A major (A)
Three fingers squeezed into the same fret: A major sounds clear and bright, and with D and E it makes up the classic rock and country trio.
It’s played in open position, near the nut, and as a barre chord higher up the neck. It’s the home chord of the key of A major; you’ll also find it in E major and D major.
- Notes:
- A, C♯, E.
- Formula:
- 1, 3, 5.
- Difficulty:
- Beginner.
- Strings played:
- 5 (from the A string).
Chord diagram
e|--0--| B|--2--| G|--2--| D|--2--| A|--0--| E|--x--|
Other positions
e|--5--| B|--5--| G|--6--| D|--7--| A|--7--| E|--5--|
Common mistakes
High E string muted? Your ring finger, on the B string, is spilling onto the string below. Straighten it up, or play all three notes with one finger as a mini barre.
Fingers won’t fit in the fret? Angle them: index finger a little further back, ring finger right up against the fret wire.
Variations
A7: lift your middle finger and let the G string ring open. Asus2 and Asus4: lift the finger off the B string, or move it up one fret.
e|--0--| B|--2--| G|--0--| D|--2--| A|--0--| E|--x--|
e|--0--| B|--0--| G|--2--| D|--2--| A|--0--| E|--x--|
e|--0--| B|--3--| G|--2--| D|--2--| A|--0--| E|--x--|
Heard in
Wild Thing (The Troggs): A, D, E. Stand by Me (Ben E. King) is in A, with A, F♯ minor, D and E.
Often played with
The chords in its key, the ones you hear most often around A major.