What Chords Are in the Key of A? Complete Piano Chord Guide
If you're learning to play piano by chords, understanding which chords belong in each key will make playing songs much easier.
The key of A major contains seven basic chords:
A – Bm – C#m – D – E – F#m – G#dim
These chords come directly from the notes of the A major scale and follow the same major-key chord pattern you'll find in every key.
In this guide, we'll look at each chord in the key of A, how the number system works, and some of the most common chord progressions you can use when playing worship songs and other contemporary music.
Before you begin, download your free chord & reference charts to use as you play these chords!
What Chords Are in the Key of A?
The seven chords in the key of A major are:
1 – A major
2m – B minor
3m – C# minor
4 – D major
5 – E major
6m – F# minor
7dim – G# diminished
The six chords you'll encounter most often in contemporary worship music are:
A – Bm – C#m – D – E – F#m
The diminished 7 chord, G#dim, appears much less frequently.
Key of A Chord Chart
Here is the complete chord pattern for the key of A:
1: A
2m: Bm
3m: C#m
4: D
5: E
6m: F#m
7dim: G#dim
If you're using the Nashville Number System, you can think of the key of A like this:
A = 1
Bm = 2m
C#m = 3m
D = 4
E = 5
F#m = 6m
G#dim = 7dim
This number system makes it much easier to understand chord progressions and transpose songs into different keys.
Why Are These the Chords in the Key of A?
The chords come from the notes of the A major scale:
A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G# – A
To create the chords in the key, we build a chord on each note of the scale.
The resulting pattern is:
Major – minor – minor – Major – Major – minor – diminished
This pattern is the same in every major key.
So in the key of A:
A becomes A major
B becomes B minor
C# becomes C# minor
D becomes D major
E becomes E major
F# becomes F# minor
G# becomes G# diminished
Once you understand this pattern, you don't have to memorize every key separately.
The 1, 4, 5, and 6m Chords in the Key of A
If you're playing worship or contemporary Christian music, four chords are especially important:
1 – A
4 – D
5 – E
6m – F#m
These four chords appear constantly in modern worship songs.
For example, a common progression is:
A – E – F#m – D
In numbers, that is:
1 – 5 – 6m – 4
Once you recognize the number pattern, you can play the same progression in any key.
Common Chord Progressions in the Key of A
Here are several useful progressions to practice.
1 – 5 – 6m – 4
A – E – F#m – D
This is one of the most common progressions in worship and contemporary music.
6m – 4 – 1 – 5
F#m – D – A – E
This progression is also extremely common and often works well in verses or more reflective sections of a song.
1 – 4 – 6m – 5
A – D – F#m – E
This progression has a strong, open sound and works well for worship songs.
4 – 1 – 5 – 6m
D – A – E – F#m
This is another useful progression to practice if you want to become more comfortable moving between the main chords in the key.
How to Play the Chords in the Key of A on Piano
If you're a beginner, start by learning each chord in root position.
A Major
A – C# – E
B Minor
B – D – F#
C# Minor
C# – E – G#
D Major
D – F# – A
E Major
E – G# – B
F# Minor
F# – A – C#
G# Diminished
G# – B – D
Practice moving slowly between these chords until you can find them comfortably without stopping.
Use Inversions to Make Your Chords Sound Smoother
Once you know the basic chords, don't feel like you always have to play them in root position.
Chord inversions allow you to keep your hand in a smaller area of the keyboard and create smoother transitions between chords.
For example, instead of playing:
A: A – C# – E
E: E – G# – B
F#m: F# – A – C#
D: D – F# – A
you can choose inversions that keep the notes closer together.
This creates smoother voice leading and gives your playing a more polished sound.
In worship piano, inversions are especially important because they help your chords flow naturally instead of jumping around the keyboard.
How to Practice the Key of A
A simple way to become comfortable with the key of A is to practice the six main chords:
A – Bm – C#m – D – E – F#m
Start by playing each chord in root position.
Then practice the most common chords:
A – D – E – F#m
Once those feel comfortable, practice common chord progressions such as:
A – E – F#m – D
and:
F#m – D – A – E
Finally, begin experimenting with inversions so that your chord changes become smoother.
Why Learning Chords by Number Is So Helpful
Instead of thinking only in chord letters, learn to recognize each chord by its number.
In the key of A:
A = 1
Bm = 2m
C#m = 3m
D = 4
E = 5
F#m = 6m
Then, if you see a progression like:
1 – 5 – 6m – 4
you know that in A it means:
A – E – F#m – D
But if you transpose the same song to another key, the number pattern stays exactly the same.
This is one of the most useful skills you can develop if you want to play worship music confidently in different keys.
What Are the Most Important Chords in the Key of A?
For most worship songs, focus first on:
A, D, E, and F#m
These are the 1, 4, 5, and 6m chords.
After you're comfortable with those, add:
Bm and C#m
These are the 2m and 3m chords.
The G# diminished chord is part of the key, but you'll encounter it much less often in contemporary worship music.
Frequently Asked Questions
What chords are in the key of A?
The chords in the key of A major are:
A, Bm, C#m, D, E, F#m, and G#dim.
What are the four main chords in the key of A?
The four most commonly used chords are:
A, D, E, and F#m
These are the 1, 4, 5, and 6m chords.
What is the 1 chord in the key of A?
The 1 chord is A major.
What is the 4 chord in the key of A?
The 4 chord is D major.
What is the 5 chord in the key of A?
The 5 chord is E major.
What is the 6 minor chord in the key of A?
The 6m chord is F# minor.
What notes are in the A major scale?
The A major scale contains:
A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G# – A
Keep Learning Chords in Every Key
The key of A follows the same chord pattern as every other major key:
1 – 2m – 3m – 4 – 5 – 6m – 7dim
Once you understand that pattern, learning new keys becomes much easier.
Rather than memorizing every chord individually, begin thinking in numbers and recognizing the role each chord plays within the key.
This will help you transpose songs, understand chord charts, play by ear, and move much more confidently around the piano.
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