Learn › A Major Triad Inversions on Guitar: 12 Shapes
New Released in April 2026
A Major Triad Inversions on Guitar: 12 Shapes
A triad inversions on guitar: the three notes A, C# and E on three neighbouring strings, in three positions on each of four string sets. Twelve small shapes that cover the whole neck.
No account, no download. The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.
- MIDI keyboard
- Digital or acoustic piano
- Guitar
- Computer, phone or tablet
What an inversion changes
Root position puts A at the bottom, 1st inversion puts C# at the bottom, 2nd inversion puts E at the bottom. It is still A; what changes is the lowest and the highest note you hear.
Bright and stable: the triad most songs are built on.
How to move between the shapes
On the G-B-e strings, the shapes go up the neck in this order: root position (fret 2) → 1st inversion (fret 6) → 2nd inversion (fret 10). The top notes along the way are E, A, C#.
Around fret 7, without moving the hand: G-B-e strings 6-5-5; D-G-B strings 7-6-5; A-D-G strings 7-7-6; E-A-D strings 5-4-2.
Twelve A shapes, string set by string set
Play only the three strings shown. Inside each set the three shapes follow each other up the neck: when one ends, the next begins.
G-B-e strings
Root position
1st inversion
2nd inversion
D-G-B strings
2nd inversion
Root position
1st inversion
A-D-G strings
1st inversion
2nd inversion
Root position
E-A-D strings
Root position
1st inversion
2nd inversion
Make A triads automatic
- Learn the three shapes on the top strings first, slowly, saying the bottom note each time.
- Connect the shapes up and down the G-B-e strings, four strums per shape.
- Pick one fret area, around fret 7, and find A on every string set without moving your hand far.
- Last, switch between A and another triad in the same area of the neck.
Learn one string set per week and in a month the whole neck is yours.
A inversions: the frets
| String set | Root position | 1st inversion | 2nd inversion |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-B-e strings | x x x 2 2 0 | x x x 6 5 5 | x x x 9 10 9 |
| D-G-B strings | x x 7 6 5 x | x x 11 9 10 x | x x 2 2 2 x |
| A-D-G strings | x 12 11 9 x x | x 4 2 2 x x | x 7 7 6 x x |
| E-A-D strings | 5 4 2 x x x | 9 7 7 x x x | 12 12 11 x x x |
Frets from the low E string to the high E string; x = string not played.
Play A in a game
The game shows chord symbols, not diagrams, so you choose the shape: any inversion of A counts, as long as the microphone hears the right notes.
Play the demoCommon questions
How do you play A triads on the top strings?
On the G, B and high E strings: Root position 2-2-0; 1st inversion 6-5-5; 2nd inversion 9-10-9. Play only those three strings.
Which A triad shape is the easiest?
Usually the lowest one on the top strings, 2-2-0, because it sits near the nut.
What does a A triad sound like?
Bright and stable: the triad most songs are built on.
Can I practise A with a game that listens to my guitar?
Yes. ChordRunner hears your guitar through the microphone and checks the chord in any shape or inversion. A USB MIDI keyboard works too.
Your instrument is the controller.
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.
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