A Piano Chord

A major is the A piano chord. It has three notes: A, C sharp and E. The middle note is a black key, and the two outer notes are white, which gives the hand the same comfortable shape as D major.

1A3C♯5EC3C4

A at the bottom, then C♯ and E. Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1. The black key is C♯.

How to play A on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the A below middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): A
  3. Middle finger (3): C♯
  4. Little finger (5): E
  5. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 3, 1 an octave lower, or just A on its own as a bass note.

A, D and E majors all have the same layout: white, black, white. Learning one of them teaches your hand the other two.

Inversions of A

The same 3 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are A; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionC♯ E A
A piano chord diagram, first inversion, C♯ E A
Lighter than root position and less final. The third in the bass tips the chord forward, which is why it so often sits between two other chords rather than at the end of a line.
Second inversionE A C♯
A piano chord diagram, second inversion, E A C♯
Open and a little unresolved. A fifth in the bass sounds like the chord is on its way somewhere, which is exactly how it is used: as the step between two chords whose roots are further apart.

If it sounds wrong

The chord sounds sad
The middle note has to be C sharp, the black key to the right of C. Playing C natural gives you A minor instead.
The middle finger feels cramped
Slide the whole hand further into the keyboard. The black key sits behind the white ones, so a hand that stays at the front edge has to reach awkwardly for it.
The top note is weak
E is under the little finger, the weakest one. Rather than pressing harder, let the hand lean very slightly to the right so the arm's weight reaches it.

What makes it an A

A · C♯ · E 1 3 5

A major is the first, third and fifth notes of the A major scale: A, C sharp and E. The four half steps from A up to C sharp make it a major third, which is what gives the chord its bright sound.

It is the I chord of A major, the IV of E and the V of D. Guitar based music leans on it heavily, because A is one of the easiest keys on that instrument, so a pianist accompanying a guitarist meets this chord constantly.

A vs Am

One key apart. A major is A, C sharp and E; A minor is A, C and E. The middle note drops from the black key to the white one just below it.

A minor is the easier of the two on piano, since all three of its notes are white. Playing them one after the other is the clearest possible demonstration of what a major third does to a chord.

Questions about A

Which notes are in an A chord on piano?

A, C sharp and E. C sharp is the black key just to the right of C; A and E are white keys.

What fingers do you use for an A chord?

Right hand: thumb on A, middle finger on C sharp, little finger on E. Left hand: little finger on A, middle on C sharp, thumb on E.

What is the difference between A and Am?

The middle note. A major has C sharp, A minor has C natural. One is a black key, the other the white key next to it, and that is the whole difference between the two chords.

Is the A chord hard on piano?

No. One black key in the middle with white keys either side is a shape the hand takes to quickly. It is the same layout as D and E major.

Where is the A chord used?

As the I chord in A, the IV in E and the V in D. It turns up in a great deal of rock and folk, because those keys suit the guitar.

Chords to learn next

Other A chords