Root position A
A – C♯ – E
Right hand 1-3-5Left hand 5-3-1
A Major Chord on Piano
A A C♯ E Formula 1 3 5 3 notes
Notes
What notes are in the A Major chord?
The A Major chord has 3 notes: A, C♯, E. Start on A, go up 4 half steps for the major third, then 3 more for the perfect fifth.
| Note | Interval from the root | Half steps |
|---|---|---|
| A | Root | 0 |
| C♯ | Major 3rd | 4 |
| E | Perfect 5th | 7 |
Inversions and fingering
Every way to play A Major
The same notes in a different order. The lowest note changes the name after the slash; the fingering below is the usual one - right hand from the lowest key up, left hand from the lowest key up too.
1st inversion A/C♯
C♯ – E – A
Right hand 1-2-5Left hand 5-3-1
2nd inversion A/E
E – A – C♯
Right hand 1-3-5Left hand 5-2-1
In real music
Songs that use A Major
Pieces from the GOONS sheet music library where A holds for at least two bars of our arrangement (read from the score, root in the bass).
Where it lives
Keys and scales with A Major
Every key where A is one of the seven chords, with its Roman numeral, and the scales whose notes include all of it - the ones to improvise over it.
In these keys
Scales that contain all its notes
Questions
Frequently asked
What notes are in the A Major chord?
The A Major chord (A) is made of A, C♯, E. Its formula is 1 3 5 - the root, then the intervals of a major chord.
How do you play A on the piano?
Put your right thumb on A and play the other notes with fingers 1-3-5. With the left hand, use fingers 5-3-1 from the lowest key up.
What are the inversions of A?
root position A (A C♯ E); 1st inversion A/C♯ (C♯ E A); 2nd inversion A/E (E A C♯).
Play it for real
Hold A and build a progression on it
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