The A Major Scale

The notes of A major are A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G# โ€” formula 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Key signature: three sharps (F#, C#, G#). Its relative minor is F# minor, which uses the same notes from a different home. Below: the full neck, the chords in the key, and the pentatonic that lives inside it.

A major on the fretboard

EADGBe357912EF#G#ABC#DEABC#DEF#G#ADEF#G#ABC#DG#ABC#DEF#BC#DEF#G#ABEF#G#ABC#DE
A major scale โ€” every note on the neck, frets 0โ€“12 โ€” root notes in green.
Jamistry's interactive 3D fretboard โ€” the scale lit up across the whole neck

Practice A major position by position โ€” interactive fretboard โ†’

Chords in the key of A major

Harmonising the scale gives the seven chords songs in A major are built from:

DegreeIiiiiiIVVviviiยฐ
ChordABmC#mDEF#mG#dim

The workhorses are I, IV and V (A, D, E) plus the vi (F#m) โ€” the four chords of several thousand songs.

The A major pentatonic shortcut

For soloing in A major, most players reach first for the major pentatonic โ€” the same scale minus the two most clash-prone notes. A major pentatonic: A, B, C#, E, F#.

EADGBe357ABC#EF#ABC#EF#AB
A major pentatonic โ€” position 1

Backing tracks in A major

Scales stick when you use them. These free tracks are recorded in A major โ€” play them right here, or open them in JamLab to see the scale on a live fretboard while the chords change:

Stadium Lights cover art

Stadium Lights

Rock ยท 132 BPM ยท Key of A ยท A Mixolydian

Driving rock on an Aโ€“Dโ€“G vamp โ€” crunchy major chords, arena energy.

Jam this track with live chords โ†’
Open Sky cover art

Open Sky

Ambient ยท 70 BPM ยท Key of A ยท A Major Pentatonic

Ambient soundscape in A major โ€” slow evolving pads, no drums, meditative and open.

Jam this track with live chords โ†’

More jams in this key: A major backing tracks.

More scales & theory

All guitar scalesMinor pentatonicMajor pentatonicBlues scaleMajor scaleMinor scalesThe 7 modesCAGED systemFretboard notesThe major scale