The A Major CAGED Shape

The A Major Shape is built from the low A (5th) string root, and uses the same strings and frets as the open A major chord. The white dots on the A major shape below are the root notes, and each of these chords is moved up and down the guitar neck.

The A major CAGED shape can be played with two different fingerings. The diagram on the right is the standard A Major CAGED shape. The shape on the left is a common variation of the A major CAGED shape that is better suited to chords on the higher frets, but omits the 1st string. In this variation, the 3rd finger is used to barre across the 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings, and mute the open 1st string.

**The A-Major CAGED shape (right) and a common fingering variation for the A major CAGED shape (left).**

How to Play Barre Chords With The A-Shape

Find the Root: use the root diagram below to find the correct root note on the 5th string.

**The Root note locations on the Low E (6th) string. Use this diagram to find the location of the barre for the E-Shape CAGED System chord.**

Place the chord shape: Using your 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers, place the A major chord fingering two frets in front of the fret with the root note. For example, if your root note is on the 6th fret (Eb), place the chord on the 7th and 8th frets.
Form the Barre With Your Index Finger: while the chord shape is in place, form the barre shape (imitating the shape of a capo) and press down on the fret with the side of your index finger.

A Major Shape Barre Chord Exercises

Practice locating and playing A Major shape barre chords by playing the exercises below. No strumming pattern is required, but it is important to be able to learn to move each shape up and down the fretboard to play different chords using the A major shape.