A♯ Major Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The A♯ Major chord is built on the root note A♯. Its notes are A♯, C𝄪 and E♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as B♭ Major.
Major chords feel bright, stable and resolved. A root, a major third and a perfect fifth give them a happy, confident sound. Most popular music is built on them.
- Notes
- A♯ · C𝄪 · E♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7
- Note
- A♯
- Quality
- Major
- Symbol
- A♯
A♯ Major on piano
3 notes
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play A♯ Major on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on A♯, middle finger on C𝄪 and little finger on E♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard A♯ is a black key and C𝄪 and E♯ are white, the keys you'd normally call D and F. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- A♯1
- C𝄪3
- E♯5
A♯ Major on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, A♯ Major is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 6: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. If the full barre won't ring yet, play strings 4 to 1 only: they already hold all three notes.
A♯ · C𝄪 · E♯
Play A♯ Major on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
A♯ Major chord notes
Also known as B♭ Major
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A♯(A#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | C𝄪(C##) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | E♯(E#) |
How to use the A♯ Major chord
The A♯ Major chord is built from a root, a major third and a perfect fifth. Start at the root A♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: A♯, C𝄪 and E♯. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
You'll find major chords in almost every style of popular music: rock anthems, country ballads, pop hits and hymns. They commonly appear as the I, IV and V chords in a major key.
In minor keys A♯ is the V in D♯ minor. As the V of D♯ minor it takes its third, C𝄪, from the harmonic minor scale: the key's seventh degree, raised a half step.
How A♯ Major differs from similar chords
A♯ and A♯m share the root and the fifth, and the only difference is the third: a major third in A♯, a minor third in A♯m. Add a major seventh and it becomes A♯maj7, add a minor seventh and it becomes A♯7. Of all the chords on this root, the plain major triad is the one that sounds finished.
Where A♯ Major is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key A♯ Major would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
Scales that contain A♯
These scales include A♯ as one of their diatonic chords. Use them to find melodies and improvisation ideas that fit perfectly.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the A♯ Major chord?
- The A♯ Major chord contains A♯, C𝄪 and E♯ (A#, C## and E# in plain text).
- Is the A♯ Major chord major or minor?
- A♯ Major is a major chord. Major chords feel bright, stable and resolved. A root, a major third and a perfect fifth give them a happy, confident sound. Most popular music is built on them.
- What key is the A♯ Major chord in?
- In minor keys A♯ is the V in D♯ minor. As the V of D♯ minor it takes its third, C𝄪, from the harmonic minor scale: the key's seventh degree, raised a half step.
- How do you play A♯ Major on piano?
- Place your fingers on A♯, C𝄪 and E♯ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard A♯ is a black key and C𝄪 and E♯ are white, the keys you'd normally call D and F. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play A♯ Major on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 6: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. If the full barre won't ring yet, play strings 4 to 1 only: they already hold all three notes.
- What is another name for the A♯ Major chord?
- A♯ Major is enharmonically equivalent to B♭ Major. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.