Chords in the key of A minor
The key of A minor has no sharps or flats. Its seven chords are Am, Bdim, C, Dm, Em, F and G. Tap any of them, or play them in order.
Tap a numeral to hear one chord; tap a shape to open it.
The chords that do most of the work
Home is Am. The three chords doing most of the lifting are Dm, F and G; add E (the major V, with G♯ borrowed from harmonic minor) when you want a real cadence back to Am. Without it, G to Am gives the modal, unresolved ending common in rock.
Key signature
A minor has no sharps or flats. It sits at the top of the circle of fifths, between D minor (one flat) and E minor (one sharp).
The notes of the key are the A natural minor scale: A B C D E F G. Relative major: C major (same notes). Parallel major: A major (same starting note).
Progressions in A minor
Press play to hear i–VI–III–VII in A minor, then use the key menu to move it.
In A minor, 4 beats per chord. Open in the progression builder
- iAm
- VIF
- IIIC
- VIIG
| Progression | In A minor | |
|---|---|---|
| i–VI–III–VII the minor anthem | Am – F – C – G | |
| i–iv–V the minor cadence | Am – Dm – E – Am | |
| i–VII–VI–V the Andalusian cadence | Am – G – F – E | |
| i–VII–VI–VII the epic minor loop | Am – G – F – G |
Borrowed dominants: leaning into other chords of A minor
These chords borrow one note from outside the key to set up the next chord, the way V7 sets up I.
- V7 of III
- V7 of iv
- V7 of v
- V7 of VI
- V7 of VII
Borrowing from A major
Minor-key songs often take chords from A major, the parallel major: D (IV), A (I) and Bm (ii). The major IV gives a brighter, Dorian lift, and ending a minor piece on the major I is the old "Picardy third".
Seventh chords in A minor
Stack one more third on each triad for the seventh chords: Am7, Bm7♭5, Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7 and G7. With the borrowed major V it becomes E7.
Playing in A minor on guitar
A minor is one of the open-chord keys: Am, C, Dm, Em and G all use open strings, and only Bdim and F need a barre or a partial barre.
Transpose a chord chart · How a capo works
Other keys
Key of A minor: questions
What chords are in the key of A minor?
Am, Bdim, C, Dm, Em, F and G. As numerals: i = Am, ii° = Bdim, III = C, iv = Dm, v = Em, VI = F, VII = G. Most songs in A minor also use E (major V) in place of Em.
How many sharps or flats are in A minor?
No sharps or flats.
What is the relative major of A minor?
C major. The two keys share all seven notes.
What are the i, iv and V chords in A minor?
Am (i), Dm (iv) and E (V, borrowed from the harmonic minor).
How do I play in A minor on guitar with a capo?
You don't need one: A minor uses open chord shapes directly.
Every chord and progression on this page is computed from the A natural minor scale and checked by the site's theory tests. Updated September 2026.