Guitar UpscaleA Major Scale on guitar
The A Major Scale has 7 notes: A B C# D E F# G#.
| Notes | A B C# D E F# G# |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 |
| Steps | W W H W W W H (W whole step, H half step) |
Play the A Major Scale on the fretboard in Guitar Upscale
About the Major Scale
The major scale is the do re mi scale, the base for most Western music and for the names of every other scale. More about the Major Scale.
Notes of the A Major Scale
| Degree | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | A |
| 2 | Major 2nd | B |
| 3 | Major 3rd | C# |
| 4 | Perfect 4th | D |
| 5 | Perfect 5th | E |
| 6 | Major 6th | F# |
| 7 | Major 7th | G# |
Chords in the A Major Scale
Stack every other note of the scale and you get one chord on each note. These chords sound at home with the scale, so they make good progressions.
| Degree | Triad | Seventh chord |
|---|---|---|
| I | A | Amaj7 |
| ii | Bm | Bm7 |
| iii | C#m | C#m7 |
| IV | D | Dmaj7 |
| V | E | E7 |
| vi | F#m | F#m7 |
| vii° | G#dim | G#m7b5 |
Same notes, another starting note
Start the A Major Scale on another of its notes and you get these scales:
- From degree 2 (B): B Dorian Mode
- From degree 3 (C#): C# Phrygian Mode
- From degree 4 (D): D Lydian Mode
- From degree 5 (E): E Mixolydian Mode
- From degree 6 (F#): F# Natural Minor scale
- From degree 7 (G#): G# Locrian Mode