Tabtify LogoTabtify

A major scale on guitar

Every note of the scale on the neck, 7 positions with tab, and the chords to play it over. Tap a note on the fretboard to hear it.

A Major (Ionian): A (1) · B (2) · C♯ (3) · D (4) · E (5) · F♯ (6) · G♯ (7)

E1
B2
G3
D4
A5
E6

Swipe the neck sideways to see frets up to 15.

Tap any fret to hear its note.

Learning a song by ear? Turn the recording into tab

About the A major scale

A major is the seven-note major scale, the do-re-mi most Western music is built on. Every chord in the key of A comes from its notes.

Notes of the A major scale

A major has 7 notes: A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯. Its formula is 1 2 3 4 5 6 7, and the steps between its notes are 2-2-1-2-2-2-1 frets.

  • A1
  • B2
  • C♯3
  • D4
  • E5
  • F♯6
  • G♯7

A major scale positions

Seven positions with three notes on each string cover the whole neck. Three notes per string keeps your hand in one place and makes fast runs even. Position 1 starts on the root, A, on the low E string.

  1. Position 1

    Frets 5–10
    EADGBe5678910ABC♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯D
    e|----------------------------------------------7--9--10-9--7-----------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------7--9--10----------------10-9--7--------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------6--7--9-----------------------------------9--7--6-----------------------------|
D|-------------------6--7--9-----------------------------------------------------9--7--6--------------------|
A|----------5--7--9-----------------------------------------------------------------------9--7--5-----------|
E|-5--7--9-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9--7--5--|

  2. Position 2

    Frets 7–12
    EADGBe789101112BC♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯DE
    e|----------------------------------------------9--10-12-10-9-----------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------9--10-12----------------12-10-9--------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------7--9--11----------------------------------11-9--7-----------------------------|
D|-------------------7--9--11----------------------------------------------------11-9--7--------------------|
A|----------7--9--11----------------------------------------------------------------------11-9--7-----------|
E|-7--9--10----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10-9--7--|

  3. Position 3

    Frets 9–14
    EADGBe91011121314C♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯
    e|----------------------------------------------10-12-14-12-10----------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------10-12-14----------------14-12-10-------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------9--11-13----------------------------------13-11-9-----------------------------|
D|-------------------9--11-12----------------------------------------------------12-11-9--------------------|
A|----------9--11-12----------------------------------------------------------------------12-11-9-----------|
E|-9--10-12----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12-10-9--|

  4. Position 4

    Frets 10–16
    EADGBe10111213141516DEF♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯
    e|----------------------------------------------12-14-16-14-12----------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------12-14-15----------------15-14-12-------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------11-13-14----------------------------------14-13-11----------------------------|
D|-------------------11-12-14----------------------------------------------------14-12-11-------------------|
A|----------11-12-14----------------------------------------------------------------------14-12-11----------|
E|-10-12-14----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------14-12-10-|

  5. Position 5

    Frets 12–17
    EADGBe121314151617EF♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯A
    e|----------------------------------------------14-16-17-16-14----------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------------14-15-17----------------17-15-14-------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------13-14-16----------------------------------16-14-13----------------------------|
D|-------------------12-14-16----------------------------------------------------16-14-12-------------------|
A|----------12-14-16----------------------------------------------------------------------16-14-12----------|
E|-12-14-16----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------16-14-12-|

  6. Position 6

    Frets 2–7
    EADGBe234567F♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯AB
    e|-------------------------------4-5-7-5-4-------------------------------|
B|-------------------------3-5-7-----------7-5-3-------------------------|
G|-------------------2-4-6-----------------------6-4-2-------------------|
D|-------------2-4-6-----------------------------------6-4-2-------------|
A|-------2-4-5-----------------------------------------------5-4-2-------|
E|-2-4-5-----------------------------------------------------------5-4-2-|

  7. Position 7

    Frets 4–9
    EADGBe456789G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯
    e|-------------------------------5-7-9-7-5-------------------------------|
B|-------------------------5-7-9-----------9-7-5-------------------------|
G|-------------------4-6-7-----------------------7-6-4-------------------|
D|-------------4-6-7-----------------------------------7-6-4-------------|
A|-------4-5-7-----------------------------------------------7-5-4-------|
E|-4-5-7-----------------------------------------------------------7-5-4-|

Filled notes are the root, A. The tab runs up the position and back down.

Chords that go with A major

These are the chords of the scale: a triad built on each of its notes. Any progression made of them works with A major.

  1. AI
  2. Bmii
  3. C♯miii
  4. DIV
  5. EV
  6. F♯mvi
  7. G♯dimvii°

Relative scale

A major has the same notes as F♯ minor. You can play the same shapes; what changes is the note you treat as home, F♯.

How to practise the A major scale

  1. Learn position 1 first. Play it up and down slowly with a metronome until every note is even.
  2. Say or hear the root each time you pass it, so you always know where home is.
  3. Join two positions: slide from the top of one into the next until you can move across the neck.
  4. Improvise over the chords above with only three or four notes at first, then add more.

Hear A major in a real song

Upload a song you like, and Tabtify writes the tab, so you can see which notes of the scale the guitarist plays.

Turn a song into tab

A major scale FAQ

What notes are in the A major scale?

A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯. The formula is 1 2 3 4 5 6 7.

How many positions does the A major scale have?

Seven, when it is played with three notes on each string, as on this page. It is also taught as five CAGED shapes; both cover the whole neck with the same notes.

What chords go with the A major scale?

A, Bm, C♯m, D, E, F♯m, G♯dim.

What is the difference between A major and A minor?

A minor has a minor third, sixth, and seventh (C, F, G) where A major has major ones. That is what makes it sound dark rather than bright. A minor scale

More guitar scales

All guitar scales