Am

A1C♭3E5

The major triad with its third lowered by a half step.

on guitar on piano the scale

Every fingering that fits a hand

Fig. 2

2000

open

Fig. 3

200x

open

Fig. 4

2003

open

Fig. 5

2050

easy · no 5

Fig. 6

2403

easy

What is true of it

Am is A, C and E — 1, b3 and 5 counted from A.

On an instrument that cannot reach all 3, the 5 goes first, in that order.

The easiest of the 5 fingerings below is 2000: one finger, held at the 2nd fret.

3 of them use open strings, which is what makes a shape quiet to change to.

Where its notes are on the neck

Fig. 7 — first 12 frets

The brass dots are A, the root. Everything else is a chord tone with its degree printed in it.

With a different note underneath

first inversion

Am/C

x000

second inversion

Am/E

x453

An inversion is the same chord with a different note lowest. The name changes to a slash name because the bass is what a listener hears as the foundation.

A in other shapes

Amajor Adimdiminished Aaugaugmented A5power chord Asus2suspended second Asus4suspended fourth

Cm C♯m D♭m Dm D♯m E♭m Em Fm all 374