A major
How to play A — Major
A (Major)A · C♯ · E
Piano samples: Salamander Grand Piano (CC-BY 3.0)
A major — notes and structure
The A chord has a bright, stable, resolved sound — the most common chord in popular music.
The A major consists of the notes A, C♯, E. Its interval structure is R–3–5 — the root, then each chord tone stacked above it. This is the same chord you see in the interactive finder above, drawn on the piano keyboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
A stacks a major third (C♯) and a perfect fifth (E) above the root A.
To play A, press the keys A, C♯, E together — the root A is circled on the interactive keyboard above.
What key is A in?
Every note of A belongs to the scales below, so the chord sounds at home in each of these keys — the roman numeral is the degree it sits on.
- D major — the V chord
- A major — the I chord
- E major — the IV chord
- B minor — the VII chord
Chords that go with A
In D major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put A next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the A major chord on piano?
- The A chord is made of the notes A, C♯, E. It has a bright, stable, resolved sound — the most common chord in popular music.
- How do you play A major on the piano?
- Press A, C♯, E at the same time, with the root A as the lowest note. The interactive keyboard above lights up the exact keys.
- What is the major chord formula?
- Its interval structure is R–3–5 above the root — the same shape transposed to any of the twelve keys.
- What key does A belong to?
- A fits D major (where it is the V chord), A major (where it is the I chord), E major (where it is the IV chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.