The 7 chords
A · Bm · C#m · D · E · F#m · G#dim
Every major key follows the same pattern: major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished.
Chord chart
A Major chord chart
| Degree | Numeral | Chord | Notes | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I | A | A – C# – E | Amaj7 | Tonic |
| 2 | ii | Bm | B – D – F# | Bm7 | Supertonic |
| 3 | iii | C#m | C# – E – G# | C#m7 | Mediant |
| 4 | IV | D | D – F# – A | Dmaj7 | Subdominant |
| 5 | V | E | E – G# – B | E7 | Dominant |
| 6 | vi | F#m | F# – A – C# | F#m7 | Submediant |
| 7 | vii° | G#dim | G# – B – D | G#m7b5 | Leading tone |
A major scale: A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G#. Key signature: 3 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯).
Progressions
Common chord progressions in A Major
The pop progression
I – V – vi – IV
- IA
- VE
- viF#m
- IVD
The four-chord loop behind a huge share of modern pop, rock and worship songs.
Three-chord progression
I – IV – V – I
- IA
- IVD
- VE
- IA
The three primary chords, I, IV and V — the backbone of blues, folk, country and early rock and roll.
Minor-start loop
vi – IV – I – V
- viF#m
- IVD
- IA
- VE
The pop progression started on the vi. Same four chords, but opening on the minor chord makes the loop sound darker.
50s progression
I – vi – IV – V
- IA
- viF#m
- IVD
- VE
The doo-wop progression of 1950s ballads, and still one of the most common loops in songwriting.
ii – V – I
ii7 – V7 – Imaj7
- ii7Bm7
- V7E7
- Imaj7Amaj7
The jazz cadence, played with 7th chords as it almost always is. The single most common move in jazz standards.
Canon progression
I – V – vi – iii – IV – I – IV – V
- IA
- VE
- viF#m
- iiiC#m
- IVD
- IA
- IVD
- VE
The eight-chord sequence of Pachelbel's Canon, borrowed by countless pop songs since.
Want more? Generate a progression in A Major by style, or build your own in the Chord Progression Player.
7th chords
7th chords in the key of A Major
Add the next note of the scale on top of each chord and you get its diatonic 7th chord — the sound of jazz, soul and R&B in A major.
On guitar
Playing in A Major on guitar
3 of the 7 chords are open chords (A, D, E); Bm, C#m, F#m, G#dim need a barre or a moveable shape. A capo lets you swap those for open shapes:
Capo 2 + G major shapes
Finger G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em, F#dim — they sound as A, Bm, C#m, D, E, F#m, G#dim. 5 of the 7 shapes are open chords.
See the G major chordsCapo 7 + D major shapes
Finger D, Em, F#m, G, A, Bm, C#dim — they sound as A, Bm, C#m, D, E, F#m, G#dim. 4 of the 7 shapes are open chords.
See the D major chords
Scales for soloing in A Major
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
The key of A major has seven chords: A, Bm, C#m, D, E, F#m and G#dim. Each is built from the notes of the A major scale (A B C# D E F# G#), so all seven share one key signature: 3 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯).
A, D and E — the I, IV and V chords. Those three contain every note of the A major scale between them, which is why so many songs in A major use little else.
F# minor. It uses the same seven chords and the same key signature as A major; the difference is which chord feels like home. A song that keeps returning to F#m is in F# minor; one that settles on A is in A major.
3 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯). A major shares its key signature with its relative minor, F# minor.
E, the V chord. Its 7th chord, E7, is the only dominant 7th in the key, and E7 → A is the strongest way to end a song in A major.
Amaj7, Bm7, C#m7, Dmaj7, E7, F#m7 and G#m7b5. Each adds the next note of the scale on top of the triad, which gives two major 7ths, three minor 7ths, one dominant 7th and one half-diminished (m7♭5).
Stacking the scale notes on G# gives G#, B, D: a minor 3rd and then another minor 3rd, so the 5th is flattened. It is the least-used chord in the key — songs often skip it, or use E7 where it would go.
Use a capo. Only 3 of the 7 chords in A major are open chords, but with a capo on fret 2 you can play G major shapes (G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em and F#dim) and they sound in A major. 5 of those shapes are open chords.
Related Tools
Circle of FifthsSee every key, its relative minor and its neighbours on one wheelKey FinderPaste a progression and detect its key with Roman numeral analysisChord Progression GeneratorPick a key and style to generate a diatonic progressionCapo CalculatorFind the capo position to play any key with open shapes