There's no stupidity, one has to scratch a little bit at a time with such a complex instrument.  With regards to chords and scales, an A minor chord always has the same notes played (A, C, E), but whether A is played as a major or minor chord depends on the scale "quality" and root note. Major scale:  I    ii    iii    IV    V    vi    vii° so in C we have C Dm Em F G Am B° and back to C minor scale: i    ii°    III    iv    V    VI    VII    vii° https://en.wikipedi