Common
About the A sharp Major scale
A sharp 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.
The open-string notes A, D, and G all sit inside the mode. The lowest A♯ on a standard-tuned guitar sits at the 1st fret of the A string. A full root-to-root octave of A♯ Major fits within the first three frets, so it has a real open-position box.
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 sharp 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 sharp 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 sharp Major
Tap any chord to hear it, or play the whole progression.
Notes and intervals
| 1 | A#A♯ | Root |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | B#B♯ | Major 2nd |
| 3 | C##C♯♯ | Major 3rd |
| 4 | D#D♯ | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | E#E♯ | 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 scaleC sharp Major scaleD Major scaleD sharp Major scaleE Major scaleF Major scaleF sharp Major scaleG Major scaleG sharp Major scaleA Major scaleB Major scale
Modes
The same notes, starting on a different note.
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