Common
About the A Major scale
A Major is used for anthems, pop hooks, hymns and anything that should feel uplifting and stable. Think of it as the bright, resolved, "happy" sound that anchors most pop, folk and classical music. It is A Lydian with the fourth lowered.
Its notes are A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, and G♯. The formula is W W H W W W H.
Also called the Ionian mode, Diatonic Major, and Bilawal.
In A Major, the open strings sound E, A, D, and B. The lowest A on a guitar is the open A string.
Positions
Playable shapes for this scale up the neck. Tap any note to hear it.
CAGED
Five shapes, each anchored to a chord form you already know, the pop and rock default that ties your scales to your chords. The outlined notes are that chord, so you can see the C, A, G, E, and D shapes inside the scale.
3NPS
3NPS stands for 3 notes per string. It lays the scale out in seven even shapes for rock and metal lead, and favors speed because the picking pattern stays consistent across every string.
7-position system
7 four-fret boxes, one per scale degree, each a single hand position with almost no shifting. The jazz and classical way, from William Leavitt's Berklee method.
Chords in the key of A Major
Expand a chord to see how to play it.
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Seventh chords in A Major
The four-note version of each chord, richer and jazzier.
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Position 1 of 4
Progressions in A Major
Tap any chord to hear it, or play the whole progression.
Notes and intervals
| 1 | AA | Root |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | BB | Major 2nd |
| 3 | C#C♯ | Major 3rd |
| 4 | DD | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | EE | Perfect 5th |
| 6 | F#F♯ | Major 6th |
| 7 | G#G♯ | Major 7th |
| Steps | W W H W W W H |
|---|---|
| Semitones | 2-2-1-2-2-2-1 |
| Degrees | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 |
Shapes
Chromatic
Circle of Fifths
Related scales
Major in other keys
C Major scaleD flat Major scaleD Major scaleE flat Major scaleE Major scaleF Major scaleG flat Major scaleG Major scaleA flat Major scaleB flat Major scaleB Major scale
Modes
The same notes, starting on a different note.
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