Explore the A minor chord through our easy-to-follow guide. Master three variations of A minor, and delve into the chord’s theory, including how to construct A minor from the A minor scale and also by using intervals. We’ll also cover the role of A minor in various musical keys, all tailored for left-handed players.
Interested in learning more left-handed chords? Check out our left-handed chord library.
How to play the A minor chord
Open position
- Finger Placement:
- Place your index finger on the 1st fret of the B (2nd) string.
- Place your ring finger on the 2nd fret of the G (3rd) string.
- Place your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the D (4th) string.
- Strumming
- Strum the top 5 strings, and mute the low E (6th string).
A Minor Chord – E Barre Shape
- Finger Placement:
- Use your index finger to barre (press down) all the strings at the 5th fret.
- Place your ring finger (3rd finger) on the 7th fret of the A (5th) string.
- Place your pinky (4th finger) on the 7th fret of the D (4th) string.
- Strumming
- Strum all six strings from the low E (6th) string down to the high E (1st) string.
A Minor Chord – Moveable Shape
- Finger Placement:
- Barre the top three strings (1st – 3rd) at the 5th fret with your index (1st) finger.
- Use your ring finger (3rd finger) to fret the D string (4th) at the 7th fret.
- Strumming
- Strum the top 4 strings, from the D (4th) to the high E (1st) string.
Tips for Playing the A Minor Chord on Guitar
- Mind the Open Strings: Ensure the open A and high E strings ring clearly. Avoid letting your fingers touch these strings, which can mute them unintentionally.
- Check for Muted Strings: Regularly check that your fingers are not accidentally muting the adjacent strings, especially the D and G strings.
- Consistent Strumming: Strum all the strings except the low E string to keep the chord balanced and avoid a muddy sound.
You can read more tips on playing chords cleanly by clicking here.
Chord Construction From The A Minor Scale
The A minor chord is derived from the A minor scale. This scale provides the foundation for the chord’s construction. Here’s a breakdown of the scale, its notes, and how it is constructed.
A minor chord construction – using scale degrees
| Scale Degree | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Minor Scale | A | B | C | D | E | F | G |
| A Minor Chord | A | – | C | – | E | – | – |
As we can see in the table above, the A minor chord consists of three notes: A (the root note), C (the minor third), and E (the perfect fifth).
To construct the A minor chord from scale degrees, we turn to the A minor scale. In the A minor scale, the notes are A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.
To form an A minor chord, we take the 1st, 3rd, and 5th degrees of this scale.
In this case, those degrees correspond to the notes A (the root), C (the minor third), and E (the perfect fifth). When played together, these three notes create the A minor chord.
A minor chord construction – using intervals
| Interval | Root (A) | M2 | m3 | P4 | P5 | m6 | m7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Minor Scale | A | B | C | D | E | F | G |
| A Minor Chord | A | – | C | – | E | – | – |
Alternatively, we can create the A minor chord by looking at the intervals between its notes. If you need to brush up on intervals click here.
The intervals within an A minor chord consist of a minor third (m3) and a perfect fifth (P5) above the root note (A). The minor third, C, is three half-steps (semitones) above A, and the perfect fifth, E, is seven half-steps (semitones) above A. These intervals give the A minor chord its sombre, minor tonality.
Another way to visualize the construction of the A minor chord is in stacked thirds, e.g., passing through three note letters of the A minor scale. The 2nd note of the A minor chord is a third above the root note of A (A-B-C). The 3rd note of the chord is a third above the 2nd note of C (C-D-E).
The Role Of A Minor – Chord Function
What is Chord Function?
Chord function refers to the role a chord plays within the context of a key, defining its relationship to the tonic (the first note of a scale or key) and its tendency to move towards certain other chords. Understanding chord functions helps in creating and analyzing chord progressions, providing insight into the harmonic structure and movement within a piece of music.
| Key | Chord Number | Function |
|---|---|---|
| D Minor | V | Dominant: Creates tension, often resolving to the tonic (D Minor). |
| E Minor | IV | Subdominant: Provides a stepping stone between the tonic (A Minor) and dominant (E Minor). |
| A Minor | I | Tonic: The ‘home’ chord of the A Minor key. |
| C Major | III | Mediant: Offers a contrast to the tonic (A Minor) and can lead to the subdominant (D Minor). |
| B Diminished | II | Supertonic: Commonly leads to the dominant (E Minor). |
| F Major | VI | Submediant: Often used in chord progressions moving from the tonic (A Minor) to the submediant (F Major) and then to the dominant (E Minor). |
| G Major | VII | Leading Tone: Creates a strong desire to resolve to the tonic (A Minor). |
| Other Keys | NA | Not present. |
- Key: The musical key.
- Chord Number: Indicates the position of the chord within the key.
- Chord Function: Describes the musical role of the chord in that key (e.g., Tonic, Subdominant, etc.).
