A Minor (Am)
1+b3+5
Notes in A Minor
A (root)CE
Inversions
Same notes as A Minor, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.
Root position
A in the bass
1st inversion
C in the bass
2nd inversion
E in the bass
The notes A, C and E make up A Minor.
Shrink the major third by a semitone and the same stable shape turns melancholy. A minor triad still resolves, it just carries a heavier, more introspective mood than its major counterpart. Sad songs lean on it constantly, but so do tense film cues and moody grooves, so treat the label as a starting point rather than the whole story.