E minor, A minor and D minor

A minor chord is a major chord with one note lowered by a single fret. That one note, called the third, changes the whole mood: major chords tend to sound bright and settled, minor chords sad, serious or tender.

Three of the open chords you already know have an open minor version, and each is made by moving just one finger. That makes them the easiest chords in this whole section.

Play E major, then lift finger 1 off the G string. That is it: the open G is the lowered note. Many people find E minor the easiest chord on the guitar. Two fingers, all six strings.

Switch between E and E minor and listen to the mood change.

• Finger 1 on the B string, first fret.
• Finger 2 on the D string, second fret.
• Finger 3 on the G string, second fret.
• Don't play the low E.

Compared with A major, the note on the B string drops from the second fret to the first. Notice too that A minor is the C major shape with finger 3 moved from the A string to the G string. C to A minor is one of the easiest changes you will ever make.

• Finger 2 on the G string, second fret.
• Finger 3 on the B string, third fret.
• Finger 1 on the high E string, first fret.
• Strum the top four strings only, as with D.

Compared with D major, the high E note drops from the second fret to the first. The fingering changes to make room, so practise the switch from D to D minor slowly.

These three minors appear constantly next to the majors you know. Try this progression, four strums each. It sounds like a whole song already.

If the F is still troublesome, use the small F from the F lesson. Nobody will notice.