My Favorite Things in A

My Favorite Things in A

My Favorite Things in A: Coltrane transformed Rodgers & Hammerstein's waltz into a modal exploration alternating Dorian and major sections. Harmonic Minor and Aeolian frame the minor parts — sustain the pedal tones and let the modes expand. Chords: F#m7 – G#m7 – DMaj7 – Bm7 – E7 – AMaj7 – G#m7b5 – C#7 – B7 – A6.

My Favorite Things in A

A major is a rock and blues cornerstone. The open A string delivers a strong root, while both E strings ring as the fifth. Classic A-D-E progressions practically play themselves with open cowboy chords. The open high E is the fifth, reinforcing power. A is a beginner-level key on guitar because the open A string is the root and the open E strings provide the fifth above and below, creating a massive low-end anchor. Beginners will find this key approachable since most chords use open voicings with minimal stretching.

Voice Leading

The bass line moves through F# to G# (ascending whole step), G# to D (ascending tritone), D to B (descending minor third), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to G# (descending half step), G# to C# (ascending perfect fourth), C# to B (descending whole step), B to A (descending whole step). A half-step bass movement creates a strong leading-tone pull that demands resolution. The root motion by larger intervals (fourths and fifths) gives each chord change a strong, decisive character. When the progression loops, the bass returns from A to F# by minor third.

Scales for Improvisation

A major pentatonic works because every note is either a chord tone or a safe passing tone — there are no avoid notes. For soloing, this means you can play freely without clashing. Over dominant seventh chords, A Mixolydian adds the flat seventh for an authentic blues-rock edge.