A Major CAGED Chord Shapes: All 5 Positions on Guitar
A major is A, C and E. The CAGED system gives five shapes for it up the neck: the Position 3 from the 2nd fret, the Position 4 from the 5th fret, the Position 5 from the 7th fret, the Position 1 from the 9th fret and the Position 2 from the 12th fret. The A shape is also the open A chord you may already know.
Keys
CAGED Chords — A
Triads — A
Root position
First inversion
Second inversion
All inversions
The notes of A
A is a major triad: root, major third and fifth (1 3 5), which is a major third (four frets) with a minor third (three frets) on top. Every shape below is those three notes, doubled in different octaves.
How the five shapes connect
From the bottom of the neck up, the shapes run Position (2), Position (5), Position (7), Position (9) and Position (12). Each one starts where the last one's top notes are, so playing them in order moves one chord up the whole fretboard. After the Position 2, the Position 3 comes round again twelve frets higher.
The Position 5 and Position 1 share 3 notes (E on the G string at fret 9, A on the B string at fret 10 and C on the high e string at fret 9), which is the hinge between them.
Where the root, A, sits in each shape: Position 3: low E and G; Position 4: low E, D and high e; Position 5: D and B; Position 1: A and B; Position 2: A and G. Find that string first and the rest of the shape falls into place around it.
Where A appears
A belongs to 8 keys: V in D major, IV in E major and I in A major; VI in C minor, III in F minor and VII in B minor; VI in C harmonic minor and V in D harmonic minor.
Of those, D major, E major, A major and D harmonic minor are keys guitarists play in constantly, because their open strings ring with the scale, so A turns up often in songs.
Open strings and capo options for A
Three open strings are part of A: the low E string (the fifth), the A string (root) and the high e string (the fifth). Because the root is among them, you can let it drone under any of the shapes.
There's an open A chord at the nut: the A shape.
With a capo you can also play it as the G shape with the capo at fret 2, the E shape with the capo at fret 5 and the D shape with the capo at fret 7.
Closely related chords
The closest chords to A share two of its three notes: its relative minor and the chords a fourth and a fifth away, which are its neighbours in A major.
A CAGED FAQs
What notes are in a A chord?
A, C♯ and E: the root, major third and fifth (1 3 5).
What are the CAGED shapes for A major?
the Position 3 from the 2nd fret, the Position 4 from the 5th fret, the Position 5 from the 7th fret, the Position 1 from the 9th fret and the Position 2 from the 12th fret. Position 3 is the lowest; the Position 3 repeats twelve frets higher.
Is there an open A chord?
Yes. It's the A shape at the nut, the same shape as the A shape on this page twelve frets lower.
Related
Learn more
The CAGED system explained covers how the five shapes are built and linked. The CAGED guitar lessons set out what to learn next, and the CAGED library has every major and minor chord.