A Major

A is one of the first chords most players learn. The first shape is the easiest voicing: 2 fretted strings and 2 open strings. Put your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the G string. Put your index finger on the 1st fret of the C string. Leave the E and A strings open. Strum all four strings and check each one rings cleanly. Watch on YouTube

A is A, C#, E. That is a major triad (root, major third, perfect fifth). Play them in any order and you still get A. A sits in the keys of D major, E major, F major, A major.

A major chord stacks root, major third, and perfect fifth (1–3–5). In A that is the notes above. Bright and stable: the foundation of most songs. Open, happy, and resolved. Flatten the third and the same family becomes minor.

Songs that use A include Crying, Louie Louie, Wild Thing, Africa, Just Like Heaven, and more.