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Chords in the Key of A Major

Every diatonic triad and seventh chord in A major, with the progressions built from them. Free. No sign-up.

Key facts

Key signature
three sharps (F#, C# and G#)
Scale notes
A · B · C# · D · E · F# · G#
Relative minor
F# Minor
Parallel minor
A Minor

Diatonic triads

The seven diatonic triads in A Major
DegreeChordQualityNotes
IAmajorA · C# · E
iiBmminorB · D · F#
iiiC#mminorC# · E · G#
IVDmajorD · F# · A
VEmajorE · G# · B
viF#mminorF# · A · C#
vii°G#dimdiminishedG# · B · D

Seventh chords

Stack one more scale tone on each triad and you get the seventh chords — same key, more color.

The seven diatonic seventh chords in A Major
DegreeChordQualityNotes
Imaj7Amaj7major 7thA · C# · E · G#
ii7Bm7minor 7thB · D · F# · A
iii7C#m7minor 7thC# · E · G# · B
IVmaj7Dmaj7major 7thD · F# · A · C#
V7E7dominant 7thE · G# · B · D
vi7F#m7minor 7thF# · A · C# · E
viiø7G#m7b5half-diminishedG# · B · D · F#

Common progressions in A major

  • I–V–vi–IV

    A – E – F#m – D

    The four-chord pop loop — a huge share of modern radio runs on it.

  • I–IV–V

    A – D – E

    The three-chord workhorse behind blues, folk, and early rock and roll.

  • ii–V–I

    Bm – E – A

    The jazz cadence — the strongest pull back home in the key.

  • I–vi–IV–V

    A – F#m – D – E

    The '50s doo-wop turnaround, still everywhere in ballads.

How the key of A major works

A Major carries three sharps (F#, C# and G#). The scale runs A–B–C#–D–E–F#–G#, and stacking every other note of that scale builds the seven chords above — every chord tone comes from those same seven notes.

F# Minor is the relative minor: identical key signature, identical seven chords. A song that treats F#m — the vi chord here — as home base is in F# minor, even though its chord inventory matches this page exactly.

The parallel minor, A Minor, keeps the same root but flattens the third, sixth, and seventh — its signature shifts to no sharps or flats. Borrowing chords across that line is where a lot of songwriting color comes from.

Keep practicing

Knowing the chords in A major is the map; the coach watches you play them and tells you what to fix. Start coaching →