A minor is a key of the tonal family minor, which is built on the root note a. The key of A minor is written without accidentals in musical notation. The corresponding scale and the fundamental chord of this key (the tonic a-c-e) are also designated with the word a minor.
On the left the notation of A minor (no accidentals), on the right the basic chord on a piano.
As a parallel key to C major and due to the lack of accidentals, this key is a very frequently used key in all eras. It is often described as bright-sounding, gentle, noble (see key signature). It was also sometimes associated with "pious femininity". A minor was Robert Schumann's favourite key and occupies a key character in his works.
On the piano, A minor is the only minor key that uses white keys. This is the reason why piano courses often start with A minor (or the parallel key of C major). In early techno music, A minor was the most represented key for this very reason.
