A piano chord — the keys, the inversions, the theory
A is a major chord built from A, C#, E. Below: the keys to press, every inversion with its own diagram, the intervals it is made of, the keys whose scale contains it, and a progression that actually uses it. Press any diagram to hear it.
A
A · C# · E
Semitones above the root: 0 – 4 – 7
A major third at the bottom is what makes this bright and settled.
Inversions of A
Root position
A · C# · E · bass A
Inversion 1
C# · E · A · bass C#
Inversion 2
E · A · C# · bass E
Same chord, different note at the bottom. Press a diagram to hear it — inversions are how you move between chords without jumping your hand across the keyboard.
Keys that contain A
- DV
- AI
- EIV
In D it does this job: I – V – vi – IV
- D
- A
- Bm
- G