09/26/2026
How to Build an A Minor Chord
Let’s look at how to build an A minor chord. We’ll start with an A natural minor scale:
A – B – C – D – E – F – G – A
So to play an A minor chord, we can play the first, third and fifth notes of the A minor scale. When we do, we get:
A – C – E
You might be thinking, “But wait, there are different types of minor scales, how do I know which minor scale I should use to build a minor chord?”
Thankfully it won’t matter. The first, third and fifth notes of the different types of minor scales will be the same. So you’ll come up with the correct notes either way.
Another Way
We could also build this chord by starting with an A major chord (built using the first, third and fifth notes of an A major scale): A – C♯ – E
Then we’ll lower the middle note C♯ by 1/2 step, down to C, to get our A minor chord:
A – C – E
How to Build an E Minor Chord
Now let’s build an E minor chord. We’ll start with an E natural minor scale:
E – F♯ – G – A – B – C – D – E
We can use the first, third and fifth notes of the E natural minor scale to build an E minor chord:
E - G - B
Another way to build this chord would be to start with an E major chord (built using the first, third and fifth notes of an E major scale): E – G♯ – B
Then lower the middle note G♯ by 1/2 step down to G:
E – G –G
