Interactive keyboard
12-tone equal temperamentAm Minor
Selected notes: A – C – E
THE CHORD ATLAS / MINOR
A minor piano chord
The Am chord is built from A – C – E. See the exact keys, hear how they sound together, and explore how the chord changes when you move its lowest note.
3 notes3 voicingsFree to play & print
Change the bass
Full inversion explorer ↗Explore the inversions
All inversions use the same pitch classes. Moving the bottom note up an octave changes the voicing, not the chord identity.
Root position: A · C · E
Lowest note: A. Each higher note is placed above the previous one.
First inversion: C · E · A
Lowest note: C. Each higher note is placed above the previous one.
Second inversion: E · A · C
Lowest note: E. Each higher note is placed above the previous one.
How to play Am on piano
First, find A, the root of this chord. Then add C, the minor third. Add E to complete the triad.
Play the notes together to hear the harmony, or one at a time to hear how the intervals form the chord. Start at a comfortable octave; the diagram shows one reference voicing, not the only valid place to play it.
What makes Am distinctive?
A minor, A–C–E, shares the all-white-key simplicity of C major but has a minor third between A and C.
Compare this chord with another
A minor and C major share C and E, so you can compare their different bass and upper notes without moving every finger.
A practice exercise for Am
Play A–C–E, then C–E–G, keeping C and E in common. Try reversing the transition without stopping.
One mistake to avoid
A minor chord is not A major. Raising C to C♯ produces a different triad.
A simple practice routine
- Say each note name aloud as you find its key.
- Play the root-position chord, then release the keys evenly.
- Move to first inversion and listen to the bass change.
- Return to root position without looking at the diagram.
Finger numbers depend on your hand size, octave and musical context; there isn't one universally correct fingering for every voicing.
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