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   The Key of A uses the notes A, B, C#, D, E, F#, and G#, There are tons of songs that are played in the Key of A and it will use only these tones, This is also the same as the "Key of F# minor" because both use the same 'set of tones'...

   We don't teach the 'minor scales' because they are within the 'set of tones' that define the key you are in, This is a great key to learn the little chunk of the major scale that is normally taught as the 'minor scale'...

Key of A...

   Always remember that a key is a set of tones so the first diagram represents the tones used for the Key of A, The key is to master the 'entire pattern' which is from the open strings to the 12th fret, Using the same diagram you can learn another little chunk of the 'A major scale' or Key of A...

Key of A...

   After you learn all the smaller chunks of the 'entire pattern' then you learn to peice them together, If you do not recognize that each chunk you learn will be used for the other keys then you will have a harder time really learning, If you are familiar with the 'Key of C' then you should recognize the chunk of tones below...

Key of A...

   The chords that are used within a key also follow the same patterns from key to key, There are alot of frets between the open strings up to the 12th fret which means each (and every) chord will have five different versions, If someone says play an "A major chord" then there are five chords that you can play between the 0th and 12th frets...

   Here are the basic chords for the Key of A, this shows the Natural Chord Progression that they follow based on the tones starting from the key note, We have been updating the keys pages so we are adding alot more chords (see the Key of C)... 

Chord name --------------------- Notes used

A major ------------------------- A C# E
A major 3rd -------------------- A C# ..
A 5 ------------------------------- A .. E

A major 7th --------------------- A C# E + G# 
A major add9 ------------------ A C# E + G# + B
A sus7 -------------------------- A .. E + G# 

A major 9th -------------------- A C# E + B
A sus2 -------------------------- A .. E + B  ------- (E major sus4)

A major 11th ------------------- A C# E + D
A sus4 --------------------------- A .. E + D

A major 6th/13th ------------- A C# E + F#
A sus6 --------------------------- A .. E + F#

Compare the A major 13th to the F# minor 7th below

F# minor -------------------------- F# A C#
F# minor 3rd --------------------- F# A
F# 5 -------------------------------- F# .. C#

F# minor 7th --------------------- F# A C# + E
F# minor add9 ------------------- F# A C# + E + G#
F# sus7 ---------------------------- F# .. C# + E

F# minor 9th ---------------------- F# A C# + G#
F# sus2 ---------------------------- F# .. C# + G#  ------- (C# minor sus4)

F# minor 11th --------------------- F# A C# + B
F# sus4 ---------------------------- F# .. C# + B

F# minor 6th/13th -------------- F# A C# + D
F# sus6 ---------------------------- F# .. C# + D

Compare the F# minor 13th to D major 7th below

D major ---------------------------- D F# A
D major 3rd ---------------------- D F# ..
D 5 --------------------------------- D .. A

D major 7th ---------------------- D F# A + C#
D major add9 -------------------- D F# A + C# + E
D sus7 ---------------------------- D .. A + C#

D major 9th ----------------------- D F# A + E
D sus2 ---------------------------- D .. A + E  ------- (A sus4)

D major 11th ---------------------- D F# A + G#
D sus4 ---------------------------- D .. A + G#        ------- (Extended Tritonics)...

D major 6th/13th -------------- D F# A + B
D sus6 ---------------------------- D .. A + B

Compare the D major 13th to the B minor 7th below

B minor --------------------------- B D F#
B minor 3rd ---------------------- B D
B 5 -------------------------------- B .. F#

B minor 7th ---------------------- B D F# + A
B minor add9 -------------------- B D F# + A + C#
B sus7 ---------------------------- B .. F# + A

B minor 9th ---------------------- B D F# + C#
B sus2 ---------------------------- B .. F# + C#  ------- (F# minor sus4)

B minor 11th -------------------- B D F# + E
B sus4 ---------------------------- B .. F# + E

B minor 6th/13th --------------- B D F# + G#
B sus7 ---------------------------- B .. F# + G#

Compare the B minor 13th to the G# diminished 7th below

G# diminished ---------------------- G# B D
G# minor 3rd ----------------------- G# B ..
G# (b5) ------------------------------ G# .. D        ------- (Tritonics)...

G# diminished 7th ----------------- G# B D + F#
G# diminished add9 --------------- G# B D + F# + A
G# sus7 ------------------------------ G# .. D + F#      ------- (Extended Tritonics)...

G# diminished 9th ----------------- G# B D + A
G# dim. sus7 ----------------------- G# .. D + A       ------- (D sus4)...

G# diminished 11th ----------------- G# B D + C#
G# dim. sus4 ------------------------- G# .. D + C#      ------- (Extended Tritonics)...

G# diminished 6th/13th -------- G# B D + E

Compare the G# diminished 13th to the E major 7th below

E major ------------------------------ E G# B
E major 3rd ------------------------- E G# ..
E 5 ----------------------------------- E .. B

E major 7th ------------------------- E G# B + D
E major add9 ----------------------- E G# B + D + F#
E sus7 ------------------------------- E .. B + D

E major 9th ------------------------- E G# B + F#
E sus2 ------------------------------- E .. B + F#  ------- (B minor sus4)

E major 11th ------------------------ E G# B + A
E sus4 ------------------------------- E .. B + A

E major 6th/13th  ----------------- E G# B + C#
E sus6  ------------------------------- E .. B + C#

Compare the E major 13th to the C# minor 7th below

C# minor ------------------------------ C# E G#
C# minor 3rd ------------------------- C# E ..
C# 5 ------------------------------------ C# .. G#

C# minor 7th -------------------------- C# E G# + B
C# minor add9 ----------------------- C# E G# + B + D
C# sus7 -------------------------------- C# .. G# + B

C# minor 9th ------------------------- C# E G# + D
C# sus2 ------------------------------- C# .. G# + D  ------- (G# dim. sus4)

C# minor 11th ------------------------- C# E G# + F#
C# sus4 -------------------------------- C# ... G# + F#

C# minor 6th/13th ----------------- C# E G# + A
C# sus6 ------------------------------- C# .. G# + A

Compare the C# minor 13th to the A major 7th at the very top

    * The 13th chord is most often named a 6th chord (C# minor 6th = C# minor 13th) the chord building structure indicates that a 6th chord, contrary to what others believe, should be named 13th. If the naming of this extension as a 6th is the proper way then why isn't there a C# minor 8th, C# minor 10th, and C# minor 12th or C# minor 14th... (See our 14th chords lesson)...

   For more information on the 13th chords, check out our lesson on 6th chords and our lesson on Chord Building You are currently looking at the Key of A, the best keys to change to from here are the Key of D and the key of E).