Am chord
Darker and more melancholy than major. A single semitone — the flattened third — makes the whole difference.
A minor · 2 voicings
Notes in Am
How to Play Am
Open position
x 0 2 2 1 0
Barre, Em shape
5 7 7 5 5 5
Numbers under each diagram are frets, string 6 (thickest) to string 1. x means don't play that string; 0 means play it open.
Where Am Is Used
Am occurs naturally in 3 major keys. Its roman numeral tells you the job it does in each — the same chord feels like home in one key and like tension in another.
| Key | Degree | Role |
|---|---|---|
| C major | vi | Relative minor — the darker centre |
| F major | iii | Mediant — a soft, in-between colour |
| G major | ii | Pre-dominant — sets up the V |
Progressions featuring Am
- vi – IV – I – V — the pop-punk staple
- I – V – vi – IV — the most common progression in pop
- I – iii – IV – V — a bright, lifting movement
Playing tips for Am
Am has an open-position shape, which means some strings ring open and it is playable without barring. Press just behind the fret rather than on top of it, keep your fingertips arched so they do not deaden neighbouring strings, and strum only the strings the diagram marks as played.
If a string buzzes or sounds dead, the usual causes are a fingertip leaning against it, not quite enough pressure, or a finger too far behind the fret. Play each string one at a time to find which one is failing before adjusting the whole shape — and make sure your guitar is in tune first, since an out-of-tune string will make a correct shape sound wrong. Use our free online tuner to check.
Related Chords
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