The A Major chord is when we come in first contact with the figure of an inverted triangle. This figure, just as many others can be played in certain ways so that variations of the chord can be played. We will review the first position of the A Major chord in this lesson.
A Major Chord: 1st Position
A Major consists of the notes: A – C# – E. The numerical method of describing this chord is 0.2.3.2. 0 being the open string, 2 being the second string marked on the 2nd fret, 3 the third string marked on the third fret and finally the last 2 being the 4th string marked on the 2nd fret. Take a look on how this chord appears in the illustration below:
A Major Chord Illustration
Take a look at the explanation on the composition of the A Major chord below (remember to turn on the subtitles):
Composition of A Major Chord
The traditional method of marking the A chord is using the index finger on the 2nd string, middle finger on the 3rd string and ring finger on the 4th string. It is also possible to mark this chord using the middle finger on the second string, pinky on the third and ring finger on the 4th. This allows for the index finger to be free and play variations of the chord releasing the third string on the third fret and playing the 3rd string on the 1st fret. The resulting chord would then be an A7 which looks like this:
A7 Illustration
