How to Play the A Major Chord on Guitar: Three Fingerings and Clean Changes
A major squeezes three fingers into one fret, which is why it buzzes for almost everyone at first. Here are three ways to finger it and how to make every string ring.
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In this guide
To play the A major chord, put three fingers on the 2nd fret of the D, G and B strings and strum from the open A string down. The low E string is not played. That is the whole shape, and it is one of the first five chords most people learn.
The hard part is not remembering it but fitting three fingertips into one fret space without one of them touching the string next to it. If your A chord sounds dull on the B string, you are in very good company. This guide shows three fingerings, explains which to use when, and gives you the changes to practice so the shape becomes automatic.
The standard A chord shape
From the 6th string (low E) to the 1st string (high e), the A chord is x 0 2 2 2 0: low E not played, A open, D string 2nd fret, G string 2nd fret, B string 2nd fret, high e open.
- Put your index finger on the D string, 2nd fret.
- Put your middle finger on the G string, 2nd fret, just to the right of the index.
- Put your ring finger on the B string, 2nd fret.
- Strum from the A string. Then pick each string one at a time and listen for a dull or buzzing string.
Three fingers in one fret means they cannot all sit right behind the fret wire. That is fine: the finger on the B string can sit a little further back, and the chord still rings as long as each finger presses firmly and touches only its own string.
Three ways to finger it
| Fingering | Fingers (D, G, B) | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 1, 2, 3 | Learning the shape | Ring finger touching the high e string |
| Shifted | 2, 3, 4 | Changes to D and E; frees the index finger | Needs a stronger little finger |
| Mini barre | 1 flat across all three | Fast songs, rock rhythm, small fingers | The high e often goes quiet; many players just skip it |
The shifted fingering (middle, ring, little finger) is worth learning early. It leaves your index finger free, which matters later for A to D changes and for adding notes like the A7 or Asus4.
The one-finger barre lays the index finger flat across the D, G and B strings at the 2nd fret. It is quick, and on electric guitar in rock songs it is the most common A of all. If the high e string is muted by the underside of your finger, that is usually fine in a full strum.
How to fix the buzzing B string
- Stand the fingertips up. Arch each finger so it comes down onto the string from above. A flat finger leans on its neighbor.
- Thumb lower on the neck. If your thumb wraps over the top of the neck, your fingers flatten. Move the thumb to the middle of the back of the neck.
- Stagger the fingers. The finger on the D string sits closest to the fret on the left, the next one slightly to the right, and so on. They do not have to be in a straight line.
- Try the shifted fingering. Middle, ring and little fingers are often thinner together than index, middle and ring.
- Check the guitar. If one string buzzes whatever you do, the action may be high or a fret may be uneven. See why guitar chords buzz.
Strumming the A chord
Start every strum on the open A string. Hitting the low E is the most common mistake with A, and it makes the chord sound heavy and unsettled. A useful trick is to rest the tip of your fretting hand's thumb lightly against the low E string, or to aim the pick at the A string by watching it for the first few days.
Once the chord rings, play four down-strums per bar with a metronome at 60 BPM. Then try the pattern down, down-up, up-down-up, which fits most pop and folk songs.
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The changes to practice first
A chord is only useful if you can change to and from it in time. These are the changes you will meet most often.
| Change | Where it appears | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| A to D | Key of D and key of A songs | The ring finger slides along the B string from the 2nd to the 3rd fret; keep it touching the string |
| A to E | Blues and rock in A and E | The whole shape moves up one string; lead with the finger that plays the bass note |
| D to A | Key of D | Lift only as far as you need; the fingers stay near the 2nd fret |
| A to Bm | Key of D and key of A | Harder: Bm is a barre chord. Use Bm7 while you learn it |
Practice each change for one minute and count how many clean changes you make. Our D to A and A to E pages show which fingers stay down and which move, and the chord change trainer times you and keeps your best score.
Chords related to A
Once A rings cleanly, three small changes give you three new chords:
- A7 (x 0 2 0 2 0): lift the finger on the G string. Used in blues and to lead into D.
- Asus2 (x 0 2 2 0 0): lift the finger on the B string. Open and airy.
- Asus4 (x 0 2 2 3 0): move the B-string finger up to the 3rd fret. Rocking between A and Asus4 is a classic rhythm figure.
The A chord higher up the neck
When you start barre chords, A has a second common shape: the E-shape barre at the 5th fret (5 7 7 6 5 5). It sounds fuller and lower and is easier to mute for funk and rock. You do not need it yet, but it is where the A chord goes next.
On the Fretwork chord difficulty index, the open A scores 25 out of 100 (easy), while the barre version at the 5th fret scores in the hard range, mostly because of the full barre.
A one-week plan
- Days 1–2: form the shape, pick each string, fix any that buzz. Lift off and place it again 20 times.
- Days 3–4: one-minute changes between D and A, then A and E.
- Days 5–6: strum four beats per chord with a metronome, then two.
- Day 7: play a song with A in it. Many songs in the key of D use D, G and A.
If you are still choosing your first chords, see which chords to learn first, and for the full set of open shapes, the open chords guide.
Frequently asked questions
What are the notes in an A major chord?
A, C# and E. In the open shape the strings play, from the A string up: A, E, A, C#, E. The low E string is not played.
Why does my A chord buzz on the B string?
Usually because the fingers on the D and G strings are leaning onto the B string, or the finger on the B string is too far from the fret. Try the ring-middle-index order instead, angle the fingers so the tips stand up, or play the one-finger version with only the tip of the index finger touching the B string lightly.
Which fingers should I use for the A chord?
Most teachers start with index on the D string, middle on the G string and ring on the B string, all on the 2nd fret. Many players later switch to middle, ring and little finger, which leaves the index free and makes the change to D or E easier.
Should I play the low E string on an A chord?
No. The lowest note should be the open A string, the root of the chord. The low E string is part of the chord (E is the 5th), so it is not a wrong note, but it makes the chord sound muddy and unsettled. Start your strum on the A string.
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