The next chord type you will learn to play is the minor chord. Minor chords consist of three notes taken from the major scale of the same letter name. These notes are the 1 (first), b3 (flattened third) and 5 (fifth) notes of the major scale, so the chord formula for the minor chord is:
A flattened third (b3) is created by lowering the third note of the scale by one semitone. Notice that the minor chord is simply a major chord with the third flattened.
The Am chord is constructed from the A major scale. Using the previous chord formula on the A major scale as follows, it can be seen that the Am chord contains the notes A, C and E. When the third note of the A major scale (C#) is flattened, it becomes a C note.
Play the three notes of the Am chord with the first, third, and fifth fingers of your right hand, individually, and then together, as shown here.