All chords › A

A Guitar Chords

51 chord types built on A, from the plain triad through to the extended and altered shapes — 775 playable voicings in total, every one with its fingering marked.

82% of the A shapes here (635 of 775) let at least one string ring open, so a lot of them sound fuller than the barre versions and are easier to hold. As a key centre, A is the I chord; it also turns up as the IV of D and the V of E.

The five you will reach for first

The five shapes every player meets first: the plain major and minor triads, the power chord, and the two triads that alter the fifth. Between them these 5 chords account for 102 of the 775 A shapes on this site.

Jump to: A · Am · A5 · Aaug · Adim

A

AC#E
21 shapes · open & play
O
O
2
4
1
1
1
O
2
4
3
1
1
1
X
O
O
1
2
3
X
O
X
X
O
1
X
O
2
1
1
1
4
O
X
X
O
5
1
2
O
O
5
T
3
2
1
O
5
1
3
4
2
1
X
O
X
O
5
2
1
X
O
5
3
2
1
1
X
O
O
5
3
2
1
5
1
3
4
2
1
1
X
O
X
X
O
6
1
X
O
X
O
6
2
1
X
O
9
4
1
3
2
X
O
O
9
3
1
2
X
9
4
3
1
2
1
X
O
X
X
O
11
1
X
O
O
11
1
3
4
X
O
12
2
3
4
1
X
12
1
2
3
4
1

A turns up as the I, V, IV, VI chord across 6 keys: I of A major, V of D major, IV of E major, VI of C# minor, III of F# minor, VII of B minor.

Progressions that actually use it: I – V – vi – IV (A major), I – vi – IV – V (A major), I – IV – V (A major), I – IV – iv – I (A major).

Fret and finger numbers for A
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
5 0 2 2 2 04 – 1 1 1 –
5 4 2 2 2 04 3 1 1 1 –
X 0 2 2 2 0– – 1 2 3 –
X 0 X X 2 0– – – – 1 –
X 0 2 2 2 5– – 1 1 1 4
5 0 X 6 X 01 – – 2 – –
5 0 7 6 5 0T – 3 2 1 –
5 7 7 6 5 01 3 4 2 1 –
X 0 X 6 5 0– – – 2 1 –
X 0 7 6 5 5– – 3 2 1 1
X 0 7 6 5 0– – 3 2 1 –
5 7 7 6 5 51 3 4 2 1 1
X 0 X 6 X 0– – – 1 – –
X 0 7 6 X 0– – 2 1 – –
X 0 11 9 10 9– – 4 1 3 2
X 0 11 9 10 0– – 3 1 2 –
X 12 11 9 10 9– 4 3 1 2 1
X 0 11 X X 0– – 1 – – –
X 0 11 14 14 0– – 1 3 4 –
X 0 14 14 14 12– – 2 3 4 1
X 12 14 14 14 12– 1 2 3 4 1

Am

ACE
21 shapes · open & play
X
O
O
2
3
1
X
O
X
X
O
1
O
O
2
2
1
3
4
X
O
O
2
1
3
4
X
O
2
1
2
3
4
O
5
1
3
4
1
1
O
O
5
1
4
2
3
X
O
X
X
O
5
1
X
O
5
3
1
1
1
X
O
O
5
3
1
1
5
1
3
4
1
1
1
X
X
5
3
1
2
4
X
O
X
7
1
3
2
X
O
X
X
8
2
1
X
O
8
3
2
4
1
X
O
O
9
2
1
3
X
O
X
X
O
10
1
X
O
X
O
10
1
2
X
12
1
3
4
2
1
X
X
12
1
3
4
2
X
O
X
O
13
2
1

Am turns up as the i, v, iv, vi chord across 6 keys: i of A minor, v of D minor, iv of E minor, vi of C major, ii of G major, iii of F major.

Progressions that actually use it: i – VI – III – VII (A minor), i – iv – v (A minor), i – iv – V7 – i (A minor), i – VII – VI – V (A minor).

Fret and finger numbers for Am
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 0 2 2 1 0– – 2 3 1 –
X 0 X X 1 0– – – – 1 –
5 0 2 5 5 02 – 1 3 4 –
X 0 2 5 5 0– – 1 3 4 –
X 0 2 5 5 5– – 1 2 3 4
5 7 7 5 5 01 3 4 1 1 –
5 0 7 5 5 01 – 4 2 3 –
X 0 X 5 X 0– – – 1 – –
X 0 7 5 5 5– – 3 1 1 1
X 0 7 5 5 0– – 3 1 1 –
5 7 7 5 5 51 3 4 1 1 1
X X 7 5 5 8– – 3 1 2 4
X 0 7 9 X 8– – 1 3 – 2
X 0 X 9 X 8– – – 2 – 1
X 0 10 9 10 8– – 3 2 4 1
X 0 10 9 10 0– – 2 1 3 –
X 0 10 X X 0– – 1 – – –
X 0 10 X 10 0– – 1 – 2 –
X 12 14 14 13 12– 1 3 4 2 1
X 12 14 14 13 X– 1 3 4 2 –
X 0 X 14 13 0– – – 2 1 –

A5

AE
20 shapes · open & play
X
O
X
X
O
1
X
O
X
X
O
1
X
O
O
2
1
1
4
X
O
2
1
2
3
4
X
O
X
O
2
3
O
X
X
X
O
5
1
O
X
X
O
5
1
2
O
X
X
5
1
2
3
X
O
X
X
O
5
1
X
O
X
X
5
1
2
X
O
X
5
3
1
1
X
X
X
X
5
1
3
X
X
X
X
5
3
1
X
O
X
X
O
7
1
X
O
O
7
1
3
4
X
X
X
X
7
1
3
X
O
X
X
O
9
1
X
O
X
X
O
10
1
X
X
X
12
1
3
4
X
X
12
1
3
4
1

A5 fits 12 of the twenty-four major and minor keys — a chord this open leaves most of the scale untouched. These are the 6 where it carries the weight, as the I, IV or V: I of A major, i of A minor, V of D major, v of D minor, IV of E major, iv of E minor.

Fret and finger numbers for A5
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 0 X 2 X 0– – – 1 – –
X 0 2 X X 0– – 1 – – –
X 0 2 2 5 0– – 1 1 4 –
X 0 2 2 5 5– – 1 2 3 4
X 0 2 2 X 0– – 2 3 – –
5 0 X X X 01 – – – – –
5 0 X X 5 01 – – – 2 –
5 0 X X 5 51 – – – 2 3
X 0 X X 5 0– – – – 1 –
X 0 X X 5 5– – – – 1 2
X 0 7 X 5 5– – 3 – 1 1
5 7 X X X X1 3 – – – –
X X 7 X 5 X– – 3 – 1 –
X 0 7 X X 0– – 1 – – –
X 0 7 9 10 0– – 1 3 4 –
X X 7 9 X X– – 1 3 – –
X 0 X 9 X 0– – – 1 – –
X 0 X X 10 0– – – – 1 –
X 12 14 14 X X– 1 3 4 – –
X 12 14 14 X 12– 1 3 4 – 1

Aaug

AC#F
22 shapes · open & play
X
O
4
2
3
1
X
O
X
2
3
1
X
O
X
X
2
1
X
O
X
X
2
1
X
O
X
2
1
1
X
O
X
3
1
3
4
X
O
X
X
3
1
4
X
X
3
3
2
1
4
X
X
X
5
1
2
3
X
X
5
4
2
3
1
X
O
X
6
1
1
4
X
O
X
X
6
1
1
X
O
6
2
1
1
4
X
O
X
6
2
1
1
X
O
X
X
9
2
1
X
O
9
4
2
3
1
X
O
X
X
10
2
1
X
O
10
2
1
1
4
X
10
3
2
1
1
4
X
X
10
3
2
1
1
X
X
X
11
2
1
3
X
X
12
1
3
4
2

Aaug — The fifth is raised, which puts a note outside every major and minor key. It almost always appears on the way somewhere — holding a major chord for a moment while the top voice climbs toward the next one.

Fret and finger numbers for Aaug
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 0 3 2 2 1– – 4 2 3 1
X 0 X 2 2 1– – – 2 3 1
X 0 X X 2 1– – – – 2 1
X 0 3 X 2 X– – 2 – 1 –
X 0 3 2 2 X– – 2 1 1 –
X 0 3 6 6 X– – 1 3 4 –
X 0 3 6 X X– – 1 4 – –
5 4 3 X X 53 2 1 – – 4
5 X X 6 6 X1 – – 2 3 –
X X 7 6 6 5– – 4 2 3 1
X 0 X 6 6 9– – – 1 1 4
X 0 X 6 6 X– – – 1 1 –
X 0 7 6 6 9– – 2 1 1 4
X 0 7 6 6 X– – 2 1 1 –
X 0 X 10 X 9– – – 2 – 1
X 0 11 10 10 9– – 4 2 3 1
X 0 11 10 X X– – 2 1 – –
X 0 11 10 10 13– – 2 1 1 4
X 12 11 10 10 13– 3 2 1 1 4
X 12 11 10 10 X– 3 2 1 1 –
X 12 11 X X 13– 2 1 – – 3
X 12 X 14 14 13– 1 – 3 4 2

Adim

ACEb
18 shapes · open & play
X
O
X
X
1
2
X
O
X
1
3
2
O
X
4
2
3
1
4
X
O
X
X
4
2
1
X
X
X
4
2
3
1
X
X
X
4
4
2
1
X
O
7
1
2
4
3
X
O
X
7
1
2
3
X
O
X
8
1
3
2
X
O
X
8
3
1
2
X
O
8
3
1
4
2
X
O
X
X
10
1
2
X
O
X
10
1
2
3
X
X
10
4
1
2
3
X
X
X
10
3
1
2
X
X
10
3
1
4
2
X
O
X
11
3
4
1
X
X
11
2
3
4
1

Adim is the ii° and the vii° chord of G minor and Bb major.

Fret and finger numbers for Adim
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 0 1 X 1 X– – 1 – 2 –
X 0 1 2 1 X– – 1 3 2 –
5 0 X 5 4 52 – – 3 1 4
X 0 X 5 4 X– – – 2 1 –
5 X X 5 4 X2 – – 3 1 –
X X 7 5 4 X– – 4 2 1 –
X 0 7 8 10 8– – 1 2 4 3
X 0 7 8 X 8– – 1 2 – 3
X 0 X 8 10 8– – – 1 3 2
X 0 10 8 X 8– – 3 1 – 2
X 0 10 8 10 8– – 3 1 4 2
X 0 10 X X 11– – 1 – – 2
X 0 10 X 10 11– – 1 – 2 3
X 12 10 X 10 11– 4 1 – 2 3
X 12 10 X X 11– 3 1 – – 2
X 12 10 X 13 11– 3 1 – 4 2
X 0 13 X 13 11– – 3 – 4 1
X 12 13 X 13 11– 2 3 – 4 1

The rest of the A chords

A Major-family chords

9 chord types · 113 shapes

Amaj7 · Aadd9 · A6 · Amaj9 · Amaj11 · Amaj13 · A6/9 · Amaj7add11 · Amaj7add13

A Minor-family chords

14 chord types · 176 shapes

Am7 · Am6 · Am6/9 · Am(maj7) · Am7add11 · Am(maj7)add11 · Am7add13 · Am(maj7)add13 · Am(add9) · Am9 · Am(maj9) · Am11 · Am(maj11) · Am13

A Dominant chords

6 chord types · 84 shapes

A7 · A9 · A11 · A13 · A7add11 · A7add13

A Suspended & Altered chords

17 chord types · 300 shapes

Asus2 · Asus4 · A7sus4 · Amaj7sus4 · A7sus2 · Amaj7sus2 · A6sus4 · A6sus2 · Am7b5 · Am7#5 · Adim7 · A7b9 · A7#9 · A7b5 · Aaug7 · Aaug7b9 · Am7b9

Every chord above has an open & play link that opens it in the interactive dictionary, where you can hear it and step through the shapes. You can also work backwards from a shape you are already holding.