A Minor
Am
Notes
A · C · E
Intervals
- RootA (1P)
- Minor 3rdC (3m)
- Perfect 5thE (5P)
Fretboard
Adjust labels, frets, and palette in the interactive view.
Voicings & shapes
CAGED shapes (3)
Triad inversions (9)
Spread / open triads (8)
About
The A minor triad (A–C–E) lowers the third by a half step, introducing a darker, more inward quality. It functions as the tonic of A minor or as ii in G major. The C is the defining tone — it is what separates minor from major and from any sus chord that omits the third entirely. On guitar, the fifth can be omitted or doubled freely; root and ♭3 together are sufficient to establish the minor sound. Minor chords commonly precede dominants (Am7→D7→GMaj7 as ii–V–I) or move within minor diatonic harmony. Compared to Adim, minor is stable due to its perfect fifth; compared to A, it carries a more subdued, reflective quality.
Chord diagrams
A Minor voicing charts — tap a sheet to open it full size to save or print.
Similar chords
Chords sharing two or more notes with this one, ranked by overlap.
Scales containing this chord
- A Blues (deg 1)
- A Dorian (I)
- A Harmonic Minor (I)
- A Melodic Minor (I)
- A Minor Pentatonic (deg 1)
- A Natural Minor (I)
- A Phrygian (I)
- B Locrian (VII)
- B Phrygian (VII)
- B♭ Diminished (deg 8)
- B♭ Lydian (VII)
- C Lydian (VI)
- C Major (VI)
- C Major Pentatonic (deg 5)
- C Mixolydian (VI)
- D Dorian (V)
- D Mixolydian (V)
- D Natural Minor (V)
- D♭ Diminished (deg 6)
- D♭ Harmonic Minor (VI)
- E Diminished (deg 4)
- E Harmonic Minor (IV)
- E Locrian (IV)
- E Natural Minor (IV)
- E Phrygian (IV)
- F Lydian (III)
- F Major (III)
- F♯ Blues (deg 2)
- F♯ Locrian (III)
- G Diminished (deg 2)
- G Dorian (II)
- G Major (II)
- G Melodic Minor (II)
- G Mixolydian (II)
Scales whose notes include every chord tone. The Roman numeral (or scale degree) marks the chord root’s position in the scale.