What notes are in an A major chord?

A major contains three notes: A (the root), C♯ (the major third), and E (the perfect fifth).

How do you play an A major chord on guitar?

The standard open voicing puts three fingers on the 2nd fret of strings 4, 3, and 2 — index, middle, and ring respectively. The 5th string rings open as A; the 1st string rings open as E. Strum from the 5th string down (avoid the 6th).

How is A major different from A minor?

Only the third changes. A major uses C♯; A minor uses C natural. The root (A) and the fifth (E) are identical in both.

What key signatures contain A major as a chord?

A major is the I chord in A major (3 sharps), the V in D major (2 sharps), the IV in E major (4 sharps), and the III in F♯ minor.

A major chord — notes, intervals, and practice

A major is the I chord of A major and the most common "guitar-friendly bright" key, especially in country and singer-songwriter music. The chord contains A, C♯, and E. All three of those notes are open strings on a guitar (A, E directly; C♯ is the 4th fret of the 1st string but C natural is open), which means A major chord shapes ring with sympathetic resonance and sustain.

Intervals

The A major chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:

A→C#major 3rd4 semitones
C#→Eminor 3rd3 semitones
A→Eperfect 5th7 semitones

On the keyboard

Each note of the A major chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.

On the guitar

One voicing of the A major chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.

Common mistakes

A major's third is C♯, not C natural — and that's the single most-missed note for beginners. A major and A minor share the same root and fifth (A and E); only the C/C♯ flips between them. When working in A major's key signature (three sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯), the C♯ is implied — but in lead sheets without a key signature, writing "A" requires you to know to add the C♯. On guitar, the standard A voicing crowds three fingers onto the 2nd fret of three adjacent strings; some players prefer a one-finger barre across the 2nd fret of strings 4-3-2 to free a finger for added notes.

In context

A major is the I chord in A major (where the standard 12-bar blues lives: A–D–E–A), the V chord in D major, the IV chord in E major, and the bVII in B minor. The "country shuffle" progression A–D–A–E sits squarely in this key and accounts for a large share of country guitar tradition.

Drill it

The A major chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.

Open the Chord Trainer →Or try today's Etudle puzzle

Frequently asked

What notes are in an A major chord?: A major contains three notes: A (the root), C♯ (the major third), and E (the perfect fifth).
How do you play an A major chord on guitar?: The standard open voicing puts three fingers on the 2nd fret of strings 4, 3, and 2 — index, middle, and ring respectively. The 5th string rings open as A; the 1st string rings open as E. Strum from the 5th string down (avoid the 6th).
How is A major different from A minor?: Only the third changes. A major uses C♯; A minor uses C natural. The root (A) and the fifth (E) are identical in both.
What key signatures contain A major as a chord?: A major is the I chord in A major (3 sharps), the V in D major (2 sharps), the IV in E major (4 sharps), and the III in F♯ minor.