Minor chords
The counterpart of the major chord, with just one note changed. A darker, more intimate sound: it’s what gives a song its melancholy color.
What it is
A minor chord brings together the root, the minor third, 3 half steps above, and the fifth, 7 half steps above. Its formula is 1, ♭3, 5.
In A, that gives you A, C, E. In E: E, G, B. It’s written with an m after the letter: Am for A minor, Em for E minor.
The sound
Darker and more intimate than major, often described as sad or melancholy. In a song, a single minor chord among major ones is enough to change the mood.
The relative minor
Every major chord has a minor “cousin” that shares two of its three notes: its relative minor, three half steps lower. C major (C, E, G) and A minor (A, C, E) have C and E in common. That’s why they flow into each other so naturally.
Shapes to know
Three minor chords can be played in open position: A minor, D minor and E minor. The others are played as barre chords, with the E minor shape (root on the 6th string) or the A minor shape (root on the 5th string). B minor, which comes up a lot, is often the first barre chord people learn.
All 12 minor chords
Click a diagram to hear it, or the name to open its full page (every position, tab).