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A Major Chord

A major is A, C sharp and E: a bright, open-sounding chord with a lot of pull. It is home base in the key of A, the chord that leads back to D in D major, and the major chord that makes D minor sound finished. On guitar it is one of the first open chords most players learn.

  • Notes: A-C sharp-E
  • Symbol: A
  • Home chord of A major
  • Leads to D
Switch chordA

How to play an A major chord

Notes: A - C# - E · symbol A

  • Root position

    A - C# - E
    C4C5
    Right hand 1-3-5 · Left 5-3-1

  • 1st inversion

    C# - E - A
    C4C5
    Right hand 1-2-5 · Left 5-3-1

  • 2nd inversion

    E - A - C#
    C4C5
    Right hand 1-3-5 · Left 5-2-1

Where does A major belong?

All three notes come from the A major scale, so A major is the home chord of that key. But the same three notes turn up in other keys too, each time with a different job. Press play on each card and listen to how the same chord arrives, leans forward or steps aside. Diatonic Chords explains how a key hands out those numbered roles.

  • In A majorHome
    I

    A song in A major keeps coming back to this chord.

    DIVEVAI
  • In D majorTension
    V

    It pulls back to D: C sharp wants to rise one half step to D.

    DIGIVAVDI
  • In E majorA step away
    IV

    A warm move away from E, softer than the V that follows.

    EIAIVBVEI
  • In D minorMinor-key dominant
    V

    Harmonic minor raises the third to C sharp, so Dm sounds truly finished.

    DmiGmivAVDmi

Progressions to try

  • ADEA

    I-IV-V-I in A major, the backbone of countless blues, rock and folk songs. See The I IV V Progression (1 4 5).

  • AEF#mD

    I-V-vi-IV in A, the four chords behind a large share of modern pop. See The Axis Progression.

  • DGAD

    Here A is the V of D major. Listen to how the last move lands.

  • DmGmADm

    The same A chord, now the dominant of D minor. The C sharp makes the return to Dm sound final.

Which shape should you use?

On guitar, the open shape (x02220) is the natural choice in first position, next to open D and E. It rings because the top string stays open. The barre shape on the 5th fret (577655) is tighter and easier to mute, and it sits well when the chords around it are barre chords too. The higher shapes are useful when a second guitarist or a keyboard already covers the low register.

On ukulele, 2100 is the standard shape: two fingers, two open strings.

On piano, pick the inversion that keeps your hand still. Coming from D major (D-F sharp-A), play A in first inversion (C sharp-E-A): A stays where it is, and the other two notes each move one step down.

What are the inversions?

A is the root and names the chord. C sharp is the major third, four semitones up. E is the fifth, seven semitones up.

  • Root position: A-C sharp-E, with A lowest.
  • First inversion: C sharp-E-A, written A/C# when C sharp is the lowest note.
  • Second inversion: E-A-C sharp, written A/E when E is the lowest note.

A bass player can change the actual lowest note even when your right hand plays an inversion. Chord Inversions explains why that matters.

How does A minor differ?

Keep A and E; lower only C sharp to C. The result is A-C-E, which is A minor. On guitar the open shape changes from x02220 to x02210: one finger moves back a fret. On ukulele 2100 becomes 2000. Alternate the two and listen to the third: that one note carries the whole difference.

  • A

    A - C# - E
    C4

    A major

  • Am

    A - C - E
    C4

    A minor

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