A Major Guitar Scale, Chords & Progressions (Open D Tuning)

The A Major scale on guitar: 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: Open D Guitar (D A D Gb A D)

Basic Chords

Scale shapes

CAGED - C Shape

e|--9--10--12-|
B|--9--11--12-|
G|--9--11--12-|
D|--9--11-----|
A|--9--10--12-|
E|--9--10--12-|

CAGED - A Shape

d |-14--16-----|
A |-11--12--14-|
Gb|-11--12--14-|
D |-12--14--15-|
A |-14--16--17-|
D |-14--16-----|

CAGED - G Shape

d |--4---6---7-|
A |--2---4---5-|
Gb|--2---4-----|
D |--2---3---5-|
A |--4---5---7-|
D |--4---6---7-|

CAGED - E Shape

d |--7---9-----|
A |--4---5---7-|
Gb|--4---6---7-|
D |--5---7---8-|
A |--7---9-----|
D |--6---7---9-|

CAGED - D Shape

d |--9--11--12-|
A |--7---9-----|
Gb|--6---7---9-|
D |--7---8--10-|
A |--9--11--12-|
D |--9--11--12-|

3NPS - First Position

d |--7---9--11-|
A |--5---7---9-|
Gb|--6---7---9-|
D |--7---8--10-|
A |--9--11--12-|
D |--9--11--12-|

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	A	A C# E	`x 0 2 3 0 x`
I	A	A C# E	`7 7 7 7 7 7`
I	A	A C# E	`x 12 11 10 12 x`
I	A	A C# E	`7 7 7 10 x x`
II	Bm	B D F#	`x 2 0 0 2 0`
II	Bm	B D F#	`x 2 0 0 2 x`
II	Bm	B D F#	`x 2 4 5 2 x`
II	Bm	B D F#	`x 5 4 5 5 x`
III	C#m	C# E G#	`x 4 2 2 4 2`
III	C#m	C# E G#	`x 4 2 2 4 x`
III	C#m	C# E G#	`x 4 6 7 4 x`
III	C#m	C# E G#	`x 7 6 7 7 x`
IV	D	D F# A	`0 0 0 0 0 0`
IV	D	D F# A	`x 5 4 3 5 x`
IV	D	D F# A	`0 0 0 3 x x`
IV	D	D F# A	`x 5 7 8 5 x`
V	E	E G# B	`2 2 2 2 2 2`
V	E	E G# B	`x 7 6 5 7 x`
V	E	E G# B	`2 2 2 5 x x`
V	E	E G# B	`x 7 9 10 7 x`
VI	F#m	F# A C#	`x 9 7 7 9 7`
VI	F#m	F# A C#	`x 9 7 7 9 x`
VI	F#m	F# A C#	`x 9 11 12 9 x`
VI	F#m	F# A C#	`x 12 11 12 12 x`
VII	G#dim	G# B D	`x x x 2 2 0`
VII	G#dim	G# B D	`x x x 2 5 0`
VII	G#dim	G# B D	`x x x 2 5 x`
VII	G#dim	G# B D	`6 5 0 5 5 0`

Arpeggios

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

d |----------------------------6---7---4---------------------------|------------------------4---7---6-------------------------------|
A |--------------------4---7---------------7---4-------------------|2-------------------5---------------7---4-----------------------|
Gb|3-----------2---3-------------------------------3---------------|0-----------3---5---------------------------3---2---------------|
D |2-------2-------------------------------------------4---2-------|0---0---4-------------------------------------------2-----------|
A |0---4-------------------------------------------------------4---|2-------------------------------------------------------4---2---|
D |11--------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

d |------------------------6---9---7-------------------------------|------------------------------------6---------------------------|
A |4-------------------7---------------9---5-----------------------|----------------------------5---7-------7---4-------------------|
Gb|2-----------5---7---------------------------5---3---------------|--------------------2---5-----------------------5---2-----------|
D |2---2---6-------------------------------------------4-----------|2-----------0---2---------------------------------------2-------|
A |4-------------------------------------------------------5---4---|2-------2---------------------------------------------------4---|
D |----------------------------------------------------------------|2---6-----------------------------------------------------------|

d |------------------------------------7---------------------------|------------------------11--14--12------------------------------|
A |----------------------------7---9-------9---5-------------------|9-------------------12--------------14--11----------------------|
Gb|--------------------3---7-----------------------7---3-----------|7-----------10--12--------------------------10--8---------------|
D |4-----------2---4---------------------------------------4-------|7---7---11------------------------------------------9-----------|
A |0-------4---------------------------------------------------5---|9-------------------------------------------------------11--9---|
D |4---7-----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

d |0-----------4---6-------------------0-----------4---6-----------|
A |2-------5-----------7---5-----------2-------5-----------7---5---|
Gb|2---5-----------------------5---2---2---5-----------------------|
D |18----------------------------------18--------------------------|
A |----------------------------------------------------------------|
D |----------------------------------------------------------------|

Walks

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

d |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
A |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|--------------------------------2-------------------------------|------------------------2-------3---2---------------------------|
D |----------------2-------4-----------4-------2-------------------|--------0-------4---------------------------4-----------0-------|
A |0-------4-----------------------------------------------4-------|2---------------------------------------------------------------|
D |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

d |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
A |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|------------------------3-------5---3---------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D |--------2-------6---------------------------6-----------2-------|--------------------------------0-------------------------------|
A |4---------------------------------------------------------------|----------------2-------4-----------4-------2-------------------|
D |----------------------------------------------------------------|2-------6-----------------------------------------------6-------|

d |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
A |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|----------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------8-------10--8---------------------------|
D |--------------------------------2-------------------------------|--------7-------11--------------------------11----------7-------|
A |----------------4-------5-----------5-------4-------------------|9---------------------------------------------------------------|
D |4-------7-----------------------------------------------7-------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

d |--------------------------------4-------------------------------|
A |----------------5-------7-----------7-------5-------------------|
Gb|2-------5-----------------------------------------------5-------|
D |----------------------------------------------------------------|
A |----------------------------------------------------------------|
D |----------------------------------------------------------------|

Seventh Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Amaj7	A C# E G#	`x 4 2 2 4 2`
I	Amaj7	A C# E G#	`x 4 2 2 4 x`
I	Amaj7	A C# E G#	`x 7 6 7 7 x`
I	Amaj7	A C# E G#	`6 7 6 7 x x`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`x 5 4 3 5 x`
III	C#m7	C# E G# B	`x 7 6 5 7 x`
IV	Dmaj7	D F# A C#	`x 9 7 7 9 7`
IV	Dmaj7	D F# A C#	`x 9 7 7 9 x`
IV	Dmaj7	D F# A C#	`x 12 11 12 12 x`
IV	Dmaj7	D F# A C#	`11 12 11 12 x x`
V	E7	E G# B D	`2 2 0 2 2 0`
V	E7	E G# B D	`2 2 0 2 2 2`
V	E7	E G# B D	`2 2 2 2 2 0`
V	E7	E G# B D	`2 2 0 2 2 x`
VI	F#m7	F# A C# E	`x 12 11 10 12 x`
VII	G#m7b5	G# B D F#	`x 2 0 0 2 0`
VII	G#m7b5	G# B D F#	`x 2 0 0 2 x`
VII	G#m7b5	G# B D F#	`x 5 4 5 5 x`
VII	G#m7b5	G# B D F#	`4 5 4 5 x x`

Arpeggios

Chords: Amaj7 – Bm7 – C#m7 – Dmaj7 – E7 – F#m7 – G#m7b5

d |------------------------6---9---7-------------------------------|------------------------7---------------------------------------|
A |4-------------------7---------------9---5-----------------------|5---------------5---9-------9---5-------------------5-----------|
Gb|2-----------5---7---------------------------5---3---------------|3-------3---7-----------------------5---3-----------3-------3---|
D |2---2---6-------------------------------------------4-----------|4---4---------------------------------------4-------4---4-------|
A |4-------------------------------------------------------5---4---|5-----------------------------------------------5---5-----------|
D |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

d |------------------------9---12--11------------------------------|------------------------11--14--12------------------------------|
A |7-------------------11--------------12--9-----------------------|9-------------------12--------------14--11----------------------|
Gb|5-----------8---10--------------------------8---7---------------|7-----------10--12--------------------------10--8---------------|
D |6---6---9-------------------------------------------7-----------|7---7---11------------------------------------------9-----------|
A |7-------------------------------------------------------9---7---|9-------------------------------------------------------11--9---|
D |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

d |------------------------------------6---------------------------|------------------------14--------------------------------------|
A |----------------------------5---7-------7---4-------------------|12--------------12--16------16--12------------------12----------|
Gb|--------------------2---5-----------------------5---2-----------|10------10--14----------------------12--10----------10------10--|
D |2-----------0---2---------------------------------------2-------|11--11--------------------------------------11------11--11------|
A |2-------2---------------------------------------------------4---|12----------------------------------------------12--12----------|
D |2---6-----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

d |------------------------4---7---6-------------------------------|
A |2-------------------5---------------7---4-----------------------|
Gb|0-----------3---5---------------------------3---2---------------|
D |0---0---4-------------------------------------------2-----------|
A |2-------------------------------------------------------4---2---|
D |----------------------------------------------------------------|

Walks

Chords: Amaj7 – Bm7 – C#m7 – Dmaj7 – E7 – F#m7 – G#m7b5

d |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
A |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|------------------------3-------5---3---------------------------|----------------3-------5-------7---5-------3-------------------|
D |--------2-------6---------------------------6-----------2-------|--------4-----------------------------------------------4-------|
A |4---------------------------------------------------------------|5---------------------------------------------------------------|
D |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

d |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
A |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|------------------------7-------8---7---------------------------|------------------------8-------10--8---------------------------|
D |--------6-------9---------------------------9-----------6-------|--------7-------11--------------------------11----------7-------|
A |7---------------------------------------------------------------|9---------------------------------------------------------------|
D |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

d |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
A |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------10------12------14--12------10------------------|
D |--------------------------------0-------------------------------|--------11----------------------------------------------11------|
A |----------------2-------4-----------4-------2-------------------|12--------------------------------------------------------------|
D |2-------6-----------------------------------------------6-------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

d |----------------------------------------------------------------|
A |----------------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|------------------------2-------3---2---------------------------|
D |--------0-------4---------------------------4-----------0-------|
A |2---------------------------------------------------------------|
D |----------------------------------------------------------------|

Ninth Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
II	Bm9	B D F# A C#	`x 2 0 3 4 0`
II	Bm9	B D F# A C#	`x 2 0 3 4 4`
II	Bm9	B D F# A C#	`x 2 4 3 4 0`
II	Bm9	B D F# A C#	`x 2 0 3 4 x`
III	C#m7b9	C# E G# B D	`x 4 0 2 2 0`
III	C#m7b9	C# E G# B D	`x 4 0 2 2 2`
III	C#m7b9	C# E G# B D	`x 4 2 2 2 0`
III	C#m7b9	C# E G# B D	`x 4 0 2 2 x`
IV	Dmaj9	D F# A C# E	`0 0 0 3 4 2`
IV	Dmaj9	D F# A C# E	`0 0 2 0 4 0`
IV	Dmaj9	D F# A C# E	`0 0 2 0 4 2`
IV	Dmaj9	D F# A C# E	`0 0 2 0 4 4`
VII	G#m7b5b9	G# B D F# A	`6 0 0 0 0 0`
VII	G#m7b5b9	G# B D F# A	`6 0 0 0 0 4`
VII	G#m7b5b9	G# B D F# A	`6 0 0 0 0 6`
VII	G#m7b5b9	G# B D F# A	`6 0 0 0 5 0`

Arpeggios

Chords: Bm9 – C#m7b9 – Dmaj9 – G#m7b5b9

d |----------------------------7---9---6---------------------------|------------------------6---9---7-------------------------------|
A |2-------------------5---9---------------9---5-------------------|4-------------------7---------------9---5-----------------------|
Gb|0-----------3---5-------------------------------5---------------|2-----------5---7---------------------------5---3---------------|
D |0-------4-------------------------------------------6---4-------|2---2---6-------------------------------------------4-----------|
A |2---5-------------------------------------------------------5---|4-------------------------------------------------------5---4---|
D |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

d |------------------------------------6---------------------------|------------------------------------11--------------------------|
A |----------------------------5---7-------7---4-------------------|----------------------------11--12------12--9-------------------|
Gb|--------------------2---5-----------------------5---2-----------|3-------------------7---10----------------------10--7-----------|
D |2-----------0---2---------------------------------------2-------|2-----------6---7---------------------------------------7-------|
A |2-------2---------------------------------------------------4---|4-------7---------------------------------------------------9---|
D |2---6-----------------------------------------------------------|7---11----------------------------------------------------------|

Walks

Chords: Bm9 – C#m7b9 – Dmaj9 – G#m7b5b9

d |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
A |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|--------------------------------3-------------------------------|------------------------3-------5---3---------------------------|
D |----------------4-------6-----------6-------4-------------------|--------2-------6---------------------------6-----------2-------|
A |2-------5-----------------------------------------------5-------|4---------------------------------------------------------------|
D |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

d |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
A |----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
Gb|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
D |--------------------------------0-------------------------------|--------------------------------6-------------------------------|
A |----------------2-------4-----------4-------2-------------------|----------------7-------9-----------9-------7-------------------|
D |2-------6-----------------------------------------------6-------|7-------11----------------------------------------------11------|

All guitar lessons · The Guitar Scales