8-Bar Blues Progression in A Major for Guitar

The A Major scale on guitar: the 8-Bar Blues progression in its chords, with tab you can play along to in the interactive lesson.

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

Tuning: E Standard (E A D G B E)

Scale

Scale shapes

CAGED - E Shape

e|--5---7-----|
B|--4---5---7-|
G|--4---6---7-|
D|--4---6---7-|
A|--5---7-----|
E|--4---5---7-|

Basic Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	A	A C# E	`x 0 2 2 2 0`
I	A	A C# E	`x 0 2 2 2 x`
I	A	A C# E	`x x x 2 2 0`
I	A	A C# E	`5 4 2 2 2 5`
II	Bm	B D F#	`x 2 4 4 3 2`
II	Bm	B D F#	`x 2 4 4 3 x`
II	Bm	B D F#	`x x x 4 3 2`
II	Bm	B D F#	`7 9 9 7 7 7`
III	C#m	C# E G#	`x 4 6 6 5 4`
III	C#m	C# E G#	`x 4 6 6 5 x`
III	C#m	C# E G#	`x 4 2 1 2 x`
III	C#m	C# E G#	`x x x 6 5 4`
IV	D	D F# A	`x x 0 2 3 2`
IV	D	D F# A	`x 5 4 2 3 2`
IV	D	D F# A	`x 5 4 2 3 x`
IV	D	D F# A	`x 5 4 2 x x`
V	E	E G# B	`0 2 2 1 0 0`
V	E	E G# B	`x x 2 1 0 0`
V	E	E G# B	`x x 2 1 0 x`
V	E	E G# B	`x x 2 4 5 4`
VI	F#m	F# A C#	`2 4 4 2 2 2`
VI	F#m	F# A C#	`x x 4 2 2 2`
VI	F#m	F# A C#	`x x 4 2 2 5`
VI	F#m	F# A C#	`x x 4 2 2 x`
VII	G#dim	G# B D	`x x 6 4 3 4`
VII	G#dim	G# B D	`4 5 6 4 x x`
VII	G#dim	G# B D	`x 11 12 13 12 x`
VII	G#dim	G# B D	`x x 0 1 0 x`

8-Bar Blues (I–V–IV–IV–I–V–I–V)

Chords: A – E – D – D – A – E – A – E

e|0---------------------------4---5---0---------------------------|0-----------------------------------0---------------------------|
B|2-------------------2---5-----------2-------------------2---5---|0---------------------------3---5---0---------------------------|
G|2-----------1---2-------------------2-----------1---2-----------|1-------------------1---4-----------1-------------------1---4---|
D|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|2-----------0---2-------------------2-----------0---2-----------|
A|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|

e|2-------------------2---5---2-------------------2---5---2-------|2-------------------2---5---2-------------------2---5---2-------|
B|3-----------2---3-----------3-----------2---3-----------3-------|3-----------2---3-----------3-----------2---3-----------3-------|
G|2-------2-------------------2-------2-------------------2-------|2-------2-------------------2-------2-------------------2-------|
D|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|
A|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

e|0---------------------------4---5---0---------------------------|0-----------------------------------0---------------------------|
B|2-------------------2---5-----------2-------------------2---5---|0---------------------------3---5---0---------------------------|
G|2-----------1---2-------------------2-----------1---2-----------|1-------------------1---4-----------1-------------------1---4---|
D|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|2-----------0---2-------------------2-----------0---2-----------|
A|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|

e|0---------------------------4---5---0---------------------------|0-----------------------------------0---------------------------|
B|2-------------------2---5-----------2-------------------2---5---|0---------------------------3---5---0---------------------------|
G|2-----------1---2-------------------2-----------1---2-----------|1-------------------1---4-----------1-------------------1---4---|
D|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|2-----------0---2-------------------2-----------0---2-----------|
A|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|

Seventh Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Amaj7	A C# E G#	`x 0 2 1 2 0`
I	Amaj7	A C# E G#	`x 0 2 1 2 x`
I	Amaj7	A C# E G#	`x x x 2 2 4`
I	Amaj7	A C# E G#	`5 4 2 2 2 4`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`x 2 4 2 3 2`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`x 2 0 2 0 x`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`x 2 4 2 3 x`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`x 2 0 2 0 2`
III	C#m7	C# E G# B	`x 4 6 4 5 4`
III	C#m7	C# E G# B	`x 4 2 4 2 x`
III	C#m7	C# E G# B	`x 4 6 4 5 x`
III	C#m7	C# E G# B	`x 4 2 4 2 4`
IV	Dmaj7	D F# A C#	`x x 0 2 2 2`
IV	Dmaj7	D F# A C#	`x 5 4 2 2 2`
IV	Dmaj7	D F# A C#	`x 5 7 6 7 5`
IV	Dmaj7	D F# A C#	`x 5 4 2 2 5`
V	E7	E G# B D	`0 2 0 1 0 0`
V	E7	E G# B D	`x x 2 1 3 0`
V	E7	E G# B D	`x x 2 4 3 4`
V	E7	E G# B D	`0 2 0 1 3 0`
VI	F#m7	F# A C# E	`2 4 2 2 2 2`
VI	F#m7	F# A C# E	`2 0 2 2 2 2`
VI	F#m7	F# A C# E	`2 4 2 2 2 x`
VI	F#m7	F# A C# E	`2 4 4 2 5 x`
VII	G#m7b5	G# B D F#	`x x 6 7 7 7`
VII	G#m7b5	G# B D F#	`x x 6 4 7 x`
VII	G#m7b5	G# B D F#	`x 11 12 11 12 x`
VII	G#m7b5	G# B D F#	`x 11 9 11 9 x`

8-Bar Blues (I–V–IV–IV–I–V–I–V)

Chords: Amaj7 – E7 – Dmaj7 – Dmaj7 – Amaj7 – E7 – Amaj7 – E7

e|0---------------------------4---5---0---------------------------|0-----------------------------------0---------------------------|
B|2-------------------2---5-----------2-------------------2---5---|0---------------------------3---5---0---------------------------|
G|1-----------1---2-------------------1-----------1---2-----------|1-------------------1---4-----------1-------------------1---4---|
D|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|0-----------0---2-------------------0-----------0---2-----------|
A|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|

e|2-------------------2---5---2-------------------2---5---2-------|2-------------------2---5---2-------------------2---5---2-------|
B|2-----------2---3-----------2-----------2---3-----------2-------|2-----------2---3-----------2-----------2---3-----------2-------|
G|2-------2-------------------2-------2-------------------2-------|2-------2-------------------2-------2-------------------2-------|
D|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|
A|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

e|0---------------------------4---5---0---------------------------|0-----------------------------------0---------------------------|
B|2-------------------2---5-----------2-------------------2---5---|0---------------------------3---5---0---------------------------|
G|1-----------1---2-------------------1-----------1---2-----------|1-------------------1---4-----------1-------------------1---4---|
D|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|0-----------0---2-------------------0-----------0---2-----------|
A|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|

e|0---------------------------4---5---0---------------------------|0-----------------------------------0---------------------------|
B|2-------------------2---5-----------2-------------------2---5---|0---------------------------3---5---0---------------------------|
G|1-----------1---2-------------------1-----------1---2-----------|1-------------------1---4-----------1-------------------1---4---|
D|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|0-----------0---2-------------------0-----------0---2-----------|
A|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|

Ninth Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Amaj9	A C# E G# B	`5 4 6 4 x x`
I	Amaj9	A C# E G# B	`5 7 6 4 x x`
I	Amaj9	A C# E G# B	`x x 7 4 5 4`
I	Amaj9	A C# E G# B	`x x 7 9 9 7`
II	Bm9	B D F# A C#	`7 4 7 4 7 x`
II	Bm9	B D F# A C#	`7 4 7 7 7 x`
II	Bm9	B D F# A C#	`7 9 7 7 7 9`
II	Bm9	B D F# A C#	`x x 0 2 2 2`
III	C#m7b9	C# E G# B D	`x x 11 9 12 10`
III	C#m7b9	C# E G# B D	`x x 11 13 12 10`
III	C#m7b9	C# E G# B D	`0 2 0 1 0 0`
III	C#m7b9	C# E G# B D	`x x 0 1 0 x`
IV	Dmaj9	D F# A C# E	`x x 0 2 2 0`
IV	Dmaj9	D F# A C# E	`x 5 2 2 2 x`
IV	Dmaj9	D F# A C# E	`x 5 4 6 5 x`
IV	Dmaj9	D F# A C# E	`10 9 11 9 x x`
V	E9	E G# B D F#	`x 7 6 7 7 4`
V	E9	E G# B D F#	`x 7 6 7 7 7`
V	E9	E G# B D F#	`12 9 12 9 12 x`
V	E9	E G# B D F#	`2 2 0 x x x`
VI	F#m9	F# A C# E G#	`2 4 2 2 2 4`
VI	F#m9	F# A C# E G#	`14 11 14 11 14 x`
VI	F#m9	F# A C# E G#	`14 11 14 14 14 x`
VI	F#m9	F# A C# E G#	`x 0 2 1 2 0`
VII	G#m7b5b9	G# B D F# A	`x x 6 4 7 5`
VII	G#m7b5b9	G# B D F# A	`x 2 4 2 3 2`
VII	G#m7b5b9	G# B D F# A	`x 2 0 2 x x`
VII	G#m7b5b9	G# B D F# A	`2 0 0 x x x`

8-Bar Blues (I–V–IV–IV–I–V–I–V)

Chords: Amaj9 – E9 – Dmaj9 – Dmaj9 – Amaj9 – E9 – Amaj9 – E9

e|--------------------------------5-------------------------------|4-----------------------7---4-----------------------7---4-------|
B|------------------------5---9-------------------------------5---|7---------------5---9-------7---------------5---9-------7-------|
G|4-------------------6---------------4-------------------6-------|7-------4---7---------------7-------4---7---------------7-------|
D|6-----------6---7-------------------6-----------6---7-----------|6---6-----------------------6---6-----------------------6---6---|
A|4---4---7---------------------------4---4---7-------------------|7---------------------------7---------------------------7-------|
E|5-----------------------------------5---------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

e|0-------------------2---5---0-------------------2---5---0-------|0-------------------2---5---0-------------------2---5---0-------|
B|2-----------2---3-----------2-----------2---3-----------2-------|2-----------2---3-----------2-----------2---3-----------2-------|
G|2-------2-------------------2-------2-------------------2-------|2-------2-------------------2-------2-------------------2-------|
D|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|
A|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

e|--------------------------------5-------------------------------|4-----------------------7---4-----------------------7---4-------|
B|------------------------5---9-------------------------------5---|7---------------5---9-------7---------------5---9-------7-------|
G|4-------------------6---------------4-------------------6-------|7-------4---7---------------7-------4---7---------------7-------|
D|6-----------6---7-------------------6-----------6---7-----------|6---6-----------------------6---6-----------------------6---6---|
A|4---4---7---------------------------4---4---7-------------------|7---------------------------7---------------------------7-------|
E|5-----------------------------------5---------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

e|--------------------------------5-------------------------------|4-----------------------7---4-----------------------7---4-------|
B|------------------------5---9-------------------------------5---|7---------------5---9-------7---------------5---9-------7-------|
G|4-------------------6---------------4-------------------6-------|7-------4---7---------------7-------4---7---------------7-------|
D|6-----------6---7-------------------6-----------6---7-----------|6---6-----------------------6---6-----------------------6---6---|
A|4---4---7---------------------------4---4---7-------------------|7---------------------------7---------------------------7-------|
E|5-----------------------------------5---------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

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