Hey Friend,

When it comes to playing most Rock, Blues, and Country music, the VIm chord (minor six) is the last real functional chord at out disposal in the key. Yes, we still need to cover the VII° chord (diminished), but when was the last time you saw that chord in a song?

In the key of C major, the VIm chord is A minor. Your quick refresher:

You can get the notes for the A minor chord by looking at the 6 8 10 notes from the C major scale, or you could use the 1 3 5 notes from the A minor scale, which is:

A B C D E F G 

Notice anything there? Does it look like any other key we've been studying (hint, hint)... No sharps or flats...

Yep, the key of A minor uses the same notes as the key of C major. That makes A minor a "relative" key to C major, and vice versa. C major is A minor's relative major key, just as A minor is C major's relative minor key. So when you learn a major key, you're also learning a minor key, too.

In the exercises, pay attention to the fingering. The chord chart shows that you place your index finger on the fourth string, middle on the third and ring on the second string. That is not how I teach the fingering, but due to limitations in the software, I couldn't change the fingering. 

I teach both A major and A minor chords with your middle finger on the fourth string. This way, if you ever need to switch between A major and A minor,. the middle finger stays anchored on the fourth string and all you have to do is switch the index and ring fingers. 

This give you freedom to move around to other chords as well. Again, more efficient...

As far as keys where the A minor chord shows up, let's first look at the major keys:

And the minor keys:

Play through the exercises today, get the finger gymnastics down so you can move between the A major and A minor chords. You won't see this chord change very often in songs, but it's good calisthenics for your hands and fingers. Work on the changes with steady, consistent speed - not too fast or slow. 

See you tomorrow!

Peace~

Dave