Irish bouzouki Am chord (GDAE)A minor: 2 2 3 0, and 4 more shapes
Frets, low course to high: 2 2 3 0 (open position)
- G course: 2nd fret, index finger (barre), A
- D course: 2nd fret, index finger (barre), E
- A course: 3rd fret, middle finger, C
- E course: open, E
Sounds: A E C E · Am is A, C, E (1 · ♭3 · 5)
Found in: G major (ii), D mixolydian (v), G mixolydian (ii), D dorian (v), G dorian (ii), A dorian (i)
Open courses that ring: A and E are notes of Am, so they can drone under it.
No 3rd: A5 (2 2 0 0) leaves the 3rd out, so it backs A major, mixolydian, dorian and minor tunes alike.
Tuning GDAE: G D A E, low to high. The octave mandolin uses the same tuning, so these shapes fit it too.
The link can’t set the tuning: the app starts on the Irish bouzouki in GDAD. Choose GDAE once in its Settings and it remembers.
More Am shapes
- 5 2 0 0
open · Am/C - 5 7 0 0
5fr · Am/C - 9 7 0 8
7fr · Am/E - 9 10 0 0
9fr · Am/E
Am in session keys
- A dorian (i, a main chord): Am – G – Am (Am-G-Am, the dorian rock)
- A minor (i, a main chord): Am – G – F – G
- E minor (iv): Em – Am – D – Em (with the minor iv)
- C major (vi): C – Am – F – G (a B part that wanders, or a song)
Other A chords, Irish bouzouki GDAE
Other minor chords
Am in other tunings
All Irish bouzouki GDAE chords · Printable chart (PDF) · Tuning · The app