Nefertiti in A
Chord Diagrams — Nefertiti in A (Guitar)
Nefertiti in A
Wayne Shorter's through-composed masterpiece from Miles Davis's second quintet, where the melody repeats while the rhythm section improvises freely.
Nefertiti 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 G to C (ascending perfect fourth), C to F# (ascending tritone), F# to B (ascending perfect fourth), B to A# (descending half step), A# to A# (ascending unison), A# to A (descending half step), A to D (ascending perfect fourth), D to D# (ascending half step), D# to C# (descending whole step), C# to G (ascending tritone), G to D# (descending major third), D# to A (ascending tritone). 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 G by whole step.
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.