Chord · A Major (2nd Inversion)
A/5 Chord
A/5 is E, A and C# — major triad with the fifth in the bass.
A/5 on every instrument
The same 3 notes, 1 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What A/5 is made of
A Major (2nd Inversion) (A major (2nd inversion)) is built from the notes E, A, C#, with the interval pattern 5, 1, 3. A common major (2nd inversion) chord across many styles.
Stack 5, 1 and 3 on a root of A and you get E, A and C#. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a major second inversion chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why C/5 sounds like a transposed A/5.
Major (2nd Inversion): Major triad with the fifth in the bass.
Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with C♯ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain A/5
All 3 notes sit inside the scale of 6 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Other chords on A
Same root, different colour.
The same major second inversion shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about A/5
- What notes are in the A/5 chord?
- A/5 is made of E, A and C# — the 5, 1 and 3 degrees of a major second inversion chord built on A.
- What keys use the A/5 chord?
- Every note of A/5 belongs to 6 keys: D Major (V), A Major (I), E Major (IV), B Minor (VII), F# Minor (III), C# Minor (VI). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play A/5 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows A/5 on piano — 1 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Learn the theory behind it
Why A/5 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.