A Major Scale on Piano

The A Major scale sounds bright and resolved. It runs A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G# and is written with three sharps.

It shares its key signature with F# minor, its relative minor.

Interval Circle

WWHWWWHCC#3D4D#E5FF#6GG#7A1A#B2

All twelve semitones, root at the top. Filled dots are the notes of the scale, the outer numbers are their degrees, and W / H mark the whole and half steps between them.

About This Scale

The reference point for Western tonality. Its half steps sit between the 3rd and 4th and between the 7th and 8th degrees, and that leading tone pulling up into the tonic is what makes it sound finished.

Fingering

Right Hand (ascending)

1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5

Left Hand (ascending)

5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1

Why this fingering

3 black keys (C#, F#, G#) sit in this scale, and the thumb has to avoid them. In the right hand the thumb crosses under onto D; let the elbow drift slightly outward as it passes rather than twisting the wrist.

The blue dots on the piano below show which keys to press — they turn green when you play the right note.

Notes in A Major

NoteIntervalRH FingerLH Finger
AA4Root (1)15
BB4Major 2nd (2)24
C#C#5Major 3rd (3)33
DD5Perfect 4th (4)12
EE5Perfect 5th (5)21
F#F#5Major 6th (6)33
G#G#5Major 7th (7)42
AA5Octave (8)51

Other Major Scales

C Major
C – D – E – F – G – A – B
Db Major
Db – Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – C
D Major
D – E – F# – G – A – B – C#
Eb Major
Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb – C – D
E Major
E – F# – G# – A – B – C# – D#
F Major
F – G – A – Bb – C – D – E
F# Major
F# – G# – A# – B – C# – D# – E#
G Major
G – A – B – C – D – E – F#
Ab Major
Ab – Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – G
Bb Major
Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G – A
B Major
B – C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A#

Other A Scales

A Natural Minor
A – B – C – D – E – F – G
A Harmonic Minor
A – B – C – D – E – F – G#
A Melodic Minor
A – B – C – D – E – F# – G#
A Major Pentatonic
A – B – C# – E – F#
A Minor Pentatonic
A – C – D – E – G
A Blues
A – C – D – Eb – E – G
A Dorian
A – B – C – D – E – F# – G
A Mixolydian
A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G
A Chromatic
A – A# – B – C – C# – D – D# – E – F – F# – G – G#