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A Ukulele Chord

A major (A) is made of the notes A C♯ E. Here are 3 ways to play it on ukulele, starting with the easiest.

How to play A on ukulele

  1. Shape 1

    Open position

    2 1 A C♯ E A

    2100

  2. Shape 2

    Barre at fret 4

    4fr 1 3 2 C♯ E A C♯

    6454

  3. Shape 3

    From fret 7

    7fr 3 1 E A C♯ E

    9997

Notes in A

Formula 1 3 5
DegreeNote
1A
3C♯
5E

Shape 1 step by step

  1. Put your middle finger on string 4 at fret 2.
  2. Put your index finger on string 3 at fret 1.
  3. Let strings 2, 1 ring open.
  4. Strum from string 4 to string 1.

Shape 2 step by step

  1. Lay your index finger flat across strings 3 to 1 at fret 4.
  2. Put your ring finger on string 4 at fret 6.
  3. Put your middle finger on string 2 at fret 5.
  4. Strum from string 4 to string 1.

Tune your ukulele first

A chord only sounds right when your instrument is in tune. Check your strings with the free online tuner before you practise. Open the ukulele tuner

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A chord?

A major has the notes A C♯ E. Its formula is 1 3 5. The numbers are steps of the major scale, counted from the root.

What is the easiest way to play A on ukulele?

Start with shape 1 (open position), written as 2100 from string 4 to string 1. Here x means you don’t play that string and 0 means it rings open.

What is the difference between A and Am?

A has the notes A C♯ E, and Am has A C E. The only difference is that A has C♯ where Am has C.

Major chords in every key

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