A Major Scale

A major

Notes

A · B · C♯ · D · E · F♯ · G♯

Intervals

  • RootA (1P)
  • Major 2ndB (2M)
  • Major 3rdC♯ (3M)
  • Perfect 4thD (4P)
  • Perfect 5thE (5P)
  • Major 6thF♯ (6M)
  • Major 7thG♯ (7M)

Fretboard

EBGDAE357912EF♯G♯ABC♯DEBC♯DEF♯G♯ABG♯ABC♯DEF♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯DABC♯DEF♯G♯AEF♯G♯ABC♯DE
Open in visualizer →

Adjust labels, frets, and palette in the interactive view.

Modes of A major

Each mode uses the same seven notes as A major, started from a different scale degree.

  1. 1A Ionian — this scale— major 7th (7)
  2. 2B Dorian— natural 6th (♮6)
  3. 3D♭ Phrygian— flat 2nd (♭2)
  4. 4D Lydian— sharp 4th (♯4 / ♯11)
  5. 5E Mixolydian— flat 7th (♭7)
  6. 6F♯ Aeolian— flat 6th (♭6)
  7. 7A♭ Locrian— flat 5th (♭5)

3-Notes-Per-String positions

Seven movable patterns, each covering all 6 strings with 3 consecutive scale tones per string. Root notes are shown in red.

All 7 patterns
Pattern 1open · frets 0–5
EBGDAE35EF♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯A
Pattern 2frets 2–7
EBGDAE357F♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯AB
Pattern 3frets 4–9
EBGDAE579G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯
Pattern 4frets 5–10
EBGDAE579ABC♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯D
Pattern 5frets 7–12
EBGDAE791213BC♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯DE
Pattern 6frets 9–14
EBGDAE912131415C♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯
Pattern 7frets 10–16
EBGDAE121314151617DEF♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯ABC♯DEF♯G♯

Quartal voicings

Stacked perfect 4ths across four adjacent strings, sorted nut to heel. Root notes are circled in red.

All voicings
EBGDAE35F♯BEA
F# root
EBGDAE35BEAD
B root
EBGDAE57F♯BEA
F# root
EBGDAE57G♯C♯F♯B
G# root
EBGDAE57C♯F♯BE
C# root
EBGDAE79G♯C♯F♯B
G# root
EBGDAE79BEAD
B root
EBGDAE912F♯BEA
F# root
EBGDAE912BEAD
B root
EBGDAE912C♯F♯BE
C# root
EBGDAE121314G♯C♯F♯B
G# root
EBGDAE121314C♯F♯BE
C# root

Diagrams

A Major Scale fretboard charts — tap any diagram to open it full size to save or print.

A Major Scale — notes A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G# shown across the full guitar fretboard, frets 0 to 12.
Whole neck — frets 0–12
A Major Scale — seven 3-notes-per-string positions shown as fretboard neck slices.
Seven 3NPS positions
A Major Scale — quartal voicings shown as chord-box diagrams for all four roots.
Quartal voicings — 3 string sets, sorted nut to heel