Most common
Open position
Three fingers in one fret. Keep them arched so the open high E rings clearly underneath.
NotesA · C# · E
Fret spanFret 2
DifficultyEasy
Best forAll players
A Chord on Guitar
Three ways to play A major: the open shape with three fingers side by side, a one-finger version for small hands, and the movable E-shape barre at the fifth fret.
For small hands
One-finger A
Flatten the ring finger across three strings. Same notes, far less crowding, and the open high E still rings.
NotesA · C# · E
Fret spanFret 2
DifficultyEasy
Best forSmall hands
Movable shape
Barre at 5th fret
The E shape moved up five frets. It is the same grip as the third-fret G, so one of them teaches you the other.
NotesA · C# · E
Fret spanFrets 5–7
DifficultyHard
Best forMoving up the neck
Compare all 3 fingerings
Every card below is the printable file itself, at full size on the page. Choose the shape that fits your hand and the chord that comes next, then print or download it on its own.
What notes are in A major?
Chord tones
AC#E
A is the root, C# is the major third, and E is the perfect fifth. Every shape on this page sounds those notes and nothing else; only the order and the octave change.
Common keys
A majorD majorE majorF# minor
A belongs to all four of these keys, which is why it turns up so often in songs that never mention it in the title.
About the A chord
A major puts three fingers in one fret on three neighbouring strings, and that is the whole difficulty. Small hands run out of room, which is why the one-finger version exists: flatten the ring finger across the D, G and B strings and let the high E ring underneath it. It sounds the same and it is a legitimate grip, not a shortcut. The barre at the fifth fret is the same chord again in movable form, and it shares its shape with G at the third fret, so learning either one makes the other nearly free.
Find A in these printable sheets
Practise the chord in context, then take the blank sheets to write down the shapes a teacher shows you.
Guitar Chord Chart 12 essential guitar chords. Print the full chart or save it for later. View chart → Beginner Chord Chart Eight easy open chords, in the order they are worth learning. No barre shapes. View chart → Blank Chord Chart Empty diagrams to fill in by hand, 6, 12 or 24 to a page. View sheet → Power Chords Chart Eight shapes, and the two movable ones that cover the whole neck. View sheet → Printable Chord Chart Every sheet on the site as a PDF, ready for A4 or US Letter. View sheet → Pentatonic Scale Chart The five box shapes in any key, with the frets you actually play. View sheet → Guitar Scales Chart Five scales across the whole neck, roots marked, in any key. View sheet →
Learn these next
The other chords with more than one shape worth knowing.
Frequently asked questions
Which A fingering should a beginner use?
Open position. Three fingers in one fret. Keep them arched so the open high E rings clearly underneath. Once it lands cleanly every time, the other shapes on this page are worth adding, because each one buys you something different.
Why are there several ways to play the same chord?
They contain the same notes, A, C#, E, but they put your hand in different places. Which one is right depends on the chord you are moving to next and on how much of the neck the song uses, not on which one is "correct".
Is the A barre shape worth learning?
Yes, because it moves. The E shape moved up five frets. It is the same grip as the third-fret G, so one of them teaches you the other. The grip costs more up front and then keeps paying for itself in every key.
Which strings do I strum for A?
Leave the low E string out and start the strum from the A string. The X above the nut marks every string that stays silent.
Can I print just one shape?
Yes. Each shape has its own Print button and its own printable card, so you can put a single fingering on the wall instead of the whole page. The PNG download is the same image at 1000 × 1500, sized for a phone or a Pinterest board.