Minor chords on guitar can be very accessible to use, with simple open shapes that are easy to manipulate with fingers. By shifting them slightly, these forms become moveable.
As with major chords, minor chords contain notes stacked in thirds. But unlike its major chord counterpart, its minor third makes this chord sound darker than expected.
A Minor
A minor chords are among the most essential chord types to learn, acting as the dominant chord between tonic and dominant in harmonic progressions.
For an A minor triad, start by lowering the root note by one third before adding another note which is a minor third above it. Continue this pattern until your chord has been completed.
B Minor
The most traditional approach to playing B minor is with a barre chord, using your index finger to block off all strings except the low E. However, this strategy may prove challenging and could strain your fingers over time.
If you are having difficulty playing this chord shape or suffer from arthritis or dexterity issues, here are a few easier methods for playing it.
C Minor
C Minor is one of the most frequently utilized minor scales, delivering emotional intensity in songs of sorrowful tone.
Like all minor scales, it employs a pattern of half and whole steps for learning purposes. You can study one of several established methodologies.
Mastering this enclosure will enable you to better visualize notes on the fretboard, an essential skill for improvising on guitar.
D Minor
D minor is one of the essential beginner chords. With its melancholic tone, many musicians use D minor chords to add weight to their music.
Utilizing your index finger for this chord is a great way to practice fretting correctly on the first string, while simultaneously practicing percussive strumming on other fingers.
Another approach to D voicing using your ring finger instead of pinky is this D voicing technique, which will require less stretching from you but still require a strong pinky.
E Minor
The E minor chord, more commonly known by its acronym Em, is one of five most frequent guitar chords used to create emotive music. With its deep melancholic sound and emotional characteristics, Em can often be found as one of its essential tools in creating this type of atmosphere.
Chords in E minor can evoke many different feelings, from sadness to hopefulness or introspection. Experiment with different chord progressions and add emotion and feeling through dynamics and phrasing into your playing.
F Minor
F Minor is an unpredictable key that contains both sharps and flats, making it difficult for some guitarists to produce quality chords in this key.
Here are a few variations to help you make more out of these chords: The first uses a barre chord shape which requires you to spread out your fingers significantly; for the other variations, simply try changing how they sound.
G Minor
G minor chord, or Gmin, can be played as either an open chord or barre chord (see first diagram for details). An open shape may feel somewhat cumbersome and awkward; thus it may be preferable to use barre chord on third fret ( see first diagram for details).
Gmin is often associated with sadness and melancholy in rock music, though it also provides a dramatic feel when used in jazz or blues genres.
H Minor
B minor chord is one of the most widely-used chords in music, often employed to add tension in songs and compositions. It features an extremely plaintive sound.
Shape 2 is easier for beginners but still requires finger independence between your index and ring/pinkie fingers. Unlike shape 1, this version doesn’t involve barring across strings 5 and 1 at once.
Remind yourself that a minor key always starts three half steps lower on the keyboard; this characteristic gives minor keys their distinct sound! This feature makes them truly exceptional!
I Minor
Use of minor chords can create an atmospheric, sinister quality when writing song, while modulation between major and minor keys can add further dramatic shifts to emotions.
This open A minor chord is simple to play, only needing two fingers to play it. Furthermore, it makes an excellent starting point for learning scale patterns.
J Minor
J Minor is an often-used chord in songs. Its darker sound and melancholic qualities give it an inexpressibly sorrowful quality that lends itself to much melancholy introspection.
This chord can also help develop finger strength, as you must bar across multiple frets to play it successfully. While this can be challenging for beginners, building up finger strength will make more complex chords simpler to play in the future.