Fly Me To The Moon in A

Fly Me To The Moon in A

Fly Me To The Moon in A with chords F#m7 – Bm7 – E7 – AMaj7 – DMaj7 – G#m7b5 – C#7b9 – F#7 – C#m7b5. Bart Howard's timeless standard follows an elegant cycle of fourths (vi-ii-V-I) that provides the perfect swinging foundation. Explore chord voicings, scales, and audio playback in A.

Fly Me To The Moon 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 B (ascending perfect fourth), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to D (ascending perfect fourth), D to G# (ascending tritone), G# to C# (ascending perfect fourth), C# to F# (ascending perfect fourth), F# to C# (descending perfect fourth). 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 C# to F# by perfect fourth.

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.