A Major
Chords in the key of
The scale’s notes are numbered from 1 to 7. Roman numerals are used to label the basic triad (1-3-5) chords built on each of those notes.
The notes of the A major scale are:
A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G#
| I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii° |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Bm | C#m | D | E | F#m | G#dim |
| A major | B minor | C sharp minor | D major | E major | F sharp minor | G sharp diminished |
| A - C# - E | B - D - F# | C# - E - G# | D - F# - A | E - G# - B | F# - A - C# | G# - B - D |
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That’s the diatonic set. If you stay strictly inside the key, these are your friends. The pattern of naming chords for every major key is:
Major, Minor, Minor, Major, Major, Minor, Diminished. Numerals in UPPERCASE (I, IV, V) denote major chords, and numerals in lowercase (ii, iii, vi) denote minor chords.
A Major: Extended Chords
Amaj7
A - D♭ - E - A♭
E7
E - A♭ - B - D
F#m7
F# - A - C# - E
Dmaj7
D - F# - A - C#
Bm7
B - D - F# - A
G Major
G - B - D
A Major’s Parallel Minor
Changing between parallel keys can feel bold, emotional, and cinematic.
These notes come from the A natural minor scale (C, F, and G), and are commonly borrowed individually to colour chords in A major:
| ♭III | iv | v | ♭VI | ♭VII |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Dm | Em | F | G |
| C major | D minor | E minor | F major | G major |
| C - E - G | D - F - A | E - G - B | F - A - C | G - B - D |
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