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What Is An A Major Scale

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Music Gateway Team

8.3.2023

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Welcome to this article on the A Major Scale! The A Major Scale is a musical scale that is used in many different styles of music, from classical to jazz to pop.

In this article, we will discuss the basics, including its notes and intervals, as well as how it is used in different types of music. We will also provide some examples of songs that use the A Major Scale.

Definition of A Major Scale

It is a diatonic scale made up of eight notes, each separated by an interval of a whole step (or two half steps). The intervals of the A Major scale are as follows:

1. Root (A): Unison

2. Major Second (B): Whole Step

3. Major Third (C#): Whole Step

4. Perfect Fourth (D): Whole Step

5. Perfect Fifth (E): Whole Step

6. Major Sixth (F#): Whole Step

7. Major Seventh (G#): Whole Step

8. Octave (A): Whole Step

The A Major scale is a symmetrical scale, meaning that the intervals between each note are the same. This is why it is often referred to as a “diatonic” scale, as it follows a specific pattern of intervals.

This scale is used in many different styles of music, including classical, jazz, pop, and rock. It is one of the most commonly used scales in western music and is a great starting point for learning more about music theory. It is often used as a basis for improvisation and composition and can be used to create both major and minor chords.

Components

The components are A, B, C#, D, E, F#, and G#. It is a diatonic scale, meaning that it is composed of seven notes that are all separated by a whole step (or two half steps). The notes are derived from the A major triad, which consists of the notes A, C#, and E.

The other four notes of the scale are B, D, F#, and G#. These four notes are derived by adding a half step to each of the notes of the A major triad. The A Major scale can also be described as a series of intervals. 

The intervals are – root (A), whole (B), whole (C#), half (D), whole (E), whole (F#), and a half (G#). It is a major scale because it follows the pattern of whole and half steps that are characteristic of major scales.

This pattern of whole and half steps are known as the formula, and it is the same for all major scales. The formula is W-W-W-W-W-W-H, where W stands for whole step and H stands for half step.

Interval Structure of an A Major Scale

Artist Examples:

“Let It Be” by The Beatles

“Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Judy Garland

“What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong

“Clocks” by Coldplay

Summary

We hope you learnt something from this article today. Thanks for reading!


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