Piano chord
A major chord
A is a major triad: the root A, a major 3rd up to C♯ and a perfect 5th up to E.
- Symbol
- A
- Notes
- A – C♯ – E
Play it yourself
Tap A, C♯ and E on the keys below, in any order.
- A
- C♯
- E
Major chords sound bright and settled. They are the home chord of most pop, rock and folk songs, and the chord most people learn first.
Inversions of A
An inversion keeps the same notes but puts a different one at the bottom. Pianists use them to move between chords with less jumping.
- Root position
A – C♯ – E
- 1st inversion · A/C♯
C♯ – E – A
- 2nd inversion · A/E
E – A – C♯
Keys with A
A occurs naturally in these keys. The Roman numeral shows which step of the scale it is built on.