A Chord on Ukulele
A = A – C# – E (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th)
A chord is the same notes however you stack them, and which one sits at the bottom changes how it sounds. The chord builder puts each of A's notes in the bass in turn, names the result, and plays it.
Hear every inversion of A →A major sits two frets up from A minor's shape but only needs two fingers instead of one: middle finger on fret two of the G string, index finger on fret one of the C string, leaving the E and A strings open. Because both fretted notes are low, close together, and on adjacent strings, it's a fast shape to learn even though it isn't a single-finger chord. It's a good early example of how ukulele chord shapes often cluster tightly near the nut rather than spreading across the neck, a direct result of the instrument's short scale length.
A major functions as the V chord in the key of D, and as a key center on its own it has a clear, ringing quality since the open E and A strings both belong to the chord, giving it more open-string resonance than F or G's shapes get. Compared to A minor's shape two frets back, the jump from Am to A major is really a jump from a minor to a major third, and hearing that half-step's effect on the same two open strings is a useful ear-training moment for beginners. As a key center, A major also sits comfortably for singers with a slightly higher range, which is part of why it turns up in ukulele arrangements transposed up from C or G. Its two open strings, E and A, also mean A major keeps some of the ringing resonance that C and G enjoy, even though it needs two fretted fingers rather than one, unlike the true single-finger shapes of C and Am.
Fingerings
Open Position
How to Practice It
Keep the index and middle fingers stacked close together rather than spread — since they're only one fret and one string apart, cramped hand position is actually the natural, correct position here, not a mistake to fix. A common error is letting the middle finger's tip lean over and mute the open E string underneath it; keep it arched. Practicing A-to-D and A-to-E7 covers the two changes this chord shows up in most often. It's also worth practicing the switch from A minor to A major directly, moving only the index finger onto the C string while the middle finger relocates one fret up on the G string, since that direct comparison makes the major/minor contrast very audible.
Common Progressions
- V – I (A – D, in the key of D)
- I – IV – V (A – D – E, in the key of A)
- I – V – vi – IV (A – E – F#m – D)
- IV – I (D – A) as a plagal-leaning move
FAQ
- How does A major differ from A minor on ukulele?
- Only the C string's fret changes, from open (minor third relative to the shape) to the first fret (major third) — a single half-step that flips the chord's whole color from minor to major while both E and A strings stay open in either version.
- What is A major's role in the key of D?
- It's the V chord, carrying the strongest pull back toward D as the tonic, and the A-D pairing is one of the most common two-chord relationships in songs written in D.
- Why do both A major and A minor leave two strings open?
- Because the E and A strings' open pitches already belong to both the major and minor triad built on A — only the C string changes, from open in the minor shape to the first fret in the major shape, since that's the string carrying the chord's third.
- Where does A major sit relative to D and E?
- It's the V chord of D and, moving the other direction, is itself resolved into by its own V chord, E — the same tight fifths relationship that links C-F-G and G-D-A appears again here as D-A-E.
- Does A major's two-finger shape ever get simplified further?
- Not really — because its two fretted notes sit on adjacent strings only a fret apart, it's already about as compact as a two-finger shape can be, so there isn't a meaningfully easier alternative fingering in common use.
- How quickly should a beginner expect to master the A major shape?
- Usually within the first couple of practice sessions once C, Am, and F are already comfortable, since it reuses the same low-fret, close-finger habits those earlier shapes already build.
A on other instruments: A on Guitar, A on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.