How to Play a 2 Octave A Major Scale on the Violin

Needing to learn a two-octave A Major scale? Perhaps you are studying pieces in A Major and you are ready to improve your intonation? In this post, discover how to play a two-octave A major scale and practice tips.

Before you learn the two-octave A major scale, you must learn the one octave A major scale. Head on over to my Beginner Violin Scales post if you need to have a refresher course on the one octave A major scale.

The one octave A major scale, just to review, starts on open A and ends on A on the E-string. This is the upper octave of the two-octave scale.

Your go-to A Major/minor scales, arpeggio and exercise eBook for first position. Perfect for newbie – intermediate violinists wanting to improve playing ability, intonation and overall fluency in the key of A Major for first position. Excellent for violin teachers!

A Major/minor Scale – Two Octaves, Walking, Broken Thirds, Skipping, Broken Third Challenge, Etude

Immediately downloadable!

$4.80 Buy Now

Lower Octave

The key of A major has three sharps; F#, C# and G#. The first octave of the two-octave A major scale starts on the G string. Since we have a C sharp, we will have a high three on the D string.

When you play the G# on the D string, it will be a high three as well.

Let’s get started with the first and lower octave:

G String
1, 2, High 3
A, B, C#

D String
1, 2, High 3
E, F#, G#

As you can, it is the same high three finger pattern on both the G and D strings.

Upper Octave

The upper octave is the one octave A Major scale that you already know.

A
0, 1, 2 and 3 touching

E
0, 1, 2 and 3 touching

Again same high two finger pattern on both A and E strings.

When you play your scale always think your note names.

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

It is great to practice saying the names of the notes aloud as you go up and come back down the scale.

Practice Tips

When you feel confident with your intonation, your fingers and it’s sounding really good with those open strings on the way down then you are ready to go ahead and introduce to the fourth finger coming down the scale.

Instead of playing an Open E on the way dow, you will go to the fourth finger on the A string for E. You will also play a fourth finger on the D string for A, and then your third finger is gonna come right behind that fourth finger for that high three G sharp. Really feel that third finger come down on its inside corner snug behind the fourth finger before you even lift off the fourth finger.

Practice your scale with slow nice whole bows good tone and when you are ready, introduce different rhythms like Mississippi stop stops, down titi up titi. Maybe two notes at a time or three notes.

Practice every day and enjoy your awesome A major scale.

Let me know in the comments below how are you going to practice your A Major Scale.