Chords by key · minor · updated September 27, 2026
Chords in A minor
The key of A minor has seven chords: Am (i), Bdim (ii°), C (III), Dm (iv), Em (v), F (VI) and G (VII). They come from the A minor scale, A B C D E F G, which has no sharps or flats.
Press and hold a pad. Keys 1 to 8 work on a keyboard.
Progressions to try
Epic minor i · VI · III · VII
Am F C G
i, VI, III, VII. Big, cinematic, and all over modern pop and film trailers.
Minor blues move i · iv · v · i
Am Dm Em Am
i, iv, v, i. Dark and plain, the minor cousin of the three-chord song.
Andalusian cadence i · VII · VI · V
Am G F E
i, VII, VI, V. Walks down to a major V. Flamenco, surf rock, and a lot of classic rock.
Minor loop i · iv · VII · III
Am Dm G C
i, iv, VII, III. A smooth loop that never lands anywhere sad for long.
Minor jazz cadence ii° · V · i · i
Bdim E Am Am
ii°, V, i. The minor-key version of ii, V, I, with the major V from harmonic minor.
Rock minor i · VI · VII · i
Am F G Am
i, VI, VII, i. Climbs back home. Hard rock and video game music use it constantly.
All the chords in A minor, with 7ths
Each chord is built by stacking every other note of the scale on top of one scale note. Three notes make a triad. Add one more third and you get the seventh chord, which is what jazz, neo-soul and a lot of modern pop reach for.
| Degree | Chord | Notes | 7th chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am minor | A C E | Am7 | A C E G |
| ii° | Bdim diminished | B D F | Bm7♭5 | B D F A |
| III | C major | C E G | Cmaj7 | C E G B |
| iv | Dm minor | D F A | Dm7 | D F A C |
| v | Em minor | E G B | Em7 | E G B D |
| VI | F major | F A C | Fmaj7 | F A C E |
| VII | G major | G B D | G7 | G B D F |
The pattern is the same in every natural minor key: i, iv and v are minor, III, VI and VII are major, and ii° is diminished. It is the major-key pattern started from the sixth chord, because A minor and C major share every note.
Why songs in A minor use E
The v chord in natural A minor is Em, a minor chord, and it sounds a bit soft on the way home. So most songs raise one note, G to G♯, and play E (E G♯ B) or E7 instead. That raised note comes from the harmonic minor scale, and it leans hard into Am. The Andalusian cadence and the minor jazz cadence on the pads above both use it; the borrowed pad lights up with a dashed outline.
The A minor scale and key signature
The notes of A minor are A B C D E F G. The steps between them follow the natural minor pattern, W H W W H W W (W is a whole step, two frets or two piano keys; H is a half step, one). A minor has no sharps or flats in its key signature.
- Relative major: C major, same notes, different home.
- Parallel major: A major, same home note, different notes. Borrowing chords from it is where a lot of color comes from.
- Neighbours on the circle of fifths: E minor and D minor, each one note away. Changing key to one of these sounds smooth.
How to write a song in A minor
Start on Am so the ear knows where home is. Move to any other chord from the table, then find your way back. Chords next to each other in the progressions above are safe bets: F and G give a big, open lift, and E sends you straight back to Am. Hum a melody over the loop and keep the notes that feel good. If you want the theory behind it, the glossary has short definitions for every term on this page.
Questions about A minor
What chords are in the key of A minor?
The seven chords in A minor are Am (i), Bdim (ii°), C (III), Dm (iv), Em (v), F (VI), G (VII). They are built by stacking thirds on each note of the A minor scale: A B C D E F G.
What are the three main chords in A minor?
The three main chords are the i, iv and v: Am, Dm, Em. Most songs in A minor swap the minor v for the major E, which pulls harder back to Am.
What is the relative major of A minor?
C major. It uses exactly the same notes and chords as A minor, it just treats C as home.
How many sharps are in A minor?
None. A minor uses only the white keys of the piano, which is why it is often the first key people learn.
What is the V chord in A minor?
Strictly, the fifth chord of A minor is Em (minor v). In practice most songs use E or E7, borrowed from the harmonic minor scale, because the raised leading tone pulls back to Am.