All chords › A › Major-family

A Major-family Chords

Major seventh and the colours stacked on top of it. These are the chords that sound settled and bright rather than restless.

9 chord types · 113 playable voicings · frets 1–14 · 95 use an open string

95 of the 113 shapes below let at least one string ring open, which usually makes them easier to hold and fuller to hear than the barred equivalents. The rest are movable grips. In the keys you are most likely to meet them, these chords sit as the I of A, the IV of D, and the V of E.

Jump to: Amaj7 · Aadd9 · A6 · Amaj9 · Amaj11 · Amaj13 · A6/9 · Amaj7add11 · Amaj7add13

Amaj7

AC#EG#
18 shapes · open & play
X
O
O
2
1
3
X
O
X
O
1
2
X
O
2
1
3
4
O
2
4
1
1
1
3
X
O
1
1
1
3
X
O
4
3
4
2
1
X
O
4
4
3
2
1
O
5
1
4
2
3
1
X
O
5
2
3
1
1
X
O
O
5
2
3
1
5
1
4
2
3
1
1
X
O
O
6
1
1
4
X
O
6
1
2
3
4
X
O
7
1
2
3
4
X
O
O
9
3
1
1
X
O
9
3
1
1
1
X
9
4
3
1
1
1
X
12
1
3
2
4
1

Amaj7 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of A major, IV of E major, VI of C# minor, III of F# minor.

Progressions that actually use it: ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 (A major), Imaj7 – vi7 – ii7 – V7 (A major), vi7 – ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 (A major), i7 – VImaj7 – IIImaj7 – VII7 (C# minor).

Fret and finger numbers for Amaj7
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 0 2 1 2 0– – 2 1 3 –
X 0 X 1 2 0– – – 1 2 –
X 0 2 1 2 4– – 2 1 3 4
5 0 2 2 2 44 – 1 1 1 3
X 0 2 2 2 4– – 1 1 1 3
X 0 6 6 5 4– – 3 4 2 1
X 0 7 6 5 4– – 4 3 2 1
5 7 6 6 5 01 4 2 3 1 –
X 0 6 6 5 5– – 2 3 1 1
X 0 6 6 5 0– – 2 3 1 –
5 7 6 6 5 51 4 2 3 1 1
X 0 6 6 9 0– – 1 1 4 –
X 0 6 9 9 9– – 1 2 3 4
X 0 7 9 9 9– – 1 2 3 4
X 0 11 9 9 0– – 3 1 1 –
X 0 11 9 9 9– – 3 1 1 1
X 12 11 9 9 9– 4 3 1 1 1
X 12 14 13 14 12– 1 3 2 4 1

Aadd9

AC#EB
16 shapes · open & play
O
2
4
1
1
1
1
X
O
O
1
3
2
X
X
O
O
4
2
1
O
X
O
O
5
1
2
O
O
O
5
1
3
2
O
O
5
1
3
4
2
X
O
5
3
2
1
4
X
O
X
O
O
6
1
X
O
O
O
6
2
1
X
O
O
7
1
3
4
X
O
O
O
9
3
1
X
O
O
9
1
1
2
X
O
9
1
1
3
2
X
O
O
9
3
1
2
X
9
4
1
1
3
2
X
O
X
O
O
11
1

Aadd9 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: Iadd9 – V – vi7 – IV (A major).

Fret and finger numbers for Aadd9
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
5 2 2 2 2 04 1 1 1 1 –
X 0 2 4 2 0– – 1 3 2 –
5 4 X X 0 02 1 – – – –
5 0 X 6 0 01 – – 2 – –
5 0 7 6 0 01 – 3 2 – –
5 7 7 6 0 01 3 4 2 – –
X 0 7 6 5 7– – 3 2 1 4
X 0 X 6 0 0– – – 1 – –
X 0 7 6 0 0– – 2 1 – –
X 0 7 9 0 9– – 1 3 – 4
X 0 11 9 0 0– – 3 1 – –
X 0 9 9 0 9– – 1 1 – 2
X 0 9 9 10 9– – 1 1 3 2
X 0 11 9 0 9– – 3 1 – 2
X 12 9 9 10 9– 4 1 1 3 2
X 0 11 X 0 0– – 1 – – –

A6

AC#EF#
16 shapes · open & play
O
2
4
1
1
1
1
X
O
O
3
1
1
2
4
3
1
1
1
1
X
O
X
O
4
1
3
X
O
O
4
1
3
2
X
O
4
1
4
2
3
X
X
4
2
4
1
3
O
O
5
1
3
2
4
X
O
X
O
6
1
2
X
O
O
6
2
1
3
X
O
7
1
3
2
4
X
O
O
10
2
3
1
X
O
10
4
2
3
1
X
O
10
2
3
1
4
X
O
O
11
1
1
4
X
O
X
O
11
1
1

A6 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.

Fret and finger numbers for A6
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
5 0 2 2 2 24 – 1 1 1 1
X 0 4 2 2 0– – 3 1 1 –
5 4 2 2 2 24 3 1 1 1 1
X 0 4 6 X 0– – 1 3 – –
X 0 4 6 5 0– – 1 3 2 –
X 0 4 6 5 5– – 1 4 2 3
5 7 4 6 X X2 4 1 3 – –
5 0 7 6 7 01 – 3 2 4 –
X 0 X 6 7 0– – – 1 2 –
X 0 7 6 7 0– – 2 1 3 –
X 0 7 9 7 9– – 1 3 2 4
X 0 11 11 10 0– – 2 3 1 –
X 12 11 11 10 0– 4 2 3 1 –
X 0 11 11 10 12– – 2 3 1 4
X 0 11 11 14 0– – 1 1 4 –
X 0 11 11 X 0– – 1 1 – –

Amaj9

AC#EG#B
6 shapes · open & play
X
O
1
3
2
4
2
4
1
1
1
1
3
O
O
O
5
1
2
3
X
O
O
O
6
1
1
X
9
4
1
1
1
1
X
O
O
O
11
1
3

Amaj9 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of A major, IV of E major, VI of C# minor, III of F# minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Amaj9
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 0 2 4 2 4– – 1 3 2 4
5 2 2 2 2 44 1 1 1 1 3
5 0 6 6 0 01 – 2 3 – –
X 0 6 6 0 0– – 1 1 – –
X 12 9 9 9 9– 4 1 1 1 1
X 0 11 13 0 0– – 1 3 – –

Amaj11

AC#EG#BD
11 shapes · open & play
X
O
O
3
1
4
O
O
4
3
1
2
4
O
O
4
3
1
4
2
O
O
4
2
3
4
1
O
O
O
4
2
3
1
O
4
2
2
3
4
1
O
O
4
2
1
3
4
O
O
4
2
4
3
1
X
O
O
O
4
3
1
O
O
5
1
1
2
3
5
1
1
2
3
1
4

Amaj11 is the I and the III chord of A major and F# minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Amaj11
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 0 0 4 2 4– – – 3 1 4
5 4 0 4 0 43 1 – 2 – 4
5 4 0 6 0 43 1 – 4 – 2
5 5 0 6 0 42 3 – 4 – 1
5 0 0 6 0 42 – – 3 – 1
5 5 6 6 0 42 2 3 4 – 1
5 4 6 7 0 02 1 3 4 – –
5 7 0 6 0 42 4 – 3 – 1
X 0 0 6 0 4– – – 3 – 1
5 5 6 6 0 01 1 2 3 – –
5 5 6 6 5 71 1 2 3 1 4

Amaj13

AC#EG#BF#
2 shapes · open & play
O
4
2
1
3
1
4
4
3
1
1
1
4
2

Amaj13 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of A major, IV of E major, VI of C# minor, III of F# minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Amaj13
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
5 4 6 4 7 02 1 3 1 4 –
5 4 4 4 5 43 1 1 1 4 2

A6/9

AC#EF#B
18 shapes · open & play
X
O
1
4
2
3
X
O
O
3
4
1
2
4
1
1
1
1
1
O
4
2
1
1
1
3
O
O
4
2
1
1
1
O
O
4
2
1
1
3
O
O
O
4
2
1
3
X
O
O
O
4
1
3
4
2
1
1
1
3
4
X
O
O
6
4
1
2
X
O
O
O
11
1
1
X
O
O
11
1
1
2
X
O
O
11
2
1
1
X
O
O
11
1
1
2
X
O
11
2
1
1
3
X
O
11
2
1
1
3
X
O
11
1
1
2
3
X
11
2
1
1
3
4

A6/9 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.

Fret and finger numbers for A6/9
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 0 2 4 2 2– – 1 4 2 3
X 0 4 4 2 0– – 3 4 1 –
5 2 2 2 2 24 1 1 1 1 1
5 4 4 4 5 02 1 1 1 3 –
5 4 4 4 0 02 1 1 1 – –
5 4 4 6 0 02 1 1 3 – –
5 0 4 6 0 02 – 1 3 – –
X 0 4 6 0 0– – 1 3 – –
5 4 4 4 5 52 1 1 1 3 4
X 0 9 6 7 0– – 4 1 2 –
X 0 11 11 0 0– – 1 1 – –
X 0 11 11 0 12– – 1 1 – 2
X 12 11 11 0 0– 2 1 1 – –
X 0 11 11 12 0– – 1 1 2 –
X 12 11 11 12 0– 2 1 1 3 –
X 12 11 11 0 12– 2 1 1 – 3
X 0 11 11 12 12– – 1 1 2 3
X 12 11 11 12 12– 2 1 1 3 4

Amaj7add11

AC#EG#D
17 shapes · open & play
X
O
O
O
1
2
X
O
O
1
2
3
X
O
O
4
3
2
1
O
5
1
1
3
4
2
5
1
1
2
3
1
1
X
O
O
O
6
1
4
X
O
7
1
2
3
4
X
O
O
7
1
3
4
X
O
9
4
1
1
1
X
O
9
4
1
1
1
X
9
4
3
1
1
2
X
9
3
4
1
1
1
X
O
O
12
2
3
1
X
O
O
12
1
2
3
X
O
12
1
3
4
2
X
O
12
1
1
2
3
X
12
1
1
3
4
2

Amaj7add11 is the I and the III chord of A major and F# minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Amaj7add11
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 0 0 1 2 0– – – 1 2 –
X 0 0 2 2 4– – – 1 2 3
X 0 0 6 5 4– – – 3 2 1
5 5 6 6 5 01 1 3 4 2 –
5 5 6 6 5 51 1 2 3 1 1
X 0 0 6 9 0– – – 1 4 –
X 0 7 7 9 9– – 1 2 3 4
X 0 0 7 9 9– – – 1 3 4
X 0 12 9 9 9– – 4 1 1 1
X 12 0 9 9 9– 4 – 1 1 1
X 12 11 9 9 10– 4 3 1 1 2
X 12 12 9 9 9– 3 4 1 1 1
X 0 0 13 14 12– – – 2 3 1
X 0 12 13 14 0– – 1 2 3 –
X 0 12 13 14 12– – 1 3 4 2
X 12 12 13 14 0– 1 1 2 3 –
X 12 12 13 14 12– 1 1 3 4 2

Amaj7add13

AC#EG#F#
9 shapes · open & play
X
O
O
4
1
2
X
O
2
1
3
4
O
4
2
1
4
3
1
X
O
4
1
4
3
2
O
O
5
1
2
3
4
O
5
T
3
1
2
4
5
1
3
2
2
4
1
X
O
O
6
1
1
2
X
O
O
9
3
4
1

Amaj7add13 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of A major, IV of E major, VI of C# minor, III of F# minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Amaj7add13
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 0 4 1 2 0– – 4 1 2 –
X 0 2 1 2 2– – 2 1 3 4
5 0 4 6 5 42 – 1 4 3 1
X 0 4 6 5 4– – 1 4 3 2
5 0 6 6 7 01 – 2 3 4 –
5 7 6 6 7 0T 3 1 2 4 –
5 7 6 6 7 51 3 2 2 4 1
X 0 6 6 7 0– – 1 1 2 –
X 0 11 11 9 0– – 3 4 1 –

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.