Am Ukulele Chord
Am is the A minor chord. It has three notes: A, C and E. On the ukulele it is a one finger chord: middle finger on the 2nd fret of the G string with everything else open, which makes it one of the first chords most players learn.
The one finger shape: middle finger on the 2nd fret of the G string, with the C, E and A strings open around it.
How to play Am on ukulele, step by step
- Middle finger: 2nd fret, G string
- Leave the C, E and A strings open. Strum all four strings.
Am is one finger away from A major: add the index at the 1st fret of the C string and the chord turns bright. Lift both fingers off and the four open strings play Am7. This corner of the neck is the friendliest on the instrument.
More ways to play Am
There are 3 common Am shapes: the standard one at the top of the page, plus these further up the neck. You only ever need one. Tap any card to hear it.
Brighter than the standard shape, with the flat third up on the G string leaning into the sad note a little harder.
Thin and plinky this high up the neck, closer to a mandolin than to the open shape. Good for a change of colour.
If it sounds wrong
- The open C string sounds muffled
- The middle finger on the G string is leaning over and brushing it. Stand the finger up on its tip so the C string next door can ring.
- The chord sounds thin
- Strum across all four strings and let the stroke finish past the A string. Stopping short leaves the chord half played.
- It sounds like a different chord
- Check the finger is on the G string, the one nearest your chin, and behind the 2nd fret. On the C string instead, the same fret gives a D note and the chord stops being Am.
What makes it an Am
A · C · E 1 ♭3 5
Am is a minor triad: the root A, a minor third C, and a fifth E. The C is the note that makes it darker than A major. In the standard shape the open C, E and A strings supply three of the four voices, which is why the chord needs only one finger: the ukulele's tuning almost plays it for you.
Am is the relative minor of C major: the two chords share a key signature, so Am turns up constantly in songs built around C, F and G. In the key of G it works as the ii chord and in the key of C it is the vi chord, the two most common jobs a minor chord has in popular music.
Am vs A
One note separates them: Am has a C, A major has a C sharp. On the ukulele that is the open C string against the same string fretted at 1. Add the index at the 1st fret of the C string and Am turns into A; lift it off and the chord turns sad again.
That half step is the entire difference between major and minor, and this pair is the easiest place on the instrument to hear it. Rock the index on and off while strumming and the mood flips with the finger.
Am chord questions
Is Am the easiest ukulele chord?
Close to it. One finger and three open strings; only C major, also one finger, and C6, which needs no fingers at all, are simpler.
What is the difference between Am and A on ukulele?
One note. Am uses the open C string; A major frets that string at 1 for a C sharp. The rest of the shape is identical.
Do you strum all four strings for Am?
Yes. Every string belongs to the chord, so strum from the G string down through the A string.
Why does Am appear in so many songs?
It is the relative minor of C major, the most common ukulele key, so any song built around C, F and G is likely to reach for it.
What should I learn after Am?
Am7 is this chord with a seventh added, and on the ukulele it is the four open strings: lift the finger off entirely. C, F and G7 complete the beginner set.
Chords to learn next
Other A chords
Am ukulele chord chart (2000) from melodician.com