A Major: Notes, Chords and Scale
A major is a major key. Its key signature has 3 sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯. Its scale is A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯, and its seven diatonic chords are A, Bm, C♯m, D, E, F♯m, G♯dim. Below are the 7th chords, Roman numerals, related keys, the Camelot code and a keyboard diagram.
Key signature
3♯
Relative key
Parallel key
Camelot code
11B
Notes
A B C♯ D E F♯ G♯
Chords in A major
- IAA C♯ E
- iiBmB D F♯
- iiiC♯mC♯ E G♯
- IVDD F♯ A
- VEE G♯ B
- viF♯mF♯ A C♯
- vii°G♯dimG♯ B D
Seventh chords
- Imaj7Amaj7A C♯ E G♯
- ii7Bm7B D F♯ A
- iii7C♯m7C♯ E G♯ B
- IVmaj7Dmaj7D F♯ A C♯
- V7E7E G♯ B D
- vi7F♯m7F♯ A C♯ E
- viiø7G♯m7♭5G♯ B D F♯
How to use these chords
- I, IV and V (A, D, E) are the primary chords. Together they contain all seven notes of the scale.
- vi (F♯m) and iii (C♯m) each share two notes with I, and ii (Bm) shares two notes with IV, so these minor chords often stand in for them.
- V7 (E7) contains the leading tone, G♯, which pulls up to the root, so it resolves strongly to I. vii° (G♯dim) has the same upper three notes as V7 and is mostly used as a passing chord.
- Common progressions, in Roman numerals: I V vi IV (A, E, F♯m, D); I vi IV V (A, F♯m, D, E); ii V I (Bm, E, A); ii7 V7 Imaj7 (Bm7, E7, Amaj7).
Common uses of A major
- A major shares its seven notes and its key signature with its relative minor, F♯ minor.
- On a piano, 3 of its seven notes are black keys.
- The root note, A, is an open string on a guitar in standard tuning (E A D G B E), so it can ring under the chords.
- On guitar, A, D, E all have common open position shapes.
- In the Camelot system DJs use for harmonic mixing, A major is 11B; tracks in 10B, 12B and 11A usually mix smoothly with it.
- Open A major in the Scale and Chord Finder
- Find your song's key from the audio: Detect Key and BPM
- Camelot Wheel: 11B
- Write chords or MIDI in A major with MIDI LabMIDI Lab, from the same team as SongTools, writes chord progressions, bass, drums and melody as MIDI from a prompt.
- F♯ minor: notes and chords
- All 24 major and minor keys
Questions about A major
What chords are in A major?
The seven chords in A major are A, Bm, C♯m, D, E, F♯m, G♯dim (I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii°). As seventh chords they are Amaj7, Bm7, C♯m7, Dmaj7, E7, F♯m7, G♯m7♭5.
What notes are in the A major scale?
A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯. Its key signature has 3 sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯.
What is the relative minor of A major?
F♯ minor. It uses the same seven notes and key signature as A major, starting from F♯. The parallel minor, A minor, starts on the same note as A major but has a different key signature.
What is the Camelot code for A major?
11B. Next to it on the Camelot wheel are 10B and 12B, and 11A is its relative minor, F♯ minor.