A Major Banjo Scale, Chords & Progressions

The A Major scale on banjo: scale shapes, chords and progressions, with tab you can play along to in the interactive lesson.

Notes: A B C# D E F# G#

Tuning: Standard (G D G B D)

Basic Chords

Scale shapes

4NPS - Fifth Position

D|--6---7---9--11--12--14--16-|
B|--2---4---6---7-------------|
G|--4---6---7---9-------------|
D|--7---9--10--12-------------|
G|-11--12--14--16-------------|

4NPS - Sixth Position

D|--6---7---9--11--12--14--16--18-|
B|--4---6---7---9-----------------|
G|--6---7---9--11-----------------|
D|--9--10--12--14-----------------|
G|-12--14--16--18-----------------|

4NPS - Seventh Position

D|--6---7---9--11--12--14--16--18--19-|
B|--6---7---9--11---------------------|
G|--7---9--11--13---------------------|
D|-10--12--14--15---------------------|
G|-14--16--18--19---------------------|

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	A	A C# E	`x x 2 2 2`
I	A	A C# E	`x x x 2 2`
I	A	A C# E	`x 2 2 2 2`
I	A	A C# E	`x 2 2 2 x`
II	Bm	B D F#	`9 9 7 7 0`
II	Bm	B D F#	`9 0 4 0 4`
II	Bm	B D F#	`9 9 7 7 9`
III	C#m	C# E G#	`11 11 9 9 11`
IV	D	D F# A	`7 0 2 3 0`
IV	D	D F# A	`7 0 2 3 4`
IV	D	D F# A	`7 7 7 7 7`
V	E	E G# B	`9 9 9 9 9`
VI	F#m	F# A C#	`x x 2 2 x`
VI	F#m	F# A C#	`x 4 2 2 4`
VI	F#m	F# A C#	`x 4 2 2 x`
VI	F#m	F# A C#	`x x 2 2 4`
VII	G#dim	G# B D	`x x x 0 0`
VII	G#dim	G# B D	`x x 1 0 0`
VII	G#dim	G# B D	`x 0 1 0 0`
VII	G#dim	G# B D	`x 0 1 0 x`

Arpeggios

Chords: A – Bm – C#m – D – E – F#m – G#dim

D|2-----------6---7-------------------2-----------6---7-----------|--------------------12------------------------------------------|
B|2-------5-----------7---5-----------2-------5-----------7---5---|7-----------10--12------12--9---------------7-----------10--12--|
G|2---6-----------------------6---2---2---6-----------------------|7---7---11----------------------11--7-------7---7---11----------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------|9---------------------------------------9---9-------------------|
G|7-----------------------------------7---------------------------|9-------------------------------------------9-------------------|

D|--------------------14------------------------------------------|2-------------------6---9---6-----------------------2-----------|
B|9-----------12--14------14--10--------------9-----------12--14--|0-----------3---5---------------5-------------------0-----------|
G|9---9---13----------------------13--9-------9---9---13----------|1-------4---------------------------6---4-----------1-------4---|
D|11--------------------------------------11--11------------------|2---6---------------------------------------6---2---2---6-------|
G|11------------------------------------------11------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|--------------------12--16--12----------------------------------|2-----------6---7-------------------2-----------6---7-----------|
B|7-----------10--12--------------12------------------7-----------|2-------5-----------7---5-----------2-------5-----------7---5---|
G|7-------11--------------------------13--11----------7-------11--|2---6-----------------------6---2---2---6-----------------------|
D|9---12--------------------------------------12--9---9---12------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|9---------------------------------------------------9-----------|7-----------------------------------7---------------------------|

D|4-------4---7---6---------------4-------4---7---6---------------|
B|3---3---------------5---2-------3---3---------------5---2-------|
G|4---------------------------4---4---------------------------4---|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|9-------------------------------9-------------------------------|

Walks

Chords: A – Bm – C#m – D – E – F#m – G#dim

D|--------------------------------6-------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----------------5-------7-----------7-------5-------------------|------------------------9-------10--9---------------------------|
G|2-------6-----------------------------------------------6-------|--------7-------11--------------------------11----------7-------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------|9---------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|------------------------10------12--10--------------------------|--------------------------------3-------------------------------|
G|--------9-------13--------------------------13----------9-------|----------------4-------6-----------6-------4-------------------|
D|11--------------------------------------------------------------|2-------6-----------------------------------------------6-------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|----------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------6-------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------10------------------------------|----------------5-------7-----------7-------5-------------------|
G|----------------11------13----------13------11------------------|2-------6-----------------------------------------------6-------|
D|9-------12----------------------------------------------12------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

D|----------------4-------6-------7---6-------4-------------------|
B|--------3-----------------------------------------------3-------|
G|4---------------------------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|

Seventh Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Amaj7	A C# E G#	`x 2 1 2 2`
I	Amaj7	A C# E G#	`x 2 1 2 x`
I	Amaj7	A C# E G#	`x x 1 2 2`
I	Amaj7	A C# E G#	`6 2 1 2 2`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 0`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 x`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`x x 2 0 0`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 4`
III	C#m7	C# E G# B	`x 2 1 0 2`
III	C#m7	C# E G# B	`x 2 1 0 x`
III	C#m7	C# E G# B	`x x 1 0 2`
III	C#m7	C# E G# B	`x 2 4 2 2`
IV	Dmaj7	D F# A C#	`x 0 2 2 0`
IV	Dmaj7	D F# A C#	`x 0 2 2 x`
IV	Dmaj7	D F# A C#	`x x 2 2 0`
IV	Dmaj7	D F# A C#	`x 0 2 2 4`
V	E7	E G# B D	`x x 1 0 0`
V	E7	E G# B D	`x 0 1 0 0`
V	E7	E G# B D	`x 0 1 0 x`
V	E7	E G# B D	`x 2 1 0 0`
VI	F#m7	F# A C# E	`x x 2 2 2`
VI	F#m7	F# A C# E	`x 2 2 2 2`
VI	F#m7	F# A C# E	`x 2 2 2 x`
VI	F#m7	F# A C# E	`x 4 2 2 2`
VII	G#m7b5	G# B D F#	`x x 1 0 4`
VII	G#m7b5	G# B D F#	`x 0 1 0 4`
VII	G#m7b5	G# B D F#	`x 0 1 3 4`
VII	G#m7b5	G# B D F#	`x 0 4 0 4`

Ninth Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Amaj9	A C# E G# B	`6 2 2 0 2`
I	Amaj9	A C# E G# B	`6 2 2 0 6`
I	Amaj9	A C# E G# B	`6 2 6 0 2`
I	Amaj9	A C# E G# B	`6 2 6 0 6`
II	Bm9	B D F# A C#	`x 0 2 2 4`
II	Bm9	B D F# A C#	`x 4 2 2 0`
II	Bm9	B D F# A C#	`7 0 2 2 4`
II	Bm9	B D F# A C#	`7 0 4 2 0`
III	C#m7b9	C# E G# B D	`x 2 1 0 0`
III	C#m7b9	C# E G# B D	`x 0 1 0 2`
III	C#m7b9	C# E G# B D	`x 2 4 2 0`
III	C#m7b9	C# E G# B D	`x 0 4 2 2`
IV	Dmaj9	D F# A C# E	`x 0 2 2 2`
IV	Dmaj9	D F# A C# E	`x 2 2 2 0`
IV	Dmaj9	D F# A C# E	`x 4 2 2 2`
IV	Dmaj9	D F# A C# E	`x 2 2 2 4`
V	E9	E G# B D F#	`x 0 1 0 4`
V	E9	E G# B D F#	`x 4 1 0 0`
V	E9	E G# B D F#	`x 2 1 3 4`
V	E9	E G# B D F#	`x 4 1 3 2`
VI	F#m9	F# A C# E G#	`x 4 1 2 2`
VI	F#m9	F# A C# E G#	`x 2 1 2 4`
VI	F#m9	F# A C# E G#	`6 4 1 2 2`
VI	F#m9	F# A C# E G#	`6 2 1 2 4`
VII	G#m7b5b9	G# B D F# A	`x 0 2 0 4`
VII	G#m7b5b9	G# B D F# A	`x 4 2 0 0`
VII	G#m7b5b9	G# B D F# A	`6 6 2 0 4`
VII	G#m7b5b9	G# B D F# A	`x 6 2 0 4`

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