A Minor Guitar Chord | Play, Hear and Practice Interactively
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The A minor (A m) chord, a fundamental part of the Minor Chords family, is built from the notes A, C, and E. These correspond to the intervals Root (1), Minor Third (b3), and Perfect Fifth (5), creating its characteristic soulful sound. Use the interactive fretboard tool at the top of this page to visualize fingerings, listen to the chord played as a strum or arpeggio, and get instant feedback on your accuracy with the real-time microphone feedback.
Understanding these intervals is crucial for mastering the A minor's structure and sound. The unique combination of a minor third and perfect fifth gives minor chords their distinctive melancholic or introspective quality. Dive deeper into how chords are built with our Chord Construction tutorial, and explore how these theoretical concepts apply to your playing. Many A minor shapes can be played as movable barre chords; if you're working on those, our guide to Guitar Bar Chords can help. Once you have the chord down, focusing on Improve Chords Change will make your playing smoother and more musical.
Further down this page, you'll discover a wealth of resources including comprehensive chord diagrams (ranked from easiest open positions to more advanced barre forms), in-depth music theory explanations, a list of popular songs featuring the A minor chord, and an overview of the keys where it commonly appears. Before you explore these static resources, make sure to spend some time with the interactive tool above. Use it to hear the chord, practice your finger placement with the mic feedback, and build confidence before integrating it into your playing. This hands-on approach is the most effective way to truly master the A minor chord!
A m chord Notes:
Tones of the Minor chord:
The A Minor Guitar Chords | Keys and Songs
The A minor chord is one first chords you should learn.
It pairs well with the C major chord, for two reasons: they are both parts of the key of C major, one of the most used key, and you can switch from one chord to the other by just moving the ring finger from the 3rd fret of the A string (C major) to the 2nd fret of the G string (A minor), back and forth.
As you can see in the following table, the A minor chord is the Submediant chord of the key of C, which is located at the 6th degree of the scale:
| Key | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C | Dm | Em | F | G | Am | B dim |
The key of A minor is relative to C major, so it has the same chords but in different order:
| Key | i | ii | III | iv | v | VI | VII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Am | B dim | C | Dm | Em | F | G |
A Minor Chord Progression
The A minor chord is present in the Axis of Awesome progression: C G Am F, probably the most used and over-abused chord sequence in the history of western world.
Also the Doo Wop progression (C Am F G) show an A minor chord.
There are many other progressions that use the A minor chord, check my ebook 52 Chord Progressions | Learn How To Connect Chords and Create Great Songs for a complete reference.
Other Keys That Contains The A Minor Chord
The A minor chord is present in many other keys, here below you find the most used keys:
G Major Key
Here the A minor chord is the Supertonic, because is located on the 2nd degree
| Key | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | G | Am | Bm | C | D | Em | F# dim |
F Major Key
Here the A minor chord works as Mediant
| Key | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | F | Gm | Am | Bb | C | Dm | E dim |
E Minor Key
In the E minor key, the A minor chord works as Subdominant.
| Key | i | ii | III | iv | v | VI | VII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | Em | F# dim | G | Am | Bm | C | D |
D Minor Key
In D minor Key, the A Minor Key has the role of dominant, notice how it well resolves to the root (D)
| Key | i | ii | III | iv | v | VI | VII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | Dm | E dim | F | Gm | Am | Bb | C |
Songs with the A minor chord
On guitar, probably it is impossible to find a song that does not have an A minor chord somewhere.
Here's a quick list of songs that begins with an A minor chord:
- Stairway to Heaven
- House of the Rising Sun
- Californication
- The Unforgiven
- Losing my Religion
- Still got the Blues
- Breaking the Law
- Angie
This easy guitar songs list will show you more tunes.
Ok, be sure to master this chord really well because you'll encounter it many times in your guitar life. To learn anything you need about guitar chords, check my Chords Domination | Play Any Chord You Want Across All The Fretboard.
Guitar Patterns for the Am chord
Position 1
Movable
Position 2
Open
Position 3
Open
Position 4
Open
Position 5
Movable
Position 6
Open
Position 7
Open
Position 8
Open
Position 9
Open
Position 10
Movable
Position 11
Open
Position 12
Open
Position 13
Barre
Movable
Position 14
Barre
Open
Position 15
Barre
Open
Position 16
Barre
Movable
Position 17
Barre
Movable
Position 18
Barre
Open
Position 19
Barre
Movable
Position 20
Barre
Movable
Find more shapes in our all guitar chords online library. If you
prefer a printable pdf, download
the Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf
You can also use this accessible Am chord page, with written diagram instructions and screen-reader support for blind users.
FAQ
What notes and intervals make up the A minor chord?
The A minor chord is composed of three notes: A, C, and E. These notes correspond to the intervals of the Root (1), the Minor Third (b3), and the Perfect Fifth (5) relative to the root note A.
Why is the A minor chord considered foundational for guitarists?
The A minor chord is foundational because it's a key part of the minor chords family, offering a rich and soulful sound. It's one of the first chords typically learned, opening up many musical possibilities, and it's frequently used in countless songs and chord progressions.
How does the A minor chord relate to the key of C Major?
In the key of C Major, the A minor chord functions as the Submediant (vi chord), located at the 6th degree of the scale. This means it's a natural fit within songs in C Major. Practically, you can often switch between C major and A minor chords by moving just one finger.
In what other common keys can I find the A minor chord, and what role does it play?
Besides C Major and A minor, the A minor chord appears in several other keys with different functions. For example, it's the Supertonic (ii) in G Major, the Mediant (iii) in F Major, the Subdominant (iv) in E Minor, and the Dominant (v) in D Minor, where it often effectively resolves to the root.
Can you give examples of popular songs or chord progressions that use the A minor chord?
The A minor chord is found in many popular songs and common chord progressions. Well-known examples include the 'Axis of Awesome' progression (C G Am F) and the 'Doo Wop' progression (C Am F G). It also features prominently in songs like 'Stairway to Heaven,' 'House of the Rising Sun,' and 'Californication'.