The notes of the A Major Scale are A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#.

The Chords in the A Major scale are:

MajorMinorMinorMajorMajorMinorDim
IiiiiiIVViiVII*
ABmC#mDEF#mG#*

A Major Scale – All Across the Neck

A Major Scale

You should know where you can play the A Major scale on your guitar. I have highlighted the 5 positions below where you could play it. Please note that some of these patterns will repeat beyond the 12th fret. Start each scale on the root note.

A Major Scale – Position 1
This pattern covers two octaves. 

A Major Position 1

A Major Scale – Position 2

A Major Position 2

A Major Scale – Position 3

A Major Position 3

A Major Scale – Position 4

A Major Position 4

A Major Scale – Position 5
This pattern covers two octaves. 

A Major Position 5

Try the following when playing this scale:

Use a metronome – start very slowly.
Play cleanly – Focus on fingering every note cleanly.
Alternate pick – Alternate between up and down. Play quarter notes and then eighth notes.
Down pick all notes – Play quarter notes and then eighth notes.
Triplets – Alternate pick 3 notes for each beat.
16th notes – Alternate pick 4 notes for each beat.
Fingerpick – Use just your fingers to pick. Thumb plays the top 3 strings, Index, Middle and Ring fingers play the bottom strings respectively. Thumb, index, middle and ring are usually indicated by the initials P, I, M, A.
Alternate Fingerpick – Alternate Index & Middle fingers to play each note of the scale.
Use hammer on’s and pull off’s – Can you play each one without picking?
Speed up – As you feel more comfortable, try to increase the metronome speed.
Turn off metronome – Play the exercises but name each note that you play (without looking at the diagrams). Go as slow as you like.
Name the notes – Play exercises and name only the root notes (without looking at the diagrams).
Different positions – Do all the exercises and picking variations for each position.

Explore More

Add Chords

An add chord is a chord where an additional note, or extension, is added to a basic triad without changing the original chord structure or stacking extra thirds as in

A Minor Chord

Below is the chord diagram for the A Minor chord in the 1st position. A – RootC – Flat 3rdE – 5th When played on guitar the notes are in

Relative Minor

To find the relative minor chord of any major key you just count down three half steps. The two keys share the same notes. Using relative minor chords is a