down to 5200 for the Am, which might sound kind of cool. Or 2230 might be easier for the Am, leading to 0023 for the G.

Or maybe
5570
4550
6300
5200 or 5770
4557 or 455x

I haven't heard the song, but Fmaj7-6 to Am virtually screams out for the F and C# to drop down 1 fret while the other notes remain the same.

[mrmando]

Wouldn't it be x255? The 6 would be D, not C#. Correct me if I'm wrong!

It's a -6, meaning a flatted sixth, so Db or C#. Or, A/F (an A major chord with an F in the bass). Or F+maj7, maybe?

[jmp]

The song is John Gorka's version of "Christmas Bells"--he plays it with capo on the 3rd fret: C, G6, Fmaj7-6, Am, G.

Thanks for the help thus far.

I don't really like these chords but here is one idea:

C = 5 5 7 8
G = x 5 7 7
Fmaj7-6 = x 2 4 5
Am = 2 2 3 5
G = 0 0 2 3

[Phil Goodson]

Fmaj7-6 (capoed 3= Abmaj7-6)

If the 'maj7' wasn't there, wouldn't F-6 mean the same as Fm6?
So is Fmaj7-6 the same as F(maj7)m6???

Could this look like 7674 ?

If so, then moving it up 3 frets (for the capo instructions):10 9 10 7
And if you did a string shift to make the (10 9 10 x) go to (x 3 2 3).

and put the root on the 4th string: Ab(maj7)-6: 1323

Voila! or Wrong????

In either case, I think my head exploded.

(or do we think -6 means flat 6?)

[Nevin]

Ok I am a bit of a theory geek but I have never encountered a maj7-6 chord. What is it?

[Tom Wright]

I found a youtube of Gorka performing this and there is not Maj7-6 chord in there. It's all diatonic. He plays it in E flat concert pitch, capoed 3frets up and fingering it in C.

Perhaps the indication really means FMaj7 changing to F6 during the chord. I hear him actually going the other way, from the 6th to the 7th during the chord, following the vocal melody in the "F". Most of the time that chord charts show a tricky chord it is to indicate the vocal line, and can be skipped if someone is singing. This is song is very simple harmony, I, V, IV, VI-V etc.

If the major-7th flatted 6th chord was used it would be pretty much an A Major triad with F in the bass.

[Phil Goodson]

I agree with the above.

But just for interest, is Fmaj7-6 a legitimate notation for a chord, and if so does -6 mean flat 6 or minor 6 ?

[jmp]

I agree with the above.

But just for interest, is Fmaj7-6 a legitimate notation for a chord, and if so does -6 mean flat 6 or minor 6 ?

Yes I believe it is legitimate, though awkward, and that -6 = flat 6 = minor 6

[Phil Goodson]

Yes I believe it is legitimate, though awkward, and that -6 = flat 6 = minor 6

My problem is that a "flat 6" is not a "minor 6" in all cases.

Example: Am6 is A, C, E, F# vs "A flat6" (which I've never heard of) which would be A, C#, E, F natural.

Looks like 'A flat 6' would need to be called 'A add flat 6' anyway.

Just because we throw in a 'maj7' in the original question doesn't change what the definition of -6 should be.

Thanks, but I'm still confused. Not a problem in real life, but I just wonder about the official musical terminology.

[David L]

Saying "-6 = flat 6 = minor 6" means that a flat 6 is the same INTERVAL as a minor 6 INTERVAL, not a minor 6 CHORD. This is why it is better to use "flat 6". But be aware that "flat 6" really means "lowered 6", as it may not actually end up being a "flat".

[Phil Goodson]

When I say 'flat 6' I'm NOT talking about an INTERVAL. I'm talking about the NOTE that is a half step below the 6th note of the diatonic scale.
That's why my take on the original question was that -6 was likely referring to the 'minor 6' chord.

Guess it doesn't really matter. Carry on.

[David L]

When I say 'flat 6' I'm NOT talking about an INTERVAL. I'm talking about the NOTE that is a half step below the 6th note of the diatonic scale.
That's why my take on the original question was that -6 was likely referring to the 'minor 6' chord.

The note a half-step below the 6th note of the diatonic scale means the same as the flat 6 interval above the tonic. It is a note added to a major or minor chord. A "minor 6" chord means a minor CHORD with a major 6 note added.

[Jim Broyles]

In a chord symbol, (-) does not usually mean flat as in lower a note. It usually means minor. If the chord in question is supposed to be an F triad with the major 7th and the flatted sixth, it would be better if the symbol read Fmaj7b6. If it is supposed to be an F minor triad with the major seventh and the sixth, it would be clearer if it read Fm6(maj7.) I would like to hear the piece to determine what the chord actually is.

[David L]

I agree. Calling a chord Fmaj7-6 is ambiguous at best, incorrect at worst.

[Jim Broyles]

I just listened to the song. It is neither Fm6Maj7 nor Fmaj7b6. The chord in question is a straight Fmaj7 and the finger picked 6th is used as a passing tone. The actual chord in the song is Abmaj7. I suppose if you capo 3 this could be called Fmaj7 but I prefer to call chords by their concert pitch names whether there is a capo in use or not. Less confusion that way. The tab sites are calling it Fmaj7-6 which is totally wrong for more reasons than one.

[Robert Smyth]

I agree. Calling a chord Fmaj7-6 is ambiguous at best, incorrect at worst.

I think the spelling should be Fmaj7#5. That's F major 7th augmented 5th. Ohmsen's Music Theory For Modern Mandolin is a good resource for things like this.

[mrmando]

Well, Fmaj7 with a D passing tone down to Am makes more sense.

One more fingering to consider for the original discussion: 2340. This uses the very common configuration of two stacked minor sixths for the augmented F chord, and the seventh is played on the open E.

[Jim Broyles]

I think the spelling should be Fmaj7#5. That's F major 7th augmented 5th. Ohmsen's Music Theory For Modern Mandolin is a good resource for things like this.

If that were the actual chord voicing in question, I would completely agree. It isn't though. Some tab writer used that name, even though the b6/#5 note is not in the chord at all. As I posted above, the chord is Fmaj7 with a D passing tone (incidentally,held over from the G which proceeds it.)

[Jim Broyles]

Too late to edit: Precedes, of course, not proceeds!