Chords In The Key Of A Major

In this lesson, we shall take a look at the basic chords in the key of A. We will learn the basic three note chords (triads), as well as four note extended chords.

Before listing the various chords, let’s take a look at the A major scale. The notes in this scale are A B C# D E F# G#. Each of these notes is the root note of a chord in the key of A. The chords follow the pattern, Major Minor Minor Major Major Minor Diminished.

To learn more about chords, the key they’re in and why, check out my book, Master Piano Chords By Key And Give Yourself A Big Advantage When Playing, Learning Or Writing Songs.

The triad chords in this key are A major, B minor, C# minor, D major, E major, F# minor, and G# diminished. The four note chords are A major seventh, B minor seventh, C# minor seventh, D major seventh, E dominant seventh, F# minor seventh, and G# minor seventh flat five.

Roman numerals are used to represent each chord. For the major chords, the numerals are capitalized, while the minor and diminished chords are all in lower case.

  • I – A major, A major seventh (Amaj, Amaj7)
  • ii – B minor, B minor seventh (Bm, Bm7)
  • iii – C sharp minor, C# minor seventh (C#m, C#m7)
  • IV – D major, D major seventh (D, Dmaj 7)
  • V – E major, E dominant seventh (E, E7)
  • vi – F sharp minor, F# minor seventh (F#m, F#m7)
  • vii° – G# diminished, G# minor seventh flat five (G#°, G#m7b5)

Watch this lesson:

Piano Chords In The Key Of A Major

Here’s a diagram showing basic piano chords in A major.

So what are the notes of the triad and four note chords in this key?

  • Chord I, A major consists of the notes, A – C# – E, while A major seventh consists of the notes, A – C# – E – G#.
  • Chord ii, B minor consists of the notes, B – D – F#. B minor seventh consists of the notes, B – D – F# – A.
  • Chord iii, C# minor contains the notes, C# – E – G#. C# minor seventh contains the notes, C# – E – G# – B.
  • Chord IV, D major contains the notes, D – F# – A. D major seventh contains the notes, D – F# – A – C#.
  • Chord V, E major contains the notes, E – G# – B. E dominant seventh contains the notes, E – G# – B – D.
  • Chord vi, F# minor consists of the notes, F# – A – C#. F# minor seventh consists of the note, F# – A – C# – E.
  • Lastly, chord vii°, G# diminished consists of the notes, G# – B – D, while G# minor seventh flat five consists of the notes, G# – B – D – F#.

Here are a few common chord progressions in the key of A. 

  • I – IV – V (A – D – E)
  • I – vi – IV – V (A – F#m – D – E)
  • ii – V – I (Bm7 – E7 – Amaj7)

Here’s a diagram showing the A major key signature as well as the notes of the A major scale on the treble and bass clefs. There are three sharps in the key of A. These notes are C#, F# and G#.

Here’s a diagram showing the A major scale on piano.

More Chords By Key

Be sure to check out the Piano For All piano lessons. It’s my favorite online course for learning how to play piano.

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