A Chord

Get to know the A chord on guitar - a simple and popular shape that sounds great in many songs, in both major and minor.

How to Play A Chord on Guitar

The A chord is based on the A major scale: A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#. The major chord includes the 1st (A), 3rd (C#), and 5th (E). A minor lowers the 3rd to C.

A major is one of the easiest chords to play in the open position. It uses three fingers across the 2nd fret of the D, G, and B strings. All strings except the low E are played.

To play A minor, you move your fingers to make an easy open shape — 1st fret on the B string, 2nd fret on the D and G strings. It sounds soft and sad, and it's also beginner-friendly.

You can also play both A major and A minor as barre chords on the 5th fret using E-shapes. These are great if you want to move to other keys later.