SCALE · ON TENOR SAXOPHONE
A Major
The bright, stable home of common-practice tonality.
Tempo120 bpm
Playback sounds an octave + major 2nd below the written notation — the instrument's concert (sounding) pitch.
Audio source: tonejs-instruments by Nick Brosowsky (MIT)
Related scalesDiatonic chord harmonisation Same scale, other instruments Same scale, other tonics Modes built on this tonic Compare with Theory reference
RelativeF♯ Natural MinorSame seven notes, tonic on the 6th degree — your access to the related minor key.ParallelA Natural MinorSame tonic, the parallel minor — the deepest mode flip in tonal music.Up a fifthE MajorOne sharp brighter on the circle of fifths.Up a fourthD MajorOne flat darker on the circle of fifths.One note differentA LydianRaise the 4th — the bright, floating Lydian colour.One note differentA MixolydianLower the 7th — folk, blues-rock, Celtic vocabulary.SubsetA Pentatonic MajorFive notes from the same scale — the bedrock pentatonic.ExoticA Harmonic MajorBorrow the ♭6 from minor — operatic edge, IV / iv6 colour.
Questions
What notes are in the A Major scale?
The A Major scale uses the notes A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯ (one octave; the pattern repeats at higher registers).
What chords work over A Major?
The diatonic chords of A major: A major, ii minor, iii minor, IV major, V major (or V7), vi minor, vii°. Strong cadences use IV→V→I.
How do I finger A Major on Tenor Saxophone?
On saxophone, scales train fingering + the altissimo register. Practice the entire range — low Bb through high F (or higher with altissimo fingerings) — at each scale.
When would I use the Major scale?
The bright, stable home of common-practice tonality.