A Major Scale

The A Major Scale has a Major quality due to its Major Third C♯. The Major Scale, like A Major, is the most important and commonly found scale in Western music and produces a generally happy sound. A Major Scale is classified as a heptatonic scale as it has seven notes, A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯. The A Major Scale is also known as a diatonic scale which conforms to specific rules. The A Major Scale was originally formed from the identical A Ionian Mode.

Below you will find the A Major Scale notes, notation, patterns, degrees, intervals and more. You can also opt to see the A Major Scale on your preferred instrument.

Notes Ascending

A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯, A

Notes Descending

A, G♯, F♯, E, D, C♯, B, A

Notation Ascending

Notation Descending

Pattern Ascending

T, T, S, T, T, T, S

S = Semitone, T = Tone (2 Semitones)

Pattern Descending

S, T, T, T, S, T, T

S = Semitone, T = Tone (2 Semitones)

Degrees Ascending

NoteNumberName
A1Tonic
B2Supertonic
C♯3Mediant
D4Subdominant
E5Dominant
F♯6Submediant
G♯7Leading Tone
A8Tonic (Octave)

Degrees Descending

NoteNumberName
A8Tonic (Octave)
G♯7Leading Tone
F♯6Submediant
E5Dominant
D4Subdominant
C♯3Mediant
B2Supertonic
A1Tonic

Intervals Ascending

NotesSemitonesInterval
A > A0Perfect Unison (P1)
A > B2Major 2nd (M2)
A > C♯4Major 3rd (M3)
A > D5Perfect 4th (P4)
A > E7Perfect 5th (P5)
A > F♯9Major 6th (M6)
A > G♯11Major 7th (M7)
A > A12Perfect Octave (P8)

Intervals Descending

NotesSemitonesInterval
A > A0Perfect Unison (P1)
A > G♯1minor 2nd (m2)
A > F♯3minor 3rd (m3)
A > E5Perfect 4th (P4)
A > D7Perfect 5th (P5)
A > C♯8minor 6th (m6)
A > B10minor 7th (m7)
A > A12Perfect Octave (P8)

Scales related to A Major Scale

Relative Minor Scale

Minor scale with the same notes as A Major Scale but in a different order.

F♯ Natural Minor Scale

Parallel Minor Scale

Minor scale with the same root note as A Major Scale.

A Natural Minor Scale

Chords related to A Major Scale

Related Triads

These chords have been built using the notes of the A Major Scale. The chords are in degree order and shown in Roman numerals (lowercase = minor/diminished, uppercase = Major/Augmented).

I Chord - A Major

ii Chord - B Minor

iii Chord - C♯ Minor

IV Chord - D Major

V Chord - E Major

vi Chord - F♯ Minor

viio Chord - G♯ Diminished

Learn to Play A Major Scale

Instrument View

See A Major Scale on

If you want to learn what scales and modes are and much more, check out our free Fundamentals of Music Theory course. If you already know some of the basics, you can jump straight into the scales lesson.

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