What notes are in an A minor chord?

A minor contains three notes: A (the root), C (the minor third), and E (the perfect fifth).

How do you play an A minor chord on guitar?

The standard open voicing: middle finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string (E), ring finger on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string (A — one octave above), index finger on the 1st fret of the 2nd string (C). The 5th and 1st strings ring open as A and E.

Why is A minor called the relative minor of C major?

They share the same key signature (no sharps, no flats — all white keys) and use the same seven notes. The difference is which note the music treats as "home." C major resolves to C; A minor resolves to A.

What's the difference between natural, harmonic, and melodic A minor?

All three start with the natural minor scale (A–B–C–D–E–F–G). Harmonic minor raises the 7th to G♯, which strengthens the V → i cadence. Melodic minor raises both the 6th (F → F♯) and 7th (G → G♯) ascending, but reverts to natural minor descending. The chord A minor itself is the same in all three; only the surrounding scale changes.

A minor chord — notes, intervals, and practice

A minor is the natural starting point for learning minor harmony — it's the relative minor of C major, so it uses the same seven white-key notes but resolves to a different home. The chord contains A, C, and E. All three are white keys, no accidentals; the difference between A minor and C major as chords isn't a sharp or flat, it's which note the music gravitates toward.

Intervals

The A minor chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:

A→Cminor 3rd3 semitones
C→Emajor 3rd4 semitones
A→Eperfect 5th7 semitones

On the keyboard

Each note of the A minor chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.

On the guitar

One voicing of the A minor chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.

Common mistakes

A minor's third is C natural, not C♯. The chord A–C–E uses three consecutive white keys spanning thirds. Beginners sometimes confuse A minor with A major (A–C♯–E) — the only difference is the C/C♯, but that one half-step changes the entire mood. In the key of A minor, the V chord is most often E major (E–G♯–B), which introduces a G♯ that doesn't belong to the diatonic key signature; this "harmonic minor" alteration is what gives V → i cadences in minor their characteristic bite.

In context

A minor is the i chord in A minor (where the natural-minor progression Am–G–F–E descends through the diatonic chords) and the vi chord in C major (the "relative minor" position). The Am–F–C–G progression is one of the most-used in modern pop — especially in melancholy or wistful songs.

Drill it

The A minor chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.

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Frequently asked

What notes are in an A minor chord?: A minor contains three notes: A (the root), C (the minor third), and E (the perfect fifth).
How do you play an A minor chord on guitar?: The standard open voicing: middle finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string (E), ring finger on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string (A — one octave above), index finger on the 1st fret of the 2nd string (C). The 5th and 1st strings ring open as A and E.
Why is A minor called the relative minor of C major?: They share the same key signature (no sharps, no flats — all white keys) and use the same seven notes. The difference is which note the music treats as "home." C major resolves to C; A minor resolves to A.
What's the difference between natural, harmonic, and melodic A minor?: All three start with the natural minor scale (A–B–C–D–E–F–G). Harmonic minor raises the 7th to G♯, which strengthens the V → i cadence. Melodic minor raises both the 6th (F → F♯) and 7th (G → G♯) ascending, but reverts to natural minor descending. The chord A minor itself is the same in all three; only the surrounding scale changes.