A♭ Minor Chord
A♭ Minor is built from the notes A♭, B, E♭. The interval from A♭ to B is a minor 3rd (3 semitones), from A♭ to E♭ is a perfect 5th (7 semitones). This chord contains 2 flatted notes.
The minor triad has a darker, more emotional sound than the major. Lowering just one note — the 3rd — by a single fret completely changes the mood from bright to melancholic or reflective.
The minor triad uses the root, flat 3rd, and perfect 5th — a minor third (3 semitones) with a major third (4 semitones) on top. In any major key, the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th chords are naturally minor. The 6th chord (like Am in the key of C) is the classic "sad chord" in pop. In minor keys, the 1st chord is home base, with the 4th and 5th chords also being minor.
Am, Em, and Dm are essential open shapes every beginner learns. To convert any major chord to minor, just drop the 3rd by one fret — this works for open chords, barre chords, and triad voicings. Minor barre chords use the Em-shape (6th string root) and Am-shape (5th string root) to cover the whole neck.
Every major key has a relative minor starting on the 6th degree — Am is the relative minor of C major, sharing the same notes but with a different emotional center. Minor triad voicings on string groups follow the same inversions as major, with the 3rd lowered one fret.
- Nothing Else Matters - Metallica (Em)
- House of the Rising Sun - The Animals (Am)
- Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin (Am)
- Hotel California - Eagles (Bm)
- Black Magic Woman - Santana (Dm)