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Am Guitar Chord

A minor (Am) is made of the notes A C E. Here are 3 ways to play it on guitar, starting with the easiest.

How to play Am on guitar

  1. Shape 1

    Open position

    2 3 1 A E A C E

    x02210

  2. Shape 2

    Barre at fret 5

    5fr 1 3 4 A E A C E A

    577555

  3. Shape 3

    Barre at fret 12

    12fr 1 3 4 2 A E A C E

    x-12-14-14-13-12

Notes in Am

Formula 1 ♭3 5
DegreeNote
1A
♭3C
5E

Shape 1 step by step

  1. Put your middle finger on string 4 at fret 2.
  2. Put your ring finger on string 3 at fret 2.
  3. Put your index finger on string 2 at fret 1.
  4. Let strings 5, 1 ring open.
  5. Don’t play string 6.
  6. Strum from string 5 to string 1.

Shape 2 step by step

  1. Lay your index finger flat across strings 6 to 1 at fret 5.
  2. Put your ring finger on string 5 at fret 7.
  3. Put your little finger on string 4 at fret 7.
  4. Strum from string 6 to string 1.

Tune your guitar first

A chord only sounds right when your instrument is in tune. Check your strings with the free online tuner before you practise. Open the guitar tuner

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Am chord?

A minor has the notes A C E. Its formula is 1 ♭3 5. The numbers are steps of the major scale, counted from the root.

What is the easiest way to play Am on guitar?

Start with shape 1 (open position), written as x02210 from string 6 to string 1. Here x means you don’t play that string and 0 means it rings open.

What is the difference between Am and A?

Am has the notes A C E, and A has A C♯ E. The only difference is that Am has C where A has C♯.

Minor chords in every key

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