A
Major · A – C♯ – E
- AR
- C♯3
- E5
hear it, browse voicings, or tap notes to name any chord
Guitar voicings
Piano
- Root
- Third / sus
- Fifth
- Sixth / seventh
- Extension
About the A chord
The A chord (major) is made up of 3 notes — A is the root, C♯ the major third and E the perfect fifth. It is the plainest, most stable chord there is — a major triad with nothing added.
On guitar, A chords are most often played in open position: x02220. Let the open A and high E strings ring, and leave the low E string out. The diagrams above show 4 playable voicings in all.
Major chords sound bright and settled, anchoring a huge share of pop, folk and rock.
Common questions
- What notes are in the A chord?
- The A chord contains the notes A, C♯ and E.
- How do you play A on guitar?
- A common open-position shape is x02220. The diagrams above show 4 playable voicings you can strum or hear.
- What intervals make up the A chord?
- The A chord is built from the root (A), a major third (C♯) and a perfect fifth (E).
More than a chord chart
The chart above is just the start. Open A in the finder to hear it on guitar and piano and browse every playable voicing side by side. Or switch to Name my chord — tap frets or keys and MobileChords identifies the chord you're playing, inversions and slash chords included.
Songs that use A
Common beginner-friendly versions — keys and voicings vary by recording.
Found in keys: I in A majorIV in E majorV in D majorIII in F♯ minorVI in C♯ minorVII in B minor