A Piano Chords
Here we can explore every chord built on A, the white key between the second and third black keys of each group of three. The root stays the same from chord to chord; what changes is the distance from A to the notes stacked above it, and that is what gives each chord its own quality and unique sound.
The 9 chords built on A
Triads built on A
Four triads can be built on A. Each is three notes stacked in thirds, and they differ only in their third and fifth:
- A major (A): A, C-sharp, E
- A minor (Am): A, C, E, with the third lowered to C
- A diminished (A°): A, C, E-flat, with the fifth lowered as well, to E-flat
- A augmented (A+): A, C-sharp, E-sharp, with the fifth of the major chord raised to E-sharp
Try playing them in that order and listening to how a single changed note changes the sound of the whole chord.
Seventh chords built on A
Adding a seventh on top of a triad gives the five seventh chords built on A:
- A dominant 7th (A7): the major triad with a minor seventh, A, C-sharp, E, G
- A major 7th (Amaj7): the major triad with a major seventh, A, C-sharp, E, G-sharp
- A minor 7th (Am7): the minor triad with a minor seventh, A, C, E, G
- A half-diminished 7th (Aø7): the diminished triad with a minor seventh, A, C, E-flat, G
- A diminished 7th (A°7): the diminished triad with a diminished seventh, A, C, E-flat, G-flat
A few of these notes have names that may look unusual: E-sharp is played on F. Each chord keeps its notes on every other letter name, which is what makes it read as a stack of thirds on the staff.
Each chord’s own page shows it in every inversion, with fingering, keyboard charts, notation, and audio.
A chords and keys
All of these chords grow from the same root, A. The chords that belong together in a key are a different family, built on each note of the scale; for those, see A major piano chords and A minor piano chords.