A minor (Am) chord on ukulele

Minor triad on A: the notes of the Am chord are A – C – E.

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

Position 4easy

Position 7medium

Position 9medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

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What the Am chord sounds like

A minor triad differs from a major one only in the third: it has a minor third, which gives it a darker, sadder colour. In a major key, chords ii, iii and vi are minor.

Notes of the Am chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	A	root
3	C	minor third (3 semitones)
5	E	perfect fifth (7 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (A): open (A4)
String 2 (E): open (E4)
String 3 (C): open (C4)
String 4 (G): fret 2, index finger (A4)

Position 4

String 1 (A): open (A4)
String 2 (E): open (E4)
String 3 (C): fret 4, index finger (E4)
String 4 (G): fret 5, middle finger (C5)

Position 7

String 1 (A): fret 7, index finger (E5)
String 2 (E): fret 8, middle finger (C5)
String 3 (C): fret 9, little finger (A4)
String 4 (G): fret 9, ring finger (E5)

Tuning: G C E A (the G string is higher than the C – standard re-entrant ukulele tuning). In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The Am chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

A minor: i (tonic)
D minor: v (dominant)
E minor: iv (subdominant)
F major: iii
C major: vi
G major: ii

Similar chords and substitutes

If Am is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

C – relative major: two shared notes
F – the major chord a major third below: two shared notes
Am7 – a fuller, softer minor colour

Richer versions

Am7 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Am6 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Am9 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Am chord?

A, C, E. The root is A; the intervals of the other notes from the root: minor third, perfect fifth.

What is the easiest way to play Am on ukulele?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”, rated easy. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

How is the Am chord written?

The chord symbol is Am, and its full name is A minor.