A Major Scale
The A major scale is the brightest, most stable diatonic scale built on A. It's the default 'happy' sound in Western music.
Notes in A Major
The A Major scale contains A — B — C♯ — D — E — F♯ — G♯. The interval pattern is the universal major pattern, transposed to start on A.
How to use it
Open the interactive scale explorer above to see A Major on a piano keyboard, on a guitar fretboard, and to hear it played ascending or descending. The diatonic chord chips show the chords built from this scale.
Common uses
The A major scale is the brightest, most stable diatonic scale built on A. It's the default 'happy' sound in Western music.
FAQs
What chords go with the A Major scale?
Open the scale explorer to see the seven diatonic chords built from this scale. Each chord chip plays back so you can hear the harmony.
How is A Major different from other scales on A?
The intervals between notes are different. A Major uses the major interval pattern; switch to a different scale type in the explorer to hear how the same root sounds with major, minor, pentatonic, blues, and other patterns.
What's the relative key of A Major?
For major and minor scales, the relative is found three semitones away. A major and F# minor share the same notes; A minor and C major share the same notes.