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A Major Blues Scale – Guitar
The major pentatonic plus the b3: the slide from b3 to 3 is the classic country-blues move. 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 blues scale
- A1
- B2
- Cb3
- C♯3
- E5
- F♯6
Formula: 1 – 2 – b3 – 3 – 5 – 6. Use it to solo over songs in A major.
A major blues scale on the whole neck
Know the scale?
Now solo with it.
A guitar soloing course: 81 short lessons, each one ends with you jamming over a real backing track.
- From 3 notes to your own solos
- Every note on the neck, with sound and TAB
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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 4–7
e|-----------------------5-7-| B|-------------------5-7-----| G|-------------4-5-6---------| D|---------4-7---------------| A|-----4-7-------------------| E|-5-7-----------------------|
Box 2 · frets 6–10
e|-------------------------------------7--8--9--| B|-------------------------------7--10----------| G|-------------------------6--9-----------------| D|----------------7--9--10----------------------| A|----------7--9--------------------------------| E|-7--8--9--------------------------------------|
Box 3 · frets 9–12
e|----------------------------------9--12-| B|----------------------------10-12-------| G|----------------------9--11-------------| D|-------------9--10-11-------------------| A|-------9--12----------------------------| E|-9--12----------------------------------|
Box 4 · frets 11–14
e|----------------------------------12-14-| B|-------------------------12-13-14-------| G|-------------------11-14----------------| D|-------------11-14----------------------| A|-------12-14----------------------------| E|-12-14----------------------------------|
Box 5 · frets 2–5
e|-------------------------2-5-| B|---------------------2-5-----| G|---------------2-4-5---------| D|-----------2-4---------------| A|-----2-3-4-------------------| E|-2-5-------------------------|
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
Other scales in A
- A Minor Pentatonic Scale
- A Major Pentatonic Scale
- A Blues Scale
- A Major Scale
- A Natural Minor Scale
- A Dorian Mode
- A Mixolydian Mode
- A Phrygian Mode
- A Lydian Mode
- A Harmonic Minor Scale
- A Melodic Minor Scale
Major Blues Scale in other keys
- C Major Blues Scale
- D♭ Major Blues Scale
- D Major Blues Scale
- E♭ Major Blues Scale
- E Major Blues Scale
- F Major Blues Scale
- F♯ Major Blues Scale
- G Major Blues Scale
- A♭ Major Blues Scale
- B♭ Major Blues Scale
- B Major Blues Scale
Put it to use: solo with it, step by step, starting with three notes.
FAQ
What notes are in the A major blues scale?
A, B, C, C#, E, F#. The formula is 1 2 b3 3 5 6.
Where do I start playing the A major blues scale on guitar?
Start with Box 1, frets 4–7. The root note A is on the low E string at fret 5.