Session 8: The A Chord Family

Duration: 50 minutes

Break: Put the guitar down for 5 minutes at the end of Segment 3. No stretch of playing is then longer than 30 minutes.

Today you learn the A major chord and combine it with D and E to play the most important chord progression in popular music: the I-IV-V (one-four-five), three chords named by counting letter names, as you will see below. This three-chord pattern is the backbone of rock, blues, country, and pop. You will also get your first introduction to the 12-bar blues — a structure that has driven music from Robert Johnson to Led Zeppelin. By the end of this session, you will play a full 12-bar blues in the key of A. (The key is the home note and chord of a piece.)

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

Play the A major chord cleanly with strings 5 to 1 ringing
Change between A, D and E with a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM (the change test from Session 3)
Play the 12-bar form from memory, saying each measure’s chord aloud
Play a complete 12-bar blues in A using A, D, and E
Use a steady strumming pattern throughout a 12-bar form

Materials Needed

Your Saga SF-600C-BK guitar
A guitar pick
A clip-on tuner or phone tuner app
A metronome
A phone that records sound, six slips of paper and a pen (for the ear check after the session)
Reference sheets: Chord Chart and Glossary

Segment 1 — Warm-Up and Stretch (5 minutes)

Hand Warm-Up

Open and close both hands loosely five times. Circle each wrist five times each way. Touch your thumb to each fingertip in turn. Shake the hands out.

Tune Your Guitar

Tune all six strings (EADGBE). Before you look at the tuner, guess: too low, too high or right? Then look.

Warm-Up

Play the 16-measure “Scarborough Fair” chart (Session 7) once at 70 BPM in 3/4 (metronome set to 3 beats per measure), one strum per click. This reviews Am, Em, D and waltz time. Then set the metronome back to 4 beats per measure and play Em → Am → E → D (one measure each, D/U pattern) at 65 BPM for 8 measures. This activates all your chords.

Segment 2 — Technique Focus: The A Major Chord and Three-Chord Transitions (10 minutes)

The A-D-E Triangle

A, D, and E are the three most common chords in the key of A major. You already know D (Session 7) and E (Session 5). After learning A today, you will have all three.

These chords appear together in hundreds of songs. Your ability to transition cleanly between them is one of the most valuable skills you can develop.

Transition Warm-Up (Pre-Learning A)

Before learning the A chord, make sure your D and E transitions are clean:

E → D transition:

From E: Finger 1 is on string 3 fret 1, finger 2 on string 5 fret 2, finger 3 on string 4 fret 2
To D: Finger 1 is your guide finger. Keep this finger touching its string, slide it one fret (string 3, from fret 1 to fret 2), and place the other two fingers around it: finger 2 on string 1 fret 2, finger 3 on string 2 fret 3
All three fingers change position, but finger 1 never leaves string 3. That gives your hand something to steer by

D → E transition: Reverse the above. Finger 1 slides back from fret 2 to fret 1 on string 3.

Drill: E → D → E → D, one strum per chord, no metronome. Keep finger 1 touching string 3 as it slides, and place the other two fingers around it. 10 clean transitions.

The A Major Chord

A major is a bright, punchy chord. Three fingers squeeze together on fret 2, all on adjacent strings.

Chord Diagram:

XOO

EADGBe

Step-by-step:

Place your index finger (1) on string 4 (D string), fret 2.
Place your middle finger (2) on string 3 (G string), fret 2.
Place your ring finger (3) on string 2 (B string), fret 2.
All three fingers are on fret 2, on adjacent strings — they are packed tightly together.
String 5 (A) and string 1 (high e) are open.
Do NOT play string 6 (low E). Rest the pick on string 5, then strum from there.

Sound check: Pluck each string:

String 6 (E): Do not play
String 5 (A): Open — clear
String 4 (D): Fret 2 — clear (finger 1)
String 3 (G): Fret 2 — clear (finger 2)
String 2 (B): Fret 2 — clear (finger 3)
String 1 (e): Open — clear

Tuner check, string 5 to string 1: A, E, A, C#, E. Pluck each string of the chord slowly; the tuner should show these letters. (C#, said “C sharp”, is the note one fret higher than C.)

The challenge with A: Three fingers squeezed onto the same fret. Your fingertips must be precisely positioned so they do not touch neighbouring strings. Curl each finger so you press with the very tip. If your fingers are flat, they will mute the adjacent strings.

Practice tip: If your fingers are too wide to fit comfortably on fret 2, try this alternative fingering: use fingers 2, 3, and 4 (middle, ring and little finger) instead of 1, 2, 3. Some players find this leaves more room. Use whichever fingering gives you the cleanest sound.

Key Transitions with A

A → D:

Finger 3 is your guide finger. Keep this finger touching its string, slide it one fret (string 2, from fret 2 to fret 3), and place the other two fingers around it
Finger 1 stays on fret 2 but moves from string 4 to string 3
Finger 2 jumps from string 3 fret 2 to string 1 fret 2
Practice: A (strum) → D (strum) → A (strum) → D (strum), 10 times

A → E:

This is a big move with no shared finger: lift all three fingers together and place the E shape
From A: Lift all fingers. Finger 1 to string 3 fret 1, finger 2 to string 5 fret 2, finger 3 to string 4 fret 2
Practice: A (strum) → E (strum) → A (strum) → E (strum), 10 times

Segment 3 — New Learning: The 12-Bar Blues (15 minutes)

Three Chords Together

Drill all three: A → D → E → A, one strum per chord, no metronome, 10 times round.

Change test (Session 3): Set the metronome to 60 BPM. Take one pair at a time: A-D, then A-E, then E-D. Strum each chord once with a downstroke and let it ring: a new chord every 4 beats, 8 chords in a row. You pass a pair when all 8 land on their click with every string that should sound ringing, twice on the same day. If you cannot land on the click, drop to 50 BPM and climb back 5 BPM at a time.

The 12-Bar Blues

The 12-bar blues is a 12-measure chord pattern that repeats. It is one of the most important and widely used structures in popular music. Blues, rock, jazz, and pop all use it.

In the key of A, the 12-bar blues uses three chords. Count letter names up from A: A is 1, B is 2, C is 3, D is 4, E is 5. The chords on 1, 4 and 5 are A, D and E. That is all I, IV and V mean here. (I, IV and V are the Roman numerals for 1, 4 and 5.)

Number	Chord
I (one)	A
IV (four)	D
V (five)	E

The 12-bar pattern:

| A  | A  | A  | A  |
| D  | D  | A  | A  |
| E  | D  | A  | E  |

Each box is one measure (4 beats in 4/4 time). The pattern always follows this structure:

Measures 1–4: I chord (A)
Measures 5–6: IV chord (D)
Measures 7–8: Back to I chord (A)
Measure 9: V chord (E)
Measure 10: IV chord (D)
Measure 11: I chord (A)
Measure 12: V chord (E), to “turn around” back to the beginning

The last measure (E) is called the turnaround — the last measure of a 12-bar blues, which leads back to the start. It creates tension that pulls you back to measure 1.

Learn the form by heart: Point to each box in turn and say its chord aloud: “A, A, A, A. D, D, A, A. E, D, A, E.” Do this three times. Then cover the pattern and say it from memory.

Break: 5 minutes. Guitar down.

Segment 4 — Song Workshop: “12-Bar in A” (15 minutes)

“12-Bar in A” — Original Blues Exercise

Credits: Written for this course. Tempo: Start at 60 BPM and work up to 75 BPM, D D U U D U pattern Time signature: 4/4 Strumming pattern: D D U U D U (the pattern you learned in Session 5)

Strum:  D     D  U     U  D  U
Count:  1     2  & (3) &  4  &

The strums fall on 1, 2, the ”&” of 2, the ”&” of 3, 4 and the ”&” of 4. Say it aloud: “1, 2-and, (3)-and, 4-and”. On beat 3 your hand still moves down, but it misses the strings: a silent downstroke. That keeps the hand swinging down on every number and up on every &.

Chord Chart with Strumming

Measures 1-4 (A):
Strum:  D     D  U     U  D  U  |  D     D  U     U  D  U  |
Count:  1     2  & (3) &  4  &  |  1     2  & (3) &  4  &  |
Chord:  A                          A

Strum:  D     D  U     U  D  U  |  D     D  U     U  D  U  |
Count:  1     2  & (3) &  4  &  |  1     2  & (3) &  4  &  |
Chord:  A                          A

Measures 5-6 (D):
Strum:  D     D  U     U  D  U  |  D     D  U     U  D  U  |
Count:  1     2  & (3) &  4  &  |  1     2  & (3) &  4  &  |
Chord:  D                          D

Measures 7-8 (A):
Strum:  D     D  U     U  D  U  |  D     D  U     U  D  U  |
Count:  1     2  & (3) &  4  &  |  1     2  & (3) &  4  &  |
Chord:  A                          A

Measure 9 (E):
Strum:  D     D  U     U  D  U  |
Count:  1     2  & (3) &  4  &  |
Chord:  E

Measure 10 (D):
Strum:  D     D  U     U  D  U  |
Count:  1     2  & (3) &  4  &  |
Chord:  D

Measure 11 (A):
Strum:  D     D  U     U  D  U  |
Count:  1     2  & (3) &  4  &  |
Chord:  A

Measure 12, the turnaround (E):
Strum:  D     D  U     U  D  U  |
Count:  1     2  & (3) &  4  &  |
Chord:  E

After measure 12, go back to measure 1 and repeat.

Form: Play the 12 measures three times round (36 measures), then finish with one A chord and let it ring.

How to Learn This

Step 1 — Chord map only: Play each chord as a single downstroke on beat 1 of each measure. No strumming pattern yet. Just practice hitting the right chord on the right measure. Play through the 12 measures 3 times. The third time, cover the chart and say each measure’s chord aloud as you play it.

Step 2 — Add strumming at 60 BPM: Now play the full D D U U D U pattern on each chord. Slow tempo lets you focus on chord changes. The hardest transitions:

Measure 4 → 5 (A → D)
Measure 6 → 7 (D → A)
Measure 8 → 9 (A → E)
Measure 9 → 10 (E → D)

Step 3 — Speed up to 75 BPM: Once clean at 60, go up 5 BPM at a time: 65, 70, then 75 BPM.

Step 4 — Loop it: Play the 12 measures 3 times in a row without stopping, then end on one A chord. The blues is meant to repeat — each pass through the 12 measures is called a “chorus” (in the blues, that word simply means one time round the form). Three choruses = 36 measures = a complete blues performance.

What it should sound like: Driving, rhythmic, and satisfying. The A chord feels like home. The D chord creates gentle tension. The E chord creates stronger tension that resolves back to A. This tension-and-release cycle is what makes the blues so compelling.

Three checks you can make alone:

Click check: you play the 12 measures three times round with the metronome and finish with the click.
Count check: you can say the measure numbers aloud (“ONE, 2-and, (3)-and, 4-and; TWO, 2-and, (3)-and, 4-and…”) through all 12 measures without losing your place.
Recording check: record one time round and listen once for one thing: does every new chord sound on beat 1 of its measure, with no gap before it?

Performance Notes

The turnaround (measure 12, E chord) should feel like a question: “Are we going again?” The return to A in measure 1 is the answer: “Yes.”
Try making measure 9 (E) slightly louder — this is the climax of each 12-bar cycle
Keep your strumming arm swinging even during chord changes — a silent beat is better than a late chord

Segment 5 — Review and Practice Plan (5 minutes)

What You Learned Today

The A major chord (finger 1 string 4 fret 2, finger 2 string 3 fret 2, finger 3 string 2 fret 2)
The A → D → E → A transition pattern
12-bar blues structure (I-IV-V in the key of A)
Applied the D D U U D U strumming pattern to a blues form

Common Mistakes

Muting strings in the A chord — Three fingers on one fret is tight. Curl each finger so only the very tip touches the string. If string 1 (high e) sounds dead, your ring finger on string 2 is touching it.
Losing count of the 12 measures — The 12-bar form requires counting measures, not just beats. Say the measure number in place of “1”: “ONE, 2-and, (3)-and, 4-and; TWO, 2-and, (3)-and, 4-and…” (ONE, TWO and so on are the measure numbers; the bracketed 3 is the silent downstroke).
Missing the turnaround — Measure 12 (E) is easy to forget. If you accidentally play A on measure 12, the loop will not feel right when it restarts.
Sloppy A → D transition — Use the guide finger: keep finger 3 touching string 2 as it slides from fret 2 to fret 3, and place fingers 1 and 2 around it. Drill it in isolation: A (one strum) → D (one strum), 20 times.
Playing too many strings on A and D — A starts from string 5; D starts from string 4. Rest the pick on the first string of the chord (string 5 for A, string 4 for D), then strum from there.

Self-Check Questions

Can you play A major with strings 5 to 1 all ringing clearly? Tuner check, string 5 to string 1: A, E, A, C#, E. If not: use “The challenge with A” in Segment 2: stand each finger on its very tip so that it does not touch the next string; do not press harder. Check again the next day.
Can you play the 12-bar form from memory, with a single downstroke on beat 1 of each measure, saying each measure’s chord aloud? Check: with the chart covered, all 12 measures with no wrong chord and no stop. If not: repeat “Learn the form by heart” in Segment 3, then try again the next day.
Can you pass the change test for A-D, A-E and E-D at a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM? Check: for each pair, all 8 chords land on their click with every string that should sound ringing, twice on the same day. If not: for the pair that failed, drop to 50 BPM and climb back 5 BPM at a time in the Transition Drill block of the practice plan, and try again the next day.
Can you play three complete choruses (36 measures) of the “12-Bar in A” at 75 BPM, D D U U D U pattern, without stopping, and finish on one A chord? Record one time round and listen once: does every new chord sound on beat 1 of its measure, with no gap before it? If not: go back to 70 BPM in “Step 3 — Speed up to 75 BPM” for two days, then try again.
Can you name the I, IV and V chords in the key of A, counting the letter names up from A to show why? Check: with the page covered you say “A is 1, B is 2, C is 3, D is 4, E is 5”, so I is A, IV is D and V is E. If not: read “The 12-Bar Blues” in Segment 3 again as far as the table, then try again the next day.

Practice Plan for Week 8 (each practice day, 24 minutes)

Block	Time	Activity
Warm-Up	3 min	The warm-up from this session’s Segment 1, then tune
Chord Review	4 min	Em → Am → E → D → A, four beats per chord at 65 BPM, strumming D/U, twice round. Then A → D → E → A, one strum per chord, no metronome, 10 times round. Repeat until the time is up
Transition Drill	4 min	A → D (guide finger: finger 3 on string 2) and E → D (guide finger: finger 1 on string 3), 20 clean changes each. Then the change test (Session 3) for A-D, A-E and E-D: a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM. Repeat until the time is up
12-Bar Blues	10 min	Play “12-Bar in A” at 70–75 BPM, D D U U D U pattern: 3 choruses, then one A chord. Focus on counting measures. Repeat until the time is up
Scarborough Fair	3 min	Maintenance: play the 16-measure chart at 70 BPM in 3/4, one strum per click. Repeat until the time is up

This is your plan for the whole week. The end-of-week check is in Weekly Plans Phase 1 2, Week 8.

Guitar Tip — Saga SF-600C-BK

When playing the A chord, all three fingers are packed onto fret 2. The Saga SF-600C-BK has a standard nut width (approximately 43 mm), which is average for a dreadnought. If your fingertips are broad, you may find the A chord cramped. Make sure your fingers approach the strings almost vertically — if they lean to one side, they take up more room and are more likely to mute neighbouring strings. Playing on the very tips of your fingers, with short, well-trimmed nails on your fretting hand, makes the A chord significantly easier.

After the session (not part of the 50 minutes)

Record: this week’s ear check. Mark it on any later practice day. This week it is the recorded card test (Session 6), Test 2: 4/4 or 3/4. Six slips: three marked “4/4”, three marked “3/4”. For a 4/4 slip strum Em for two measures, D d d d, D d d d; for a 3/4 slip strum Em for two measures, D d d, D d d. No metronome. Answer “4/4” or “3/4”. Pass: 5 of 6. (3 minutes)