Amaj7 chord on ukulele

Amaj7 is A, C♯, E and G♯. The easiest shape is 1-1-0-0. Tap Play, then slow it down.

1-1-0-0 · open · easy

Notes: A · C♯ · E · G♯
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · 7
First shape: 1-1-0-0

How to play Amaj7 on ukulele

Shape 1, 1-1-0-0, reading from the G string on the left:

Index finger: G string, 1st fret (G♯).
Middle finger: C string, 1st fret (C♯).
Let the open E and A strings ring (E and A).

Arch your fingers so their tips come down vertically. That keeps them off the open strings, which have to ring for the chord to sound complete.
On ukulele you strum all four strings. The top G string is tuned higher than the C, which is why ukulele chords sound bright and close.

Other ways to play Amaj7

6-8-5-7: movable shape at the 5th fret, medium. Use it when the next chord sits nearby on the neck.
9-9-9-11: movable shape at the 9th fret, medium. Up the neck the chord gets thinner and brighter, a good contrast to the open version.

Playing Amaj7 with a capo

No barre needed if a capo is allowed: capo on the 2nd fret and play the open Gmaj7 shape (0-2-2-2) or capo on the 4th fret and play the open Fmaj7 shape (2-4-1-3). The chord sounds as Amaj7 because the capo raises every string by 2 half steps.

Changing from Amaj7 to the chords around it

The chords Amaj7 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

Dmaj7 (IV in A major): Amaj7 (1-1-0-0) to Dmaj7 (2-2-2-4): your index finger lands on the G string, 2nd fret, move the middle finger to the C string, 2nd fret, the ring finger comes down on the E string, 2nd fret, the pinky finger comes down on the A string, 4th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. The two chords share A and C♯, which is why the change sounds smooth. Dmaj7 on ukulele
E7 (V in A major): Amaj7 (1-1-0-0) to E7 (1-2-0-2): your index finger stays put, move the middle finger to the C string, 2nd fret, the ring finger comes down on the A string, 2nd fret. E and G♯ carry over from one chord to the other. E7 on ukulele
F♯m7 (vi in A major): Amaj7 (1-1-0-0) to F♯m7 (2-4-2-4): the index finger goes to the G string, 2nd fret, your middle finger lands on the E string, 2nd fret, the ring finger comes down on the C string, 4th fret, the pinky finger comes down on the A string, 4th fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. The two chords share A, C♯ and E, which is why the change sounds smooth. F♯m7 on ukulele

Amaj7 is a major seventh chord: a major triad with the note a half step below the octave added. All 4 notes of Amaj7 fit on the ukulele's four strings. On ukulele you hear it best picked slowly, string by string.

Practice Amaj7 in two minutes

Pick shape 1 one string at a time, low to high: G♯, C♯, E, A. Every note should ring clearly; if one thuds, adjust that finger before you strum. Next, alternate 1-1-0-0 and 6-8-5-7, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

Keys and progressions with Amaj7

In A major, ii–V–I on ukulele is Bm7 (2-2-2-2), E7 (1-2-0-2) and Amaj7 (1-1-0-0). About the jazz cadence.

Amaj7 on guitar and piano

The same notes on another instrument: Amaj7 on guitar and Amaj7 on piano. This page puts all three side by side.

Close to Amaj7

Other major seventh chords

Amaj7 on ukulele: questions

What notes are in Amaj7 on ukulele?

A, C♯, E and G♯. In the 1-1-0-0 shape the strings play G♯ (G string), C♯ (C string), E (E string, open) and A (A string, open).

What's the easiest way to play Amaj7 on ukulele?

1-1-0-0, the first shape on this page. Open strings do part of the work, so no barre.

Is Amaj7 a barre chord on ukulele?

Not the usual shape: 1-1-0-0 needs no barre.

Which string does Amaj7 start on?

In the 1-1-0-0 shape the lowest string you play is the G string at the 1st fret, which is G♯, the major seventh.

Every shape above plays only A, C♯, E and G♯, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.