A minor chord on piano
The A minor chord is A–C–E. Tap the keys below to hear it.
AmA · C · E
Tap the keys to hear them
1 = thumb, 5 = little finger.
A minor is one of the most common minor chords, and you'll have heard it in many songs. The C major scale shares every note with the A minor scale, so C and Am behave as related chords.
How the A minor chord is built
Fingerings & inversions
Standard fingerings use the thumb (1), the little finger (5), and either the index (2) or middle finger (3). Hand size and musical context change what feels natural. Switch Fingers on above to see 1-3-5 land for Am.
| Position | Notes (bottom → top) | Right hand | Left hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | A – C – E | 1-3-5 | 5-3-1 |
| 1st inversion | C – E – A | 1-2-5 | 5-3-1 |
| 2nd inversion | E – A – C | 1-3-5 | 5-2-1 |
Inversion diagrams
The inversion buttons above play all 3 shapes of Am.
Popular songs to play with the Am piano chord
Songs are where chords start making sense. Skoove takes you from Am to full songs, step by step.
Start a piano lesson for freeWhere Am shows up
A minor is the relative minor of C major: the A minor scale is built from the same notes as the C major scale. The chord also works as the ii in G and the iii in F, two roles that keep it busy in pop and jazz progressions alike. The key of A minor has no sharps or flats.
Its most famous setting is the Am–F–C–G loop, the minor-led progression behind countless pop hits.
Common questions
What notes are in the A minor chord?
The A minor chord is made up of A, C, E. All white keys: start on A, skip a key to C, skip another to E, and the shape is under your hand.
What fingers should I use to play Am on piano?
In root position, the standard fingering is 1-3-5 in the right hand and 5-3-1 in the left hand (1 = thumb, 5 = little finger). A, C, E are all white keys; find A between the second and third of the three black keys, and the rest of the shape follows.
Why does A minor sound sad?
Compared with A major, the middle note drops a half step: C# becomes C. The A minor scale shares its notes with C major, its relative major, which is why the two chords swap roles so often inside the same song.
What chords are in the key of A minor?
A minor shares its key signature with C major, so it uses the same seven diatonic chords: C major, D minor, E minor, F major, G major, A minor, B diminished, starting from A minor as the home chord.
What are the notes in the A natural minor scale?
The A natural minor scale is A – B – C – D – E – F – G, the same notes as the C major scale. The Am chord is built from its 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees.
More A chords
Reviewed by
Composer, arranger and music educator. BA Music (LIPA), MA Composition (University of Salford).
Last updated 2026-08-13