A Major Illustrated

Major Scales

       

A major scale

In the illustrations below, you will find the A Major scale compared to the scale of A Major Pentatonic. You will notice that the scale of A major consists of 8 notes and the A major Pentatonic scale has only 5. The Pentatonic major scale uses the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 5^th and 6^th notes of the major scale.

The numbers in each circle below are the recommended fingering for each scale. Work your way from the Low E String to the High E string, this would be ascending. Then work your way back up from the high to the Low E string, called descending.

The notes and chords of A Major:

A, Bm, C#m, D, E, F#m, G# dim and A

•  Listen to this scale
  Played from yellow low A to yellow high A
• Listen without distortion

Remember the numbers in each circle are the fingers you use.

• 1 equals Index Finger
• 2 ring finger
• 3 middle
• 4 pinkie

• Listen without distortion
• Drum Track

 Listen without distortion
 The fingering pattern above will require some stretching. This pattern should be mastered. Each number in the circle is the suggested fingers to play the scale.

Practice the A major progressions.
Practice the A major pentatonic scale exercises.
Look over other A type of scales, including major and minor in each key.