Chord · Minor Key of A

Am Chord on guitar · voicings, notes & diagram

The Am chord contains the notes A, C, E. Melancholy, introspective, serious. The flat 3rd is the single change that makes a chord sound "sad".

Voicings

How to play Am.

Am 5fr 1 3 4 1 1 1 E A D G B E

E-shape barre

Am 12fr × 1 3 4 2 1 E A D G B E

A-shape barre

Every chord tone on the neck

EADGBE 35791215 E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G Root Scale note

Notes & intervals.

# Degree Note
1 1 A root
2 b3 C
3 5 E

Sound & use

Melancholy, introspective, serious. The flat 3rd is the single change that makes a chord sound "sad".

The home chord for minor-key songs; the vi chord in major-key progressions (the relative minor).

Common in: pop, rock, metal, folk, classical

Also written as: min, -

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Same key

Other chords in the key of A.

A

Major

Adim

Diminished

Aaug

Augmented

Asus2

Suspended 2nd

Asus4

Suspended 4th

A7

Dominant 7

Amaj7

Major 7

Am7

Minor 7

Am7b5

Minor 7♭5

Adim7

Diminished 7

Am(maj7)

Minor-Major 7

A6

Major 6

Am6

Minor 6

Aadd9

Add 9

Am(add9)

Minor Add 9

A9

Dominant 9

Amaj9

Major 9

Am9

Minor 9

All keys

Minor chord in every key.

Cm

C♯m

Dm

D♯m

Em

Fm

F♯m

Gm

G♯m

A♯m

Bm

FAQ

About the Am chord
on guitar.

What notes are in the Am chord?

The Am chord contains the notes A, C, E — that's a 1, b3, 5 from the root.

How do I play Am on guitar?

The most common voicings for Am are shown above as fretboard diagrams. Start with the e-shape barre — finger position numbers are inside the dots. Mute any string marked X; play open strings shown with O.

Where is Am used in music?

Melancholy, introspective, serious. The flat 3rd is the single change that makes a chord sound "sad". The home chord for minor-key songs; the vi chord in major-key progressions (the relative minor).

What's a movable shape for Am?

Both E-shape (root on the 6th string) and A-shape (root on the 5th string) barre versions are common. Once you can play those two shapes, you can play Minor in any key just by sliding up or down the neck.

Can I print the Am chord diagram?

Yes. Use your browser's print function (Cmd/Ctrl + P) — the SVG diagrams print crisply at any size. For a custom voicing or a printable handout with multiple chords, use the chord chart generator.