A ukulele chord
The bright, resolved, "happy" sound. The most common chord in Western music.
A major · standard GCEA tuning · 3 shapes
How to Play A on Ukulele
The easiest shape is 2100: G string 2nd fret · C string 1st fret · E string open · A string open.
Open position
2 1 0 0
Barre at fret 4
6 4 5 4
Barre at fret 9
9 9 9 0
Strings left to right are G, C, E and A, as the ukulele faces you. Numbers are frets; 0 means play the string open. Every shape is worked out from the notes the chord must contain and checked against them before it is published.
Notes in A
A ukulele has four strings, so a 3-note chord doubles one of its notes on the spare string. Because the G string is tuned high (reentrant tuning), the lowest note you hear is usually on the C or E string, not the G.
Songs and Keys That Use A
A belongs to 3 major keys: D major (as the V chord), E major (as the IV chord) and A major (as the I chord).
- ii – V – I — the central cadence in jazz
- V – I — the strongest resolution in tonal music
- I – IV – V — the backbone of blues and early rock
A on Other Instruments
- Guitar: see the A guitar chord — six strings, so the shapes are different, but the notes are the same.
- Baritone ukulele (DGBE): 2220. A baritone is tuned like the top four strings of a guitar, so guitar shapes carry over and standard-ukulele shapes do not. Tune one with the baritone ukulele tuner.
Related Ukulele Chords
Tune first
A right shape on an out-of-tune ukulele still sounds wrong. Check G, C, E and A in a few seconds.
Open the Ukulele Tuner →