Key of A major
The key of A major has three sharps — F♯, C♯ and G♯. Its scale runs A B C♯ D E F♯ G♯, and building a triad on each of those seven notes — stacking thirds from the scale itself — produces the key's seven chords.
That gives three major chords, three minor chords and one diminished chord. The majors — A (I), D (IV) and E (V) — are the workhorses that carry most songs in the key; the minors Bm (ii), C♯m (iii) and F♯m (vi) supply the softer colors, and G♯° (vii°) appears mostly as a passing chord.
Relative minor: F♯ minor — the same seven chords, with F♯m as home base.
The seven chords of A major
Common questions
- What chords are in the key of A major?
- The seven chords in the key of A major are A (I), Bm (ii), C♯m (iii), D (IV), E (V), F♯m (vi) and G♯° (vii°).
- What is the relative minor of A major?
- F♯ minor. The two keys share the same key signature and the same seven chords — F♯ minor simply treats F♯m, not A, as home.
- How many sharps or flats does A major have?
- A major has three sharps: F♯, C♯ and G♯.