Bluegrass I–IV–V Progression in A Major for Mandolin

The A Major scale on mandolin: the Bluegrass I–IV–V progression in its chords, with tab you can play along to in the interactive lesson.

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

Tuning: Standard (G D A E)

Scale

Scale shapes

4NPS - First Position

E|--2---4---6---7-|
A|--2---4---6---7-|
D|--2---4---5---7-|
G|--2---4---5---7-|

Basic Chords

Chords

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

Bluegrass I–IV–V (I–I–IV–I–I–I–V–I)

Chords: A – A – D – A – A – A – E – A

E|5---------------------------4---5---5---------------------------|5---------------------------4---5---5---------------------------|
A|4-------------------4---7-----------4-------------------4---7---|4-------------------4---7-----------4-------------------4---7---|
D|2-------2---6---7-------------------2-------2---6---7-----------|2-------2---6---7-------------------2-------2---6---7-----------|
G|2---6-------------------------------2---6-----------------------|2---6-------------------------------2---6-----------------------|

E|2-----------------------0---4---5---2-----------------------0---|5---------------------------4---5---5---------------------------|
A|0---------------0---4---------------0---------------0---4-------|4-------------------4---7-----------4-------------------4---7---|
D|0-------2---6-----------------------0-------2---6---------------|2-------2---6---7-------------------2-------2---6---7-----------|
G|2---6-------------------------------2---6-----------------------|2---6-------------------------------2---6-----------------------|

E|5---------------------------4---5---5---------------------------|5---------------------------4---5---5---------------------------|
A|4-------------------4---7-----------4-------------------4---7---|4-------------------4---7-----------4-------------------4---7---|
D|2-------2---6---7-------------------2-------2---6---7-----------|2-------2---6---7-------------------2-------2---6---7-----------|
G|2---6-------------------------------2---6-----------------------|2---6-------------------------------2---6-----------------------|

E|4-----------------------2---5---7---4-----------------------2---|5---------------------------4---5---5---------------------------|
A|2---------------2---5---------------2---------------2---5-------|4-------------------4---7-----------4-------------------4---7---|
D|2-------4---7-----------------------2-------4---7---------------|2-------2---6---7-------------------2-------2---6---7-----------|
G|4---7-------------------------------4---7-----------------------|2---6-------------------------------2---6-----------------------|

Seventh Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Amaj7	A C# E G#	`6 6 7 4`
I	Amaj7	A C# E G#	`6 6 7 9`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`2 0 0 2`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`2 4 5 2`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`2 4 5 5`
II	Bm7	B D F# A	`4 4 5 5`
III	C#m7	C# E G# B	`4 2 2 4`
III	C#m7	C# E G# B	`1 2 2 0`
III	C#m7	C# E G# B	`4 6 7 4`
III	C#m7	C# E G# B	`4 6 7 7`
IV	Dmaj7	D F# A C#	`11 11 12 9`
IV	Dmaj7	D F# A C#	`11 11 12 14`
V	E7	E G# B D	`4 2 5 4`
V	E7	E G# B D	`x 2 5 4`
V	E7	E G# B D	`7 2 2 7`
V	E7	E G# B D	`7 2 5 4`
VI	F#m7	F# A C# E	`2 2 4 5`
VI	F#m7	F# A C# E	`6 2 4 5`
VI	F#m7	F# A C# E	`x 4 7 5`
VI	F#m7	F# A C# E	`6 7 7 5`
VII	G#m7b5	G# B D F#	`4 4 5 2`
VII	G#m7b5	G# B D F#	`4 4 5 7`

Bluegrass I–IV–V (I–I–IV–I–I–I–V–I)

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

E|4-----------------------4---7---9---4-----------------------4---|4-----------------------4---7---9---4-----------------------4---|
A|7---------------4---7---------------7---------------4---7-------|7---------------4---7---------------7---------------4---7-------|
D|6-------6---9-----------------------6-------6---9---------------|6-------6---9-----------------------6-------6---9---------------|
G|6---9-------------------------------6---9-----------------------|6---9-------------------------------6---9-----------------------|

E|9-----------------------9---12--14--9-----------------------9---|4-----------------------4---7---9---4-----------------------4---|
A|12--------------9---12--------------12--------------9---12------|7---------------4---7---------------7---------------4---7-------|
D|11------11--14----------------------11------11--14--------------|6-------6---9-----------------------6-------6---9---------------|
G|11--14------------------------------11--14----------------------|6---9-------------------------------6---9-----------------------|

E|4-----------------------4---7---9---4-----------------------4---|4-----------------------4---7---9---4-----------------------4---|
A|7---------------4---7---------------7---------------4---7-------|7---------------4---7---------------7---------------4---7-------|
D|6-------6---9-----------------------6-------6---9---------------|6-------6---9-----------------------6-------6---9---------------|
G|6---9-------------------------------6---9-----------------------|6---9-------------------------------6---9-----------------------|

E|4-----------------------2---5---7---4-----------------------2---|4-----------------------4---7---9---4-----------------------4---|
A|5---------------2---5---------------5---------------2---5-------|7---------------4---7---------------7---------------4---7-------|
D|2-------4---7-----------------------2-------4---7---------------|6-------6---9-----------------------6-------6---9---------------|
G|4---7-------------------------------4---7-----------------------|6---9-------------------------------6---9-----------------------|

Ninth Chords

Chords

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

Bluegrass I–IV–V (I–I–IV–I–I–I–V–I)

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

E|----------------------------2---4-------------------------------|----------------------------2---4-------------------------------|
A|2-------------------2---5-----------2-------------------2---5---|2-------------------2---5-----------2-------------------2---5---|
D|2-------0---4---6-------------------2-------0---4---6-----------|2-------0---4---6-------------------2-------0---4---6-----------|
G|1---4-------------------------------1---4-----------------------|1---4-------------------------------1---4-----------------------|

E|0-------------------2---5---0-------------------2---5---0-------|----------------------------2---4-------------------------------|
A|0-------0---4---5-----------0-------0---4---5-----------0-------|2-------------------2---5-----------2-------------------2---5---|
D|0---4-----------------------0---4-----------------------0---4---|2-------0---4---6-------------------2-------0---4---6-----------|
G|----------------------------------------------------------------|1---4-------------------------------1---4-----------------------|

E|----------------------------2---4-------------------------------|----------------------------2---4-------------------------------|
A|2-------------------2---5-----------2-------------------2---5---|2-------------------2---5-----------2-------------------2---5---|
D|2-------0---4---6-------------------2-------0---4---6-----------|2-------0---4---6-------------------2-------0---4---6-----------|
G|1---4-------------------------------1---4-----------------------|1---4-------------------------------1---4-----------------------|

E|2---------------------------2---4---2---------------------------|----------------------------2---4-------------------------------|
A|2-------------------2---5-----------2-------------------2---5---|2-------------------2---5-----------2-------------------2---5---|
D|0-------0---4---6-------------------0-------0---4---6-----------|2-------0---4---6-------------------2-------0---4---6-----------|
G|1---4-------------------------------1---4-----------------------|1---4-------------------------------1---4-----------------------|

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