What is the A Chord?
Major chords are the most common chords in Western popular music. It's no surprise since they sound happy, are easy to learn and fun to play. Learning major chords is essential to being able to play your favorite songs. The A major chord is formed from the first, third, and fifth notes of the A major scale. The notes, from lowest to highest are A, C# and E.
How to Play the A Chord on the Piano
Pianist Lindsey Cloud and Mahalo.com have teamed up to provide all the information needed to play the often-used A chord. Viewers can see the note played and listen to the commentary to better learn how to play it. This tutorial is part of a series focusing on how to learn to play the piano, which is published on the Mahalo.com channel of YouTube.
How to Play the A Chord
In the video, Lindsey shows you how to play the A major chord. Start by placing your right thumb on the root (A). Now place your middle finger on the third (C#). Finally, place your little finger on the fifth (E). Play all three notes at the same time. Make sure you play each note at the same volume.
Play the A Chord in Songs and Progressions
Any time that a song calls for a A chord, you will now know how to play one. For practice, try using the A chord in songs. Have fun!
References
Meet Our Experts
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Lindsey Cloud
Meet Lindsey Cloud, one of Mahalo's piano experts. A musician in Los Angeles, she received her bachelor's degree in music from Rhodes College. She currently works as a regular studio session musician and, since 2006, has been a private piano teacher for students of all ages and skill levels.
In Theory
Any major triad (3 note chord) consists of the root, major third and perfect fifth of its corresponding major scale.
In the key of A major, the root is A, the major third is C# and the perfect fifth is E.
Major triads can also be seen as a combination of two intervals: a minor third (3 half-steps) on top of a major third (4 half-steps).c
A major triads should not be confused with 4-note (A major seventh) chords.
