A Minor Chord on Piano
The A Minor chord contains A, C and E — 3 notes. Every one is marked across three octaves of the keyboard below, labelled with note names and with interval numbers.
- Root
- Minor 3rd
- Perfect 5th
| Degree | 1 | ♭3 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Note | A | C | E |
| Interval | Root | Minor 3rd | Perfect 5th |
Note names
Interval numbers
Scales containing A Minor
| Major (Ionian) | C F G |
| Natural Minor (Aeolian) | D E A |
| Dorian | D G A |
| Phrygian | E A B |
| Lydian | C F B♭ |
| Mixolydian | C D G |
| Locrian | E F# B |
| Harmonic Lydian (Lydian ♭6) | F B♭ |
| Harmonic Minor | D♭ E A |
| Melodic Minor | G A |
| Melodic Minor ♯4 | A B♭ |
| Gypsy Minor (Hungarian Minor) | D♭ A B♭ |
| Major Pentatonic | C |
| Minor Pentatonic | A |
| Dominant Pentatonic (Mixolydian Pentatonic) | D |
| Minor Sixth Pentatonic | A |
| Blues | F# A |
| Dominant Diminished (M2) | C E♭ F# A |
| Tcherepnin (M3) | C E♭ E G A♭ B |
Circle of fifths
Chords inside A Minor
| Power (5) | A |
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the A Minor chord?
A, C and E. That is 3 notes.
How is the A Minor chord built?
From a root of A: C is the minor 3rd and E is the perfect 5th.
Which scales contain the A Minor chord?
C Major (Ionian), D Natural Minor (Aeolian), D Dorian and E Phrygian, among others. Every note of the A Minor chord is in those, so they can be played over it.
Which smaller chords are inside the A Minor chord?
A Power (5). Each uses only notes the A Minor chord already contains.
Practice this on your own piano
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