A major is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps. Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor.

The A major scale is:

Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with accidentals as necessary. The A harmonic major and melodic major scales are:

In the treble, alto, and bass clefs, the G in the key signature is placed higher than C. However, in the tenor clef, it would require a ledger line and so G is placed lower than C.

Scale degree chords

The scale degree chords of A major are:

  • Tonic – A major
  • Supertonic – B minor
  • Mediant – C-sharp minor
  • Subdominant – D major
  • Dominant – E major
  • Submediant – F-sharp minor
  • Leading-tone – G-sharp diminished

History

Although not as rare in the symphonic literature as sharper keys (those containing more than three sharps), symphonies in A major are less common than in keys with fewer sharps such as D major or G major. Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, Bruckner's Symphony No. 6 and Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4 comprise a nearly complete list of symphonies in this key in the Romantic era. Mozart's Clarinet Concerto and Clarinet Quintet are both in A major, along with his 23rd Piano Concerto, and generally Mozart was more likely to use clarinets in A major than in any other key besides E-flat major. Moreover, the climax part of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto is also in A major.

The key of A occurs frequently in chamber music and other music for strings, which favor sharp keys. Franz Schubert's Trout Quintet and Antonín Dvořák's Piano Quintet No. 2 are both in A major. Johannes Brahms, César Franck, and Gabriel Fauré wrote violin sonatas in A major. In connection to Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata, Peter Cropper said that A major "is the fullest sounding key for the violin."

According to Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart, A major is a key suitable for "declarations of innocent love, ... hope of seeing one's beloved again when parting; youthful cheerfulness and trust in God."

For orchestral works in A major, the timpani are typically set to A and E a fifth apart, rather than a fourth apart as for most other keys. Hector Berlioz complained about the custom of his day in which timpani tuned to A and E a fifth apart were notated C and G a fourth apart, a custom which survived as late as the music of Franz Berwald.

Notable compositions in A major

  • Antonio Vivaldi
  • Trio Sonata, Op. 1/9 RV 75
  • Violin Sonata, Op. 2/2 RV 31
  • concerto for two violins, Op. 3/5 RV 519
  • concerto for violin, Op. 4/5 RV 347
  • Violin Sonata, Op. 5/2 RV 30
  • concerto for violin, Op. 9/2 RV 345
  • concerto for violin, Op. 9/6 RV 348
  • concerto for violin, Op. 11/3 RV 336
  • Georg Philipp Telemann
  • Fantasia for flute solo, No. 1
  • Fantasia for violin solo, No. 5
  • Fantasia for viola da gamba solo, No. 8
  • Sonata for two flutes or two violins, No. 3
  • Johann Sebastian Bach
  • English Suite No. 1, BWV 806
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  • Violin Concerto No. 5, K. 219
  • Symphony No. 29, K. 201
  • Symphony No. 21, K. 134
  • Violin Sonata No. 22, K. 305
  • Piano Sonata No. 11, K. 331
  • String Quartet No. 18, K. 464
  • Piano Concerto No. 23, K. 488
  • Là ci darem la mano, duettino form Don Giovanni, K. 527
  • Clarinet Quintet, K. 581
  • Clarinet Concerto, K. 622
  • Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Symphony No. 7, Op. 92
  • Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 2/2
  • Piano Sonata No. 28, Op. 101
  • Violin Sonata No. 6, Op. 30/1
  • Violin Sonata No. 9, Op. 47
  • Cello Sonata No. 3, Op. 69
  • String Quartet No. 5, Op. 18/5
  • Franz Schubert
  • Trout Quintet
  • Piano Sonata, D 664
  • Piano Sonata No. 20, D. 959
  • Fanny Hensel
  • Easter Sonata
  • Felix Mendelssohn
  • Symphony No. 4, Op. 90 ("Italian")
  • Organ Sonata, Op. 65, No. 3
  • Frédéric Chopin
  • Polonaise, Op. 40/1 ("Military")
  • Prelude, Op. 28/7
  • Franz Liszt
  • Piano Concerto No. 2, S.125
  • Johannes Brahms
  • Serenade No. 2, Op. 16
  • Violin Sonata No. 2, Op. 100 ("Thun")
  • Piano Quartet No. 2, Op. 26
  • César Franck
  • Violin Sonata
  • Anton Bruckner
  • Symphony No. 6
  • Émile Waldteufel
  • Les Patineurs waltz, Op. 183
  • Sergei Prokofiev
  • Piano Sonata No. 6, Op. 82
  • Dmitri Shostakovich
  • String Quartet No. 2, Op. 68
  • Symphony No. 15, Op. 141

See also

  • Major and minor
  • Chord (music)
  • Chord notation

References