How to play Am (A Minor) on Guitar
Diagram, notes, and audio for the Am chord on guitar. Free in your browser.
About Am on guitar
A minor on guitar is the small open chord just to the left of A major. Index on the 1st fret of the B string, middle on the 2nd fret of the D, ring on the 2nd fret of the G; open A is the bass and the high E rings open. Notes are A, C, and E. Beginners learn it within their first week because the shape requires only three fingers stacked tightly.
A minor is the i chord of A minor (no sharps, no flats — the relative minor of C major) and the vi chord of C major. That second relationship makes it one of the most-used chords in pop music: any progression that lives in C major — including I-V-vi-IV (C-G-Am-F) — visits Am for the emotional turn before resolving to F. House of the Rising Sun famously uses Am as its tonic.
Because A minor and E minor share five of seven scale tones, they pair beautifully. So do Am, Dm, and E (or E7) — the natural minor i-iv-V cadence in A minor. Iconic Am-rooted songs include Stairway to Heaven, Hallelujah, Tears in Heaven, and Mad World. The chord is also one finger away from Asus2 (lift the index off) and Asus4 (add the index on the 3rd fret of the B), giving it three close cousins.
Frequently asked questions
- Is A minor easier than A major?
- Slightly — A minor uses the same three fingers but on more spread strings, which most beginners find more comfortable than A major's tight triangle.
- What's the difference between Am and Em?
- They share the note E. Am is A-C-E; Em is E-G-B. They're the i and v of A minor, used together in countless progressions.
- How do I move from Am to F?
- Keep your second and third fingers in place, slide them onto the same notes one string lower, and add the index finger as a partial barre at the 1st fret.
Switch instruments
See Am on a different instrument — same chord, new diagram.