A major scale
A major scale is A – B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G♯, with C♯, F♯ and G♯. Formula 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Hit play and watch it light up on both instruments.
A major scale, note by note
Counted in steps it goes W W H W W W H (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between C♯–D and G♯–A.
| Degree | Note | Interval from A | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | root | |
| 2 | B | major second | |
| 3 | C♯ | major third | |
| 4 | D | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | E | perfect fifth | |
| 6 | F♯ | major sixth | |
| 7 | G♯ | major seventh |
What A major sounds like
The major scale is the yardstick for the rest of theory: chord numbers, intervals and key signatures are all counted from it. It sounds settled and bright because every step pulls back toward A.
Listen for the leading tone G♯, a half step below A. Stop on it and the scale sounds unfinished until A comes back.
Compared with A natural minor scale, A major scale has C♯, F♯ and G♯ where the other has C, F and G; the other four notes are shared. Hear A natural minor scale and compare.
Playing A major
Keyboard players: three black (C♯, F♯ and G♯), four white.
The guitar box starts with the root at the 5th fret of the low E string and spans frets 3–9: 17 notes, low string to high.
The key of A major
Songs in A major are built from these notes, so the key signature has three sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯). The relative minor is F♯ minor: same notes, starting on the 6th degree. The parallel minor, A natural minor, starts on the same note with different notes above it.
Chords and progressions in A major
Chords built on each note
Stack every other note of the scale on each degree and you get 7 chords. These are the chords of the key. Tap to hear each one.
Same notes, different home: C♯ Phrygian (starting on the 3rd note, C♯), D Lydian (starting on the 4th note, D), E Mixolydian (starting on the 5th note, E), F♯ natural minor (starting on the 6th note, F♯), G♯ Locrian (starting on the 7th note, G♯) and B Dorian (starting on the 2nd note, B). Play any of them over a drone on its first note and the mood changes, even though the keys you press don't.
A major scale across the fretboard
Anchor points for A: low E string fret 5, A string fret 0 and 12 (0 = open string). Five overlapping fingerings cover the neck, starting near frets 2, 5, 7, 10 and 12 on the low E string. On guitar, learn the box from the 6th-string root first; the same fingering moves anywhere.
On the piano, A major scale uses 3 black keys (C♯, F♯ and G♯) and 4 white.
Thirds make the scale sound musical instead of step-by-step: A–C♯, B–D, C♯–E, D–F♯, E–G♯, F♯–A, G♯–B.
Practice patterns for A major scale
Try these after the plain scale. Tap to hear each pattern at a steady speed, then play along.
- Three-note runs: A B C♯ · B C♯ D · C♯ D E · D E F♯ · E F♯ G♯ · F♯ G♯ A.
- Lean on G♯: A G♯ A G♯ A: the 7th, a half step under the root, pulls the ear home.
Scales to compare with A major
Major scale in every key
A major scale: questions
What are the notes of the A major scale?
A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯, A. As degrees: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7.
How many sharps or flats are in the A major scale?
Three: C♯, F♯ and G♯. That matches the key signature of A major.
What chords are in the A major scale?
Stacking thirds on each note gives A (I), Bm (ii), C♯m (iii), D (IV), E (V), F♯m (vi) and G♯dim (vii°).
What's the difference between A major scale and A natural minor scale?
C♯, F♯ and G♯ in A major; C, F and G in the other. Everything else is the same.
Notes and fingering generated from the scale formula and checked automatically against the step pattern. Updated September 2026.