Guitar · key of A major

Chords in the key of A major

The seven chords in the key of A major are A, Bm, C♯m, D, E, F♯m and G♯dim. A, D and E are the major chords (I, IV and V), Bm, C♯m and F♯m are the minor chords (ii, iii and vi), and G♯dim is diminished (vii°). Its relative minor is F♯ minor, which uses the same seven chords.

Key

Scale

The chords of A major
Numeral	Triad	Notes	Seventh chord	Notes	Number	Role
I	Ahome	A C♯ E	Amaj7home	A C♯ E G♯	1	tonic
ii	Bmrestless	B D F♯	Bm7restless	B D F♯ A	2m	supertonic
iii	C♯mhalf-light	C♯ E G♯	C♯m7half-light	C♯ E G♯ B	3m	mediant
IV	Dthe door	D F♯ A	Dmaj7the door	D F♯ A C♯	4	subdominant
V	Ethe pull	E G♯ B	E7the pull	E G♯ B D	5	dominant
vi	F♯mthe shadow	F♯ A C♯	F♯m7the shadow	F♯ A C♯ E	6m	submediant
vii°	G♯dimthe edge	G♯ B D	G♯m7♭5the edge	G♯ B D F♯	7°	leading tone

Sound

Strum or arpeggiate any chord, tap a note to hear it, drag the strip under a picture to play it further up the neck, or pick another inversion. Library opens the chord there, with every other way to play it.

A

LibraryStandard

I · tonic

Bm

LibraryStandard

ii · supertonic

C♯m

LibraryStandard

iii · mediant

D

LibraryStandard

IV · subdominant

E

LibraryFamousStandard

V · dominant

F♯m

LibraryStandard

vi · submediant

G♯dim

LibraryStandard

vii° · leading tone

Chord progressions in A major

Press a chord to hear it and see its shape, or Play to hear the progression on guitar. The colours say what each chord does in the key.

Sound Pattern Tempo85

↓ · ↓ ↑ · ↑ ↓ ↑ · Down, down-up, up-down-up: the campfire strum, also called the calypso strum.

Colours

homethe pullthe doorthe shadowrestlesshalf-light

What each chord does in its key. Press a chord to hear it and read more.

The three-chord trick

I | IV | V | I

Key Chord chart

The chords of countless folk, country, blues and rock and roll songs.

The pop progression

I | V | vi | IV

Key Chord chart

I–V–vi–IV, behind a great many hits since the 1980s.

The fifties progression

I | vi | IV | V

Key Chord chart

I–vi–IV–V, the doo-wop changes.

The pop progression from its minor chord

vi | IV | I | V

Key Chord chart

vi–IV–I–V: the pop progression started on its minor chord, which gives it a sadder sound.

The royal road

IV | V | iii | vi

Key Chord chart

IV–V–iii–vi, a favourite of Japanese pop.

ii–V–I

ii7 | V7 | Imaj7 | Imaj7

Key Chord chart

The turnaround of jazz, in seventh chords.

The relative minor: F♯ minor

F♯ minor has the same notes and the same seven chords as A major, starting from F♯. A song in one often moves to the other. The parallel minor, A minor, starts on the same note with a different set of chords.

Other ways to play it with a capo

A major is one of the easy keys on guitar, with open chords. A capo gives other shapes for the same sound:

Capo 2, the shapes of G major: G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em and F♯dim
Capo 5, the shapes of E major: E, F♯m, G♯m, A, B, C♯m and D♯dim
Capo 7, the shapes of D major: D, Em, F♯m, G, A, Bm and C♯dim

The A major scale and key signature

The notes of A major are A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯. Its key signature has three sharps: C♯, F♯ and G♯. Each chord of the key is built from these notes, a third apart: a chord on every note of the scale. See the A major scale on the guitar neck, and the A major pentatonic.

Keys nearby

On the circle of fifths, E major and D major sit on either side of A major. Each shares six of its seven notes, which makes them the easiest keys to change to.

Every key

C D♭D E♭E F F♯G A♭A B♭B

C minor C♯ minor D minor E♭ minor E minor F minor F♯ minor G minor G♯ minor A minor B♭ minor B minor

All twenty-four on one page: chords in every key. To print these chords, open them as a chord chart, or make your own in the chord chart maker. This key on bass, ukulele, mandolin and banjo.