A Major Scale – Guitar

The seven-note scale everything else is measured against: do-re-mi on the guitar neck. Here it is in A: the notes, the whole neck, all five boxes with TAB, and a backing track to practise over.

Notes in the A major scale

A1
B2
C♯3
D4
E5
F♯6
G♯7

Formula: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7. Use it to solo over songs in A major.

Same seven notes as the F♯ natural minor scale (its relative minor).

A major scale on the whole neck

A Major Scale on the whole neck, frets 0-15. Gold = the root (A).

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<p><a href="https://jamease.app/scales/a-major">A Major Scale on guitar</a> – diagram by JamEase</p>

The JamEase course map: chapter 1, Solo Foundations

Know the scale?
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The 5 boxes (positions) with TAB

Each box is one hand position. Learn Box 1 first: play it up with the TAB, then back down, then move to the next box – together they cover the whole neck.

Box 1 · frets 3–8

A Major Scale, box 1

e|-------------------------------4-5-7-|
B|-------------------------3-5-7-------|
G|-------------------4-6-7-------------|
D|-------------4-6-7-------------------|
A|-------4-5-7-------------------------|
E|-4-5-7-------------------------------|

Box 2 · frets 5–11

A Major Scale, box 2

e|-------------------------------------------------------------5--7--9--10-|
B|-------------------------------------------------5--7--9--10-------------|
G|-------------------------------------6--7--9--11-------------------------|
D|-------------------------6--7--9--11-------------------------------------|
A|-------------5--7--9--11-------------------------------------------------|
E|-5--7--9--10-------------------------------------------------------------|

Box 3 · frets 8–13

A Major Scale, box 3

e|----------------------------------------------9--10-12-|
B|-------------------------------------9--10-12----------|
G|----------------------------9--11-13-------------------|
D|-------------------9--11-12----------------------------|
A|----------9--11-12-------------------------------------|
E|-9--10-12----------------------------------------------|

Box 4 · frets 10–15

A Major Scale, box 4

e|-------------------------------------------------10-12-14-|
B|-------------------------------------10-12-14-15----------|
G|----------------------------11-13-14----------------------|
D|-------------------11-12-14-------------------------------|
A|----------11-12-14----------------------------------------|
E|-10-12-14-------------------------------------------------|

Box 5 · frets 1–6

A Major Scale, box 5

e|---------------------------------2-4-5-|
B|---------------------------2-3-5-------|
G|-------------------1-2-4-6-------------|
D|-------------2-4-6---------------------|
A|-------2-4-5---------------------------|
E|-2-4-5---------------------------------|

A major backing track

Play the boxes over this, starting and ending phrases on the gold root notes.

Medium Slow Blues Backing Track in A Major | 65 bpm – Elite Backing Tracks

Songs in A major

These songs are in A major, so this is a scale that fits for soloing over them:

Someone Like You – Adele
Take Me Home Country Roads – John Denver
Whats Up – 4 Non Blondes
The A Team – Ed Sheeran
Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol
Somewhere Only We Know – Keane
Wicked Game – Chris Isaak
It Will Rain – Bruno Mars
Fast Car – Tracy Chapman
Stand By Me – Ben E. King
Halo – Beyoncé
Tears In Heaven – Eric Clapton

All songs in A major →

Other scales in A

Major Scale in other keys

Put it to use: solo with it, step by step, starting with three notes.