To build a minor chord, take the root note, add the note a minor 3rd above it (three semitones) and add the note a perfect 5th above it (seven semitones). An A minor chord is therefore A, C and E, an E minor chord is E, G and B, and a D minor chord is D, F and A.
What is a minor chord?
A minor chord is a three-note triad built from a root, a minor 3rd and a perfect 5th, and it is the darker, sadder sibling of the major chord. The only difference between a major chord and a minor chord on the same root is a single semitone: the 3rd is lowered by one semitone, from four semitones above the root to three. That one small change transforms the whole character of the chord, which is why minor chords are the first thing most players learn after major chords. Minor chords appear everywhere in music because six of the seven chords in a minor key are built on the same pattern, and even major keys contain three minor chords. The ii, iii and vi chords in any major key are all minor triads, so a player who cannot build minor chords is locked out of most real music. On guitar the A minor guitar chord and the E minor guitar chord are two of the easiest open shapes, which is why they are usually the first minor chords a beginner meets.
How a minor chord is built
Start from the natural minor scale of the root and take the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees. In A natural minor the scale is A, B, C, D, E, F, G, so the triad is A, C and E. Check the gaps: A to C is three semitones, a minor 3rd, and A to E is seven semitones, a perfect 5th. An even quicker method is to build the major chord first and lower the 3rd by one semitone: A major is A, C# and E, so lowering C# to C gives A minor. The lowering trick works in every key and is the most reliable way to check your work. E major is E, G# and B, so E minor is E, G and B. D major is D, F# and A, so D minor is D, F and A. B major is B, D# and F#, so B minor is B, D and F#. Notice that the 5th never changes: the perfect 5th is seven semitones above the root in both major and minor chords, which is why the 3rd carries the whole difference. The D minor guitar chord shows the shape on guitar, and the A minor scale shows where the notes come from.
Worked example — F# minor. F# major is F#, A# and C#, so lowering the 3rd by one semitone gives F#, A and C#. Check the gaps: F# to A is three semitones (F#, G, G#, A), a minor 3rd, and F# to C# is seven semitones, a perfect 5th. The F# minor guitar chord is a barre chord on guitar, which makes it harder than the open minor shapes, but the notes are built by exactly the same rule. Use the chord finder to confirm any minor chord you build.
How to practise building minor chords
Practise minor chords in pairs with their major twin on the same root, so your ear learns to hear the one-semitone difference. Ten focused minutes a day is enough.
- Choose a root, build its major triad, then lower the 3rd and play the minor triad straight after it. Do this for C, G, D, A and E, naming the notes aloud each time.
- Play the key of A minor chords Am, Dm and Em in turn, naming their notes: A–C–E, D–F–A and E–G–B.
- On piano, play a minor triad in root position with your right hand while your left hand plays the root two octaves lower, then move the whole shape up a semitone and rebuild it.
- On guitar, switch between the E major guitar chord and the E minor guitar chord by lifting one finger, listening for the single note that changes.
- Test yourself with the interval calculator: pick a root and a 3rd and ask whether the interval is major or minor before checking.
Common mistakes
- Lowering the 5th instead of the 3rd — Lowering the 5th as well as the 3rd gives a diminished chord, not a minor chord. Only the 3rd moves: the 5th stays exactly seven semitones above the root.
- Using the harmonic minor scale by mistake — The harmonic minor scale raises the 7th degree, which does not affect the triad, but beginners sometimes raise the 6th as well and build the wrong chord. Build triads from the natural minor scale, where the 3rd is always three semitones above the root.
- Playing the minor 3rd too quietly on piano — In a minor chord the 3rd is the note that carries the emotion, so if it is buried under a loud root and 5th the chord sounds empty. Voice the 3rd clearly, especially in the middle register.
Quick reference
For example, the minor triad chord on C is C – D# – G, and every other row follows the same pattern. Keep this table beside you while you practise. It lists the minor triad chord on six common roots, and because the root, minor 3rd and perfect 5th pattern is identical on every root, learning one row properly means you can work out the other five by counting semitones from the root note.
| Root | Minor Triad notes |
|---|---|
| C | C – D# – G |
| G | G – A# – D |
| D | D – F – A |
| A | A – C – E |
| E | E – G – B |
| F | F – G# – C |
The pattern in the table is the whole lesson in miniature: the same intervals, the same shape, a different starting note. Practise the rows in a random order rather than top to bottom, so you are building each minor triad chord from the intervals instead of memorising a list.
Frequently asked questions
What three notes make a minor chord?
The root, the minor 3rd and the perfect 5th. In A minor those notes are A, C and E. The minor 3rd sits three semitones above the root and the perfect 5th sits seven semitones above the root, and that spacing defines every minor chord in every key.
How is a minor chord different from a major chord?
Only the 3rd differs. A major chord has a major 3rd, four semitones above the root, while a minor chord has a minor 3rd, three semitones above the root. The root and the 5th are identical, so changing one note flips a major chord into a minor chord.
Why do minor chords sound sad?
The minor 3rd is a slightly narrower interval than the major 3rd, and listeners in the Western tradition associate that narrower, darker sound with sadness and tension. The effect is partly learned and partly acoustic, but it is consistent enough that composers have relied on it for centuries.
Can a minor chord be built on any note?
Yes. The formula root plus minor 3rd plus perfect 5th works on all twelve notes. Some are more common than others: A minor, E minor, D minor and B minor cover most guitar music, while F# minor and C# minor appear often in piano music in sharp keys.
What is the easiest minor chord on guitar?
E minor, which needs only two fingers, and A minor, which needs three fingers in a simple cluster. Both are open chords, so they ring freely, and they are the best starting point before tackling the barre shapes such as F# minor and B minor.