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Chord & Fret

Harmonic field of A major on cavaquinho

A major: A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G#. In the shapes below, the tonic opens with the bass on E. On the cavaquinho, four steel strings tuned D–G–B–D pack the chord into a small, bright space — every finger counts. Its four steel strings give a bright, sharp attack that cuts through the mix and drives the beat.

Amaj7, 2 2 2 6Amaj721114EAC#G#
I · tonic2 2 2 6
Bm7, 4 4 3 7Bm732314F#BDA
ii · subdominant4 4 3 7
C#m7, 2 4 2 2C#m71423EBC#E
iii · tonic2 4 2 2
Dmaj7, 7 6 7 0Dmaj76213AC#F#D
IV · subdominant7 6 7 0
E7, 2 1 0 0E721EG#BD
V · dominant2 1 0 0
F#m7, 4 2 2 2F#m73111F#AC#E
vi · tonic4 2 2 2
G#m7b5, 6 4 3 4G#m7b534213G#BDF#
vii° · dominant6 4 3 4

These are the first positions of every degree of A major on cavaquinho. In Chord & Fret, the Circle of Fifths opens the full field — every degree with all its positions, audio and the key's secondary dominants. Open in Chord & Fret →

See the full harmonic field of A major →