Chords in every key · No sharps or flats
Chords in the key of A minor
The seven chords in A minor are Am, B°, C, Dm, Em, F and G. A minor has no sharps or flats.
The seven chords
Play the chords of A minor
Tap a chord to hear it. The A chord written by its place in the key: upper case for major (IV), lower case for minor (vi), ° for diminished. is its place in the key; the colour is its job: home, moving away, or pulling back home.
On guitar, Am, C, Dm, Em and G have A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em., which makes A minor one of the friendliest keys to strum in.
Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work
Key signature and scale
The A minor scale
A minor has no sharps or flats.
- A1
- B2
- C♭3
- D4
- E5
- F♭6
- G♭7
- A, the tonic
- Other scale notes
Progressions
Common chord progressions in A minor
The same patterns of A chord written by its place in the key: upper case for major (IV), lower case for minor (vi), ° for diminished. turn up in thousands of songs. Here they are in this key, ready to play.
Minor pop
i – VI – III – VII
- Am
- F
- C
- G
The pop axis rotated to start on the relative minor — same four chords, darker centre.
Heard in Zombie, Numb, Despacito
Minor pop in every keyAndalusian cadence
i – VII – VI – V
- Am
- G
- F
- E
A stepwise walk down to a major V borrowed from harmonic minor. Flamenco's signature move.
Heard in Hit the Road Jack, Runaway, Stray Cat Strut
Andalusian cadence in every keyMinor ii–V–i
iiø7 – V7 – i7
- Bm7♭5
- E7
- Am7
Half-diminished ii, dominant V7 and back to the minor tonic.
Heard in Blue Bossa, Autumn Leaves
Minor ii–V–i in every key
Related keys
Keys close to A minor
Keys that share most of their notes sound natural side by side, which is why songs so often move between them.
- Relative major: same notesC majorC, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and B°
- Parallel major: same tonicA majorA, Bm, C♯m, D, E, F♯m and G♯°
- One step anticlockwiseD minorDm, E°, F, Gm, Am, B♭ and C
- One step clockwiseE minorEm, F♯°, G, Am, Bm, C and D
Capo
Play A minor with a capo
A minor's main chords, Am, Dm, Em and F, are already A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.: no A clamp across all six strings at one fret. It raises every open string, so familiar shapes play in a higher key. needed.
- No capoAm Dm Em FA minor shapes · 3 of 4 openOpen in the capo tool
- Capo 5Em Am Bm CE minor shapes · 3 of 4 openOpen in the capo tool
Questions
A minor, in short
- What chords are in the key of A minor?
- The seven chords in A minor are Am, B°, C, Dm, Em, F and G. A minor has no sharps or flats.
- What is the relative major of A minor?
- C major. It uses the same seven notes and the same The sharps or flats written at the start of each line of music, telling you which notes the key changes. as A minor, so the two keys share all their chords.
- How many sharps or flats are in A minor?
- A minor has no sharps or flats.
- Which keys are next to A minor on the circle of fifths?
- D minor (one step anticlockwise) and E minor (one step clockwise). Their chords overlap most with A minor's, which makes them the easiest keys to change to.