About the Am chord
To play A minor, use the first shape above. Place your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the G string. Leave the C, E, and A strings open. Strum all four strings and check that each one rings cleanly.
Root
A
Quality
Minor
Notes
A · C · E
How the Am chord works
A
Root(1)
The home note. It gives the chord its name.
C
Minor third(♭3)
The defining minor interval above the root.
E
Perfect fifth(5)
Adds strength and stability.
Play in another way
The same chord can be played in different places on the fretboard. These are called voicings. They use the same notes, but the fingering and sound can feel a little different.
This chord goes well with
Am is the home chord in the key of A minor. These chords naturally belong together and are a good place to start when you want to play around A.