A minor chord (Am)

A minor is a 3-note minor chord: A – C – E. It sounds stable but darker, melancholic or intimate. Here it is on guitar, piano and ukulele, with fingering and audio.

NotesA – C – E
Formula1 – ♭3 – 5
SymbolAm · Amin · A-
TypeMinor chord

A minor on guitar

Open position
Barre at fret 5 (E shape)

How to place your fingers (open position)

Finger 2 (middle) on fret 2 of the 4th string (D).
Finger 3 (ring finger) on fret 2 of the 3rd string (G).
Place finger 1 (index) at fret 1 on string 2 (B).
The 5th and 1st strings are played open.
Do not play the 6th string: strum from the 5th.

The numbers inside the dots are the fingers of your left hand: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring and 4 pinky. The colored dots mark the root (A). The other positions let you change chords without jumping along the neck, or give you a higher-pitched sound.

A minor on piano

In root position, play A – C – E from bottom to top with fingers 1, 3 and 5 of your right hand (thumb, middle and pinky). With your left hand you usually play just the root (A) or the root and the fifth.

Inversions

First inversion: C – E – A
Second inversion: E – A – C

A minor on ukulele

Open position
From fret 2

Standard tuning G – C – E – A (the G string is the high one). Is your ukulele in tune? Use the ukulele tuner.

Notes and intervals of A minor

A1 · root
C♭3 · minor third
E5 · perfect fifth

It shows up in ballads, boleros, pasillos and almost all popular music; in a major key it's usually the relative chord or the second degree.

Progressions with Am

Minor with a dominant: i – iv – V7 – i

The V7 comes from the harmonic minor scale and is typical of boleros, pasillos and ballads.

Modern minor: i – VI – III – VII

A very common progression in pop and rock, in A natural minor.

Which keys contain A minor?

Am belongs to 6 keys: in each one it plays a different role depending on the degree (the Roman numeral).

Key	Degree
C major	vi
F major	iii
G major	ii
D natural minor	v
E natural minor	iv
A natural minor	i

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A minor chord?

A minor (Am) has 3 notes: A (root), C (minor third), E (perfect fifth).

How do you play A minor on guitar?

The easiest shape is in open position: x 0 2 2 1 0 (from string 6 to string 1). Finger 2 (middle) on fret 2 of string 4 (D). Finger 3 (ring) on fret 2 of string 3 (G). Finger 1 (index) on fret 1 of string 2 (B). Play strings 5 and 1 open. Don't play string 6: strum from string 5.

What's the difference between A minor and A major?

Only the third changes: A minor uses C and A major uses C♯. That note is what makes the chord sound darker (minor) or bright (major).

How do you write A minor as a chord symbol?

It is written Am; you may also see Amin or A-. Letter notation corresponds to solfège note names: C = Do, D = Re, E = Mi, F = Fa, G = Sol, A = La, and B = Si.

Want to play whole songs?

A teacher shows you how to change chords smoothly, strum and play along to your favorite songs, in online lessons or at home in Bogotá.

Message us on WhatsApp See lessons