Am is one of the first chords most people learn, and one they keep for life. Three fingers, no barre, and it already sounds like music: a little dark, a little reflective. The open shape is easy to finger and easy to get slightly wrong, so this page spends its time on the details that make it ring, then on the changes you will use it in.
Am chord: notes and shapes at a glance
- Name: A minor
- Symbol: Am
- Notes: A, C, E
- Where it belongs: vi in C major, iii in F major, ii in G major, iv in E minor, i in A minor
Each shape below is written from the thickest string to the thinnest: a
number is the fret, 0 an open string, x a string you
do not play. New to this? See how to read chord diagrams.
| Shape | Frets, low E to high E | Notes, low to high | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Am, open | x02210 | A E A C E | The A minor everyone learns first. Five strings from the open A, low E left out. |
| Am, barre at fret 5 | 577555 | A E A C E A | The E minor shape barred at the fifth fret. All six strings, A in the bass. |
| Am, top four strings | x x 7 9 10 8 | A E A C | The D minor shape moved up: first finger on the D string at fret 7, second on the high E at 8, third on the G string at 9, fourth on the B string at 10. A bright, compact voicing. |
| Am, twelfth fret | x 12 14 14 13 12 | A E A C E | The open shape one octave up, with the first finger barring fret 12 in place of the nut. Useful for a second guitar. |
Read each diagram from the thickest string on the left to the thinnest on the right. A cross means the string is not played, a circle means it rings open.
Am on the neck: every A, C, E
Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of Am: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still Am.
How to play Am, finger by finger
Place the fingers in the order your pick meets the strings. That way you build the chord from the bass up and can check each note as it goes down.
- Second finger on the fourth string (D) at fret 2. That note is E.
- Third finger on the third string (G) at fret 2, right next to it. That note is A.
- First finger on the second string (B) at fret 1. That note is C, the one that makes the chord minor.
- Leave the fifth string (A) and the first string (high E) open. Do not play the low E.
Now pick each string from the fifth to the first, one at a time. Five clear notes means the shape is right. If one dies, fix that finger before you press harder: the problem is almost always where the finger sits, not how hard it pushes.
Why your Am sounds wrong, and the fix
| What you hear | Likely cause | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| The high E is dead | The first finger leans on it | Arch the first finger and press with the tip, so the first string rings under it. |
| The open A is muffled | The second finger touches it | Come down more vertically onto the D string. |
| A buzz on the B string | The first finger sits far from the fret wire | Move it right up behind fret 1. |
| A low, muddy rumble | The low E is ringing | Start the strum on the fifth string. E belongs to Am, but as the lowest note it blurs the chord. |
| The change into Am is slow | The whole hand lifts off | Look for the finger the two chords share and keep it down (see the changes below). |
Getting in and out of Am
A minor and C major are relatives: the same seven notes, no sharps or flats. That makes Am the vi chord of C, and it explains why C, F, G, Dm and Em all sit so comfortably around it.
| Change | Shapes | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Am to C | x02210 to x32010 | Keep the first and second fingers down. Only the third finger moves, from the G string to the A string at fret 3. |
| Am to E | x02210 to 022100 | The same grip, moved one string toward the bass. Then strum from the low E. |
| Am to Dm | x02210 to xx0231 | The hand shifts toward the treble. Aim the strum at the D string. |
| Am, G, F, E | x02210, 320003, 133211, 022100 | A descending minor progression. The F barre is the hard step; the F chord page has easier versions. |
Where Am shows up, and its close relatives
The Animals' House of the Rising Sun is built on Am, C, D, F and E, and Am opens every line. Bob Marley's Redemption Song uses it among G, Em, C and D. In both, Am is the chord that gives the progression its shadow.
Two variations come from the same shape, and both are worth knowing:
- Am7, x02010: lift the third finger and the open G string adds G, the minor seventh. Softer, more open. See the Am7 chord page.
- Asus2, x02200: lift the first finger and the open B replaces C. With no third, the chord is neither minor nor major. See the Asus2 chord page.
And when the bass starts walking down under Am, you get the Am/G# chord, the first step of a classic descending line.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play an Am chord on guitar?
What notes are in an A minor chord?
What is the difference between Am and A?
Why do Am and C sound so good together?
Which finger goes down first for Am?
Who made this
Guitar Social Club is the work of Yohann Abbou, a guitar teacher in Paris who teaches adults. Every shape on this page is written string by string and checked against standard tuning, and the diagrams are drawn from those same fret numbers. The rest of our free guitar tools, including the chord finder, work the same way.
More about Yohann on his page, and about why Guitar Social Club exists.