Key guide
A major: scale, key signature and chords
A major has three sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯). Its scale is A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯ — play the scale and every chord below.
- Key signature
- F♯ C♯ G♯ — three sharps
- Scale notes
- A B C♯ D E F♯ G♯
- Relative minor
- F♯ minor
- Parallel minor
- A minor
- Dominant key
- E major
- Subdominant key
- D major
- On the piano
- 3 black keys and 4 white in the scale
The A major scale
The A major scale uses the notes A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯, the major-scale pattern of whole and half steps (W–W–H–W–W–W–H) starting on A. Each letter name appears once, which is why the accidentals are written as F♯, C♯, G♯ rather than as their enharmonic equivalents.
| Degree | Note | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | tonic |
| 2 | B | supertonic |
| 3 | C♯ | mediant |
| 4 | D | subdominant |
| 5 | E | dominant |
| 6 | F♯ | submediant |
| 7 | G♯ | leading tone |
Chords in A major
Stacking thirds on each note of the scale gives seven diatonic triads and seven seventh chords. The Roman numeral gives each chord’s position; the role column says what it usually does in a phrase.
| Chord | Triad | Seventh | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | A C♯ E | A C♯ E G♯ | tonic |
| ii | B D F♯ | B D F♯ A | predominant |
| iii | C♯ E G♯ | C♯ E G♯ B | tonic substitute |
| IV | D F♯ A | D F♯ A C♯ | predominant |
| V | E G♯ B | E G♯ B D | dominant |
| vi | F♯ A C♯ | F♯ A C♯ E | tonic substitute |
| vii° | G♯ B D | G♯ B D F♯ | dominant |
Chord progressions in A major
Four progressions worked out in A major, each one playable:
- I – V – vi – IV A – E – F♯m – DThe four-chord loop under a large share of pop songs.
- ii – V – I Bm – E – AThe standard jazz cadence: predominant, dominant, tonic.
- I – IV – V – I A – D – E – AThe plain three-chord cadence at the root of tonal harmony.
- I – vi – IV – V A – F♯m – D – EThe 1950s progression: tonic, relative minor, subdominant, dominant.
Keys related to A major
- Relative minor: F♯ minor — same key signature, different home note.
- Dominant: E major — one step clockwise on the circle of fifths; the key most pieces in A major modulate to.
- Subdominant: D major — one step counter-clockwise, adding one flat (or removing one sharp).
- Parallel minor: A minor — same tonic, opposite mode.
Questions
What are the notes in A major?
The A major scale is A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯.
How many sharps or flats are in A major?
A major has three sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯.
What is the relative minor of A major?
The relative minor of A major is F♯ minor. The two keys share a key signature and the same seven notes, but F♯ is the home note of the minor key.
What chords are in A major?
The seven diatonic triads in A major are A, Bm, C♯m, D, E, F♯m, G♯°.