# A Minor piano chord (Am)

Am contains A, C and E. A minor third with a perfect fifth above the root. Every note is a white key.

- Canonical page: https://piano.org/chords/minor/a/
- Entity: chord:minor:a
- Notes: A C E
- Formula: 1 ♭3 5
- Intervals from root: P1, m3, P5
- Interval stack (semitones): 3 4
- Also written: Am, Am, A minor
- Parameters: A440, 12-TET, 165 mm octave, spans centre to centre

## Construction

| Degree | Note | Interval from root | Semitones |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | A | Perfect unison | 0 |
| ♭3 | C | Minor third | 3 |
| 5 | E | Perfect fifth | 7 |

## Fingering

Rest your right hand over the notes with finger 1 on A, finger 3 on C, finger 5 on E. The left hand mirrors it.
Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1. Source: piano.org fingering method v1.

## Inversions

| Position | Bass | Notes in order | Figured bass | Span |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Root position | A | A3 C4 E4 | 5/3 | 7 st, 96 mm |
| First inversion (Am/C) | C | C4 E4 A4 | 6/3 | 9 st, 124 mm |
| Second inversion (Am/E) | E | E4 A4 C5 | 6/4 | 8 st, 110 mm |

## Voicings (5)

| Voicing | Notes | Span | Relation | Omits or adds |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Close, root position | A3 C4 E4 | 7 st, 96 mm | identical | none |
| Close, first inversion | C4 E4 A4 | 9 st, 124 mm | identical | none |
| Close, second inversion | E4 A4 C5 | 8 st, 110 mm | identical | none |
| Open, fifth on top | A2 E3 C4 | 15 st, 206 mm | identical | none |
| Root and third only | A3 C4 | 3 st, 41 mm | subset | omits E |

## Diatonic function by key

| Key | Roman numeral | Function |
| --- | --- | --- |
| C major | vi | Tonic substitute |
| D minor | v | Minor dominant |
| E minor | iv | Subdominant |
| F major | iii | Tonic substitute |
| G major | ii | Predominant |
| A minor | i | Tonic, home |

Classification system: common-practice functional harmony.

## Progressions (8)

| Progression | Key | Role | Sequence | Voice leading |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| vi, IV, I, V | C major | vi | Am to F to C to G | Am opens the phrase |
| I, vi | C major | vi | C to Am | 2 tones held from C |
| v, i | D minor | v | Am to Dm | Am opens the phrase |
| ii°, v, i | D minor | v | Edim to Am to Dm | 1 tone held from Edim |
| iv, v, i | E minor | iv | Am to Bm to Em | Am opens the phrase |
| i, iv | E minor | iv | Em to Am | 1 tone held from Em |
| iii, vi, ii, V | F major | iii | Am to Dm to Gm to C | Am opens the phrase |
| I, iii | F major | iii | F to Am | 2 tones held from F |

## One-edit neighbors

| Becomes | Edit | Changes | Common tones |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Am7 | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 | adds G | 3 |
| AmMaj7 | 1 ♭3 5 7 | adds G♯ | 3 |
| Am6 | 1 ♭3 5 6 | adds F♯ | 3 |
| A | 1 3 5 | C becomes C♯ | 2 |
| Adim | 1 ♭3 ♭5 | E becomes E♭ | 2 |
| Asus2 | 1 2 5 | C becomes B | 2 |
| Asus4 | 1 4 5 | C becomes D | 2 |
| Amaj7 | 1 3 5 7 | C becomes C♯, G♯ | 2 |
| A7 | 1 3 5 ♭7 | C becomes C♯, G | 2 |
| Am7♭5 | 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7 | E becomes E♭, G | 2 |
| Adim7 | 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭♭7 | E becomes E♭, G♭ | 2 |
| A7sus4 | 1 4 5 ♭7 | C becomes D, G | 2 |

## Set theory

- Absolute pitch classes: {9, 0, 4}
- Relative pitch classes: [0, 3, 7]
- Normal order: [9, 0, 4]
- Prime form: (037)
- Forte number: 3-11
- Interval vector: <001110>

## Frequencies (close root position)

| Note | MIDI | Frequency |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A3 | 57 | 220.00 Hz |
| C4 | 60 | 261.63 Hz |
| E4 | 64 | 329.63 Hz |

## Questions and answers

### What notes are in Am?

Am contains A, C and E. The formula is 1, ♭3, 5.

### How do you play Am on piano?

Play A, C and E together. Right hand fingers 1, 3, 5; left hand 5, 3, 1. Every note is a white key.

### What are the inversions of Am?

3 positions: root position A C E, Am/C, Am/E.

### What keys contain Am?

6: vi in C major, v in D minor, iv in E minor, iii in F major, ii in G major, i in A minor.

### What is the difference between Am and Am7?

Adds G. 3 of the notes are shared.

### What is an easy Am for small hands?

The root and third only voicing, A3 C4, spans 3 semitones or about 41 mm.

### What are the frequencies of Am?

From A3 at A440 in 12-TET: 220.00, 261.63, 329.63 Hz.

### What is the set class of Am?

Prime form (037), Forte 3-11, interval vector &lt;001110&gt;.

### How do I transpose Am to another key?

Keep the 1, ♭3, 5 formula on the new root. Cm is C, E♭, G; C♯m is C♯, E, G♯.

## Provenance

Every derived value above is computed by the piano.org theory kernel from the root, the quality and the stated parameters. Nothing is hand-entered per chord.

Machine record: https://piano.org/api/knowledge/v1/entities/chord:minor:a
Last reviewed: 2026-08-12