On Green Dolphin Street in A

On Green Dolphin Street in A

On Green Dolphin Street in A with chords AMaj7 – Am7 – B7 – A#Maj7 – Bm7 – E7 – DMaj7 – Dm7 – G7. An unusual standard that moves through modal and chromatic changes in its A section before settling into conventional ii-V-I territory. Practice in A.

On Green Dolphin Street 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 A to A (ascending unison), A to B (ascending whole step), B to A# (descending half step), A# to B (ascending half step), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to D (descending whole step), D to D (ascending unison), D to G (ascending perfect fourth). A half-step bass movement creates a strong leading-tone pull that demands resolution. The predominantly stepwise bass motion creates smooth, connected voice leading. When the progression loops, the bass returns from G to A 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.