Open chords in the Key of A
Lesson #206 • Jan 12, 2019
Video Overview
Print-Friendly PDF 3 pages
- Support me on Patreon.com to get access to this and 200+ other educational PDFs I've made, plus new PDFs I make going forward (1-2 added each week).
- The cost is $5/month (one month minimum, cancel anytime). Annual plans also available. Here's a free sample if you're on the fence. Thanks!
After clicking the button and logging in to Patreon, look for the PDF attached to the bottom of the post.
Editor’s notes
In this lesson, I’ll show how you can warm up by playing all the chords in the key of A with open voicings. Specifically, you’ll be leaving the 1st and 5th strings open for all chord shapes - which allows you to play the Bm, C#m, and F#m as simple open chords (as opposed to these being played via barre chords). This results in a large handful of chords that are easy to switch between, sound great together, and otherwise make for great warm up fodder.
The typical way to play chords in the key of A
First, let’s understand how to “normally” play these chords in the key of A-major. Going up the fretboard we have:
e –––0––––2––––4––––5––––7––––9––– –––5–––
B –––2––––3––––5––––7––––9–––10––– –––5–––
G –––2––––4––––6––––7––––9–––11––– –––6–––
D –––2––––4––––6––––7––––9–––11––– –––7–––
A –––0––––2––––4––––5––––7––––9––– –––7–––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––5–––
A Bm C#m D E F#m A
Of course, you could play the D and E chords in an “open” voicing, as shown below - but you’re still left w/ the problem of the Bm, C#m and F#m all using barre chords. In a moment, I’ll explain a way to avoid barre chords altogether and embrace open voicings for all the chords.
e –––0––––2––––4––––2––––0––––9––– –––5–––
B –––2––––3––––5––––3––––0–––10––– –––5–––
G –––2––––4––––6––––2––––1–––11––– –––6–––
D –––2––––4––––6––––0––––2–––11––– –––7–––
A –––0––––2––––4–––––––––2––––9––– –––7–––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––0–––––––– –––5–––
A Bm C#m D E F#m A
Those same chords, but with open voicings
Here, we’re going to make the sweeping change (for all of the chords) of leaving the 1st and 5th strings open. Meaning, we’re not going to press down frets on those strings - no matter what the chord is.
e –––0––––0––––0––––0––––0––––0––– –––0––– <== leave open for all chords
B –––2––––3––––5––––7––––9–––10––– –––5–––
G –––2––––4––––6––––7––––9–––11––– –––6–––
D –––2––––4––––6––––7––––9–––11––– –––7–––
A –––0––––0––––0––––0––––0––––0––– –––0––– <== leave open for all chords
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––
A Bm C#m D E F#m A
Here are those same shapes (in tab form), without the 1st 2nd or 6 strings typed out. You should still play those 2 strings (leave them open) - but the focus here is to notice the chord shapes you’re using. Look for patterns. For example, the A D and E chords all use the same shape on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th strings. Likewise, the Bm C#m and F#m all use their own same shape (the same as the A-minor shape).
e –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––
B –––2––––3––––5––––7––––9–––10––– –––5–––
G –––2––––4––––6––––7––––9–––11––– –––6–––
D –––2––––4––––6––––7––––9–––11––– –––7–––
A –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––
A Bm C#m D E F#m A
Quick note on finger positions
For the major chords, use either of these finger positions:
e –––0––––0––––0––– e –––0––––0––––0–––
B –––2––––7––––9––– <= left ring B –––2––––7––––9––– <= left ring
G –––2––––7––––9––– <= left middle OR G –––2––––7––––9––– <= left index
D –––2––––7––––9––– <= left index D –––2––––7––––9––– <= left middle
A –––0––––0––––0––– A –––0––––0––––0–––
E ––––––––––––––––– E –––––––––––––––––
A D E A D E
For the minor chords, use these finger positions:
e –––0––––0–––––0–––
B –––3––––5––––10––– <= left index
G –––4––––6––––11––– <= left ring
D –––4––––6––––11––– <= left middle
A –––0––––0–––––0–––
E ––––––––––––––––––
Bm C#m F#m
Now, mix and match these chord shapes!
Think of each of these chord shapes as a building block - which can be freely used & combined in any order. Keep this in mind when playing these shapes. Try out a few of them together, in a pattern, and repeat. Experiment with different strumming patterns. Play around with which strings you’re accenting. Mix it up! Especially when you’re warming up, this sort of free play can be very helpful to get the blood flowing and try something new.
Exercise #1:
e –––0––––0––––0––––0––––
B –––2––––3––––5––––3––––
G –––2––––4––––6––––4––––
D –––2––––4––––6––––4––––
A –––0––––0––––0––––0––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––
A Bm C#m Bm
Exercise #2:
e –––0––––0––––0––––0––– e –––0––––0––––0––––0–––
B –––2––––7––––9––––7––– B –––5––––7––––9––––7–––
G –––2––––7––––9––––7––– G –––6––––7––––9––––7–––
D –––2––––7––––9––––7––– or D –––7––––7––––9––––7–––
A –––0––––0––––0––––0––– A –––0––––0––––0––––0–––
E –––––––––––––––––––––– E ––––––––––––––––––––––
A D E D A D E D
Exercise #3:
e ––––0––––0––––0––––0––––
B –––10––––9––––7––––9––––
G –––11––––9––––7––––9––––
D –––11––––9––––7––––9––––
A ––––0––––0––––0––––0––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––
F#m E D E
Exercise #4:
e –––0––––0––––0––––0–––
B –––5––––5––––3––––2–––
G –––6––––6––––4––––2–––
D –––7––––6––––4––––2–––
A –––0––––0––––0––––0–––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––
A C#m Bm A
Exercise #5:
e –––9––––0––––0––––0–––
B –––10–––9––––7––––9–––
G –––9––––9––––7––––9–––
D –––11–––9––––7––––9–––
A –––0––––0––––0––––0–––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––
A E D E
You can also do this with the key of E
If you enjoy this way of playing, check out this video - where I show the same exact approach but used for chords in the key of E.
Good luck!
I hope this was helpful. As always, I encourage you to be in touch with any questions.
Meet the Teacher
Hey there! My name is David Potsiadlo, and I'm the creator of the 400+ weekly lessons here at Song Notes, going back to 2013. Here’s my guitar story »
Subscribe to my Free Newsletter
Join the 20,000+ readers who get my new lessons dropped in their inbox each week. I teach a fun mix of songs, weekly riffs, practice ideas, and more!
Enjoy my lessons? Buy me a beer!
If this and my other lessons have proven helpful to you, please consider making a one-time donation to my tip jar. Contributions of any amount help make this project possible (including the many, many hours I put into it).
You can also support me on Patreon. For only $5/month you'll get access to a print-friendly PDF of my notes for each new lesson (view free sample).
Thanks!
Subscribe to my YouTube channel
Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!
Recent video lessons:
📝 My "song" PDFs are now individually purcasheable! I've arranged a licensing agreement with Musicnotes, a service that lets you buy my sheet music arrangements. Patreon supporters get 50% off each purchase. Learn more here »
Aug 8, 2022
Alternating Bass Note Fun with "Don't Worry Be Happy"
Here's a few fun ways you can use alternating bass (and some optional percussive slaps) to play along with Bobby McFerrin's 1988 classic.
Aug 1, 2022
Beginner Blues Groove (Key of A-minor)
An easy-going bluesy sequence played over a 12 bar progression. I'll show how you add 2 distinctive notes to the bass lines of Am and Dm to really capture a blues vibe.
July 11, 2022
Updates to FretMonster (Interactive Fretboard Tool)
I've added some new features to FretMonster, the free web-based tool I created to help you navigate the guitar freboard. Select a key and scale, and it shows you a map of the matching notes. I've also added some new features I'll show you in this video.
July 6, 2022
Adding Melodic Licks & Fills to a Fingerstyle Groove (Key of G)
I'll show you how to take an easy-going fingerstyle sequence, and easily dress it up with melodic licks & fills — all coming from the G major scale.
June 22, 2022
How to Make Drum Tracks Using GarageBand's Beat Sequencer
A beginner's guide to using GarageBand's Beat Sequencer tool to create custom drum beats! Even if you're a total novice when it comes to drumming (like me), I'll walk you through the basic steps to create rich-sounding drum tracks to play over while practicing or performing.
May 27, 2022
Creating a Fingerstyle Arrangement of Tom Petty's "American Girl"
A few years after learning American Girl the way Tom Petty plays it, I returned to it — this time determined to work out a low-key, easy-going fingerstyle arrangement. Here's how it went!
Browse my all lessons
By lesson type
- Full Song Lessons
- Beginner Songs
- Backing Tracks
- Play-Along Covers
- Warm-Up Exercises
- Tips & Techniques
By song decade
By musical genre
By guitar technique
By musical key
By popular artist
- Johnny Cash
- Tyler Childers
- Tom Petty
- Neil Young
- Nirvana
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Willie Nelson
- John Denver
- Guns N' Roses