Chords in the Key of A: The 7 Chords, Progressions and Songs

The key of A is the engine room of rock, blues and country guitar. Its three main chords, A, D and E, are easy open shapes, the low open A string anchors the sound, and the open E string sits right inside the key. If you want to play blues shuffles, rock and roll, or country strumming, you'll live in A.

This guide covers the seven chords in the key of A, how to play them (with easy versions of the minor chords), the progressions to know, the A blues, and how to use a capo with A.

The 7 chords in the key of A

The A major scale is A B C# D E F# G#, giving these chords:

Number	Chord	Type	Notes
I	A	Major	A C# E
ii	Bm	Minor	B D F#
iii	C#m	Minor	C# E G#
IV	D	Major	D F# A
V	E	Major	E G# B
vi	F#m	Minor	F# A C#
vii°	G#dim	Diminished	G# B D

The three majors (A, D, E) are easy open chords. The three minors (Bm, C#m, F#m) are all barre chords in their full form, which is the key's one challenge. Luckily, each has an easy version.

How to play the chords in A

• A (I): strum from the A string. See the A major chord page.
• Bm (ii): four-string version shown. Usually leads to E.
• C#m (iii): a lovely easy shape with the open high e. See our guide to C#m.
• D (IV): strum the top four strings.
• E (V): pulls back to A. All six strings.
• F#m (vi): the relative minor of A. See our guide to F#m.
• G#dim (vii°): rarely used; this partial shape plays D, G# and B on the middle strings.

The three chords that rule: A, D and E

A huge amount of music uses just the I, IV and V chords. In A, they're A, D and E, and changing between them is the first thing to master in this key:

• A → D: your index finger can stay near the G string as the hand shifts.
• D → E: a bigger move; practice it slowly.
• E → A: the most important change in the key, the V chord resolving home.

Practice each change for one minute, then play A – D – E – A with four strums per chord. Our drills on how to change chords faster will help.

The blues in A

Blues guitar loves the key of A. Instead of plain major chords, blues uses dominant seventh chords on all three: A7, D7 and E7. All three are easy open shapes.

The classic 12-bar blues in A goes like this, one chord per bar:

Bars 1–4	Bars 5–8	Bars 9–12
A7 – A7 – A7 – A7	D7 – D7 – A7 – A7	E7 – D7 – A7 – E7

Play it with a shuffle rhythm and you have the foundation of thousands of songs. Our full guide to the 12-bar blues includes the famous shuffle riff, and our blues scale guide shows what to solo with over it.

Common progressions in A

Progression	Numbers	Feel
A – D – E – A	I – IV – V – I	Rock and roll, country
A – E – F#m – D	I – V – vi – IV	Modern pop
A – F#m – D – E	I – vi – IV – V	1950s doo-wop
F#m – D – A – E	vi – IV – I – V	Emotional pop-rock
Bm – E – A	ii – V – I	Jazzy endings
A – C#m – D – E	I – iii – IV – V	Bright, uplifting
A – G – D – A	I – ♭VII – IV – I	Classic rock anthem

The A – G – D – A progression borrows G, which isn't in the key, for a big, open rock sound. For more progressions and the theory behind them, see guitar chord progressions.

Useful variations in A

• Asus2 and Asus4: decorate your A chord. A → Asus4 → A is a classic rock and folk move.
• Esus4 → E: add your pinky to the 2nd fret of the G string, then release. A great way to build tension before resolving to A.
• Dsus2: an airy alternative to D.
• A7, D7, E7: for blues, country and old-time rock and roll.

Avoiding the barre chords with a capo

If the minor chords in A are slowing you down, use a capo on the 2nd fret and play with G shapes. Every chord becomes an easy open shape:

Chord in A	Shape with capo on 2
A	G
Bm	Am
C#m	Bm (or Bm7)
D	C
E	D
F#m	Em

Only C#m still needs care, as Bm. Our guide on how to use a capo explains how this works, and how to transpose guitar chords shows how to do it for any song.

A major and F# minor

The relative minor of A is F# minor. It uses the same chords, but centers on F#m. A song that starts on F#m, keeps coming back to it and ends there is in F# minor. In that key, C#m is often replaced by C# or C#7 to give a stronger pull back home.

How to practice the key of A

1. Nail A, D and E: one-minute changes, then A – D – E – A in rhythm.
2. Play the 12-bar blues with A7, D7 and E7.
3. Add easy F#m: A – E – F#m – D and A – F#m – D – E.
4. Add Bm and C#m: Bm – E – A, then A – C#m – D – E.
5. Decorate: add Asus4 and Esus4 movements to your strumming.

Use our free metronome to keep changes steady, starting slow.

Related keys

A shares four chords with D (A, D, Bm, F#m) and four with E (A, E, C#m, F#m). Next, explore chords in the key of E, the other great rock and blues key, or chords in the key of D.

Soloing in the key of A

The key of A has two favorite scales, depending on the style:

• A minor pentatonic (A, C, D, E, G), the box at the 5th fret: the sound of blues and rock, even over A major chords. The clash between the scale's C and the chord's C# is part of the bluesy flavor.
• A major pentatonic (A, B, C#, E, F#): sweeter and brighter, the sound of country and many pop solos. It uses the same notes as F# minor pentatonic, so the minor pentatonic box at the 2nd fret works.

Many players mix the two. Our guides to the minor pentatonic and the blues scale are good starting points.

Common mistakes in the key of A

• Cramped A chord: three fingers in one fret can mute the high e. Angle the fingers, or use one finger across all three strings.
• Strumming the low E on A or D: start A on the 5th string and D on the 4th.
• Stiff blues rhythm: the shuffle feel is long-short, long-short. Count "one-and-two-and" with the "and" late.
• Skipping F#m: it's the second most important chord in many songs in A. Use the easy version until the barre is ready.

Writing a song in A

For a rock or country feel, try a verse on A – D – A – E and a chorus on D – E – F#m – D. For something more emotional, start the chorus on F#m: F#m – D – A – E. Write a few lines of lyrics, pick one strum pattern and play it through. Simple progressions in A have powered countless great songs.

Quick reference

• Main chords: A, D, E and F#m.
• Supporting chords: Bm and C#m (easy versions available).
• Blues: A7, D7 and E7 in a 12-bar.
• Rock trick: borrow G for A – G – D – A.
• Easiest capo option: capo 2 with G, C, D and Em shapes.
• Relative minor: F#m.

Fretwork's path teaches A, D and E in its free first stages, then builds toward the minor chords and blues rhythms that make this key come alive. The first two stages are free, no card required.

Frequently asked questions