Modify the A Shape
At the beginning of this article, I mentioned that by knowing the scale shape behind the A shape chord, we’d be able to modify the chord at will without memorizing a dictionary’s worth of chord diagrams. This page is all about showing you how that works.
Below, I’ve assembled a list of chord variations based on the A shape beyond A major and A minor. This is not a complete list, but it is probably most of the chords you will need for now. There’s a PDF with all of the shapes on one page at the end of the article.
This might be awkward, but…
Note that a few of these are not especially useful chord shapes. Some are awkward to form; some require deadening a string. Not all possibly shapes in CAGED are winners, but it’s still useful to know that they exist. Never leave a tool out of your toolbox just because it’s a little difficult to master. If you can’t use it right now, file it away for later.
Here’s the A shape major scale again. Refer back to it with each chord shape to see how it fits into the scale shape. Thinking of chords as being built directly from scales is a core element to understanding CAGED and getting to know your fretboard.
5 Chord (Power Chord)
A 5 chord is a simplification of a major chord. You make it by getting rid of the major third (3) and leaving only the root (1) and the perfect fifth (5). You are left with a chord that is neither major nor minor. It’s ambiguous, but it’s also powerful – which is why you will sometimes hear it called a power chord.
These simple chords are popular on guitar for all genres of rock music because they are easy to play and sound pretty wicked with a bit of distortion.
To play an A shape 5 chord, play your standard A shape and but leave out the C string.
Form this shape either by throwing a mini-barre across the E and A strings and stretching across with your middle or ring finger to fret the G string, or use your index and middle fingers to fret the E and A strings while reaching across with your ring finger. Whichever finger you have covering the E string, let it drift over and touch the C string from the side to deaden it.
This is one of those shapes that I will admit is not especially useful. If you really need that ambiguous 5 chord sound in this shape, I’d suggest playing just the G and E strings, deadening the the C and A, or play a high variation using just the E and A strings.
Maj7 Chord
A major 7th chord is made of the root (1), the major third (3), the perfect fifth (5), and the major seventh (7) intervals. Major seventh chords are sort of “more” major than a regular major chord. They are bright and very complete sounding.
The major seventh is always one fret down from the root. Shifting the root note on the A string of the A shape major chord gives us this lovely diagonal line with a perfect iterval lineup from low to high. This may be the most perfect chord you can construct on a ukulele in terms of its sound and structure.
But that doesn’t mean it is going to be easy to play. There aren’t many four-finger chords on uke, but trust me, this one is worth it. Put your pink on the root note on the G string, your ring finger one fret up on the C, middle one fret up on the E, and index one fret up on the A.
Dominant 7 Chord
The dominant seventh chord, usually known simply as a 7 chord, is made up of the root (1), the major third (3), the perfect fifth (5), and the flatted seventh (b7) interval. Dominant 7 chords have just a touch of dissonance to them, enough to make them interesting. They are a fundamental building block of blues music, and they are common in rock music, which grew out of the blues.
Barre across all four strings with your index finger, and then tuck your middle finger on the next fret up on the C string. This is an especially useful 7 chord form because it is easy to switch to quickly once you have your index finger barre mastered, and because this shape has the b7 as the lowest note, it has some extra punch compared to other dominant 7 shapes.
sus2 and sus4 Chords
Suspended chords (usually just called “sus”) come in two varieties, the sus2 and sus4. You make both by suspending (getting rid of) the major third (3) of the usual major triad and replacing it with either the major second (2) or the perfect fourth (4). Both chords have their own distinct “open” sound.
A sus2 chord is made of the root (1), the major second (2), and the perfect fifth (5):
The A shape sus2 chord is tough. This shape is not especially easy to grab, and you have to figure out a way to mute the C string. You can inch your index finger over on the E string, muting the C with your fingertip. You can also flatten out your middle finger as you stretch over to the G string, allowing it to dip down and deaden the C.
A sus4 chord is made of the root (1), the perfect fourth (4), and the perfect fifth (5):
A great way to practice this shape is to form your standard A shape moveable chord with your ring finger on the G string and middle finger on the C string. You can switch quickly to the sus4 variation by placing your pinky on the C one from up from your middle finger.
Switching quickly from the major to the sus4 while strumming can add a nice bit of flavor to an otherwise boring chord progression.
add9 Chord
An add9 chord can be hard to wrap your head around, so stick with me on the explanation for a minute. An add9 includes the root (1), the major second (2), the major third (3), and the perfect fifth (5). So it’s a sus2 chord, except you don’t suspend the the major third.
HOWEVER, if you play the root, major second, and major third all right next to each other, the sound can be a bit muddled. So you usually tack the major second on to the top of the chord in the next octave of the scale, making it the major ninth (9) because it falls after the second instance of the root (8). “Add9” refers to the fact that you are taking a regular major chord and…adding the ninth.
Okay, so that makes sense on a piano where, so long as your hand is big enough, you can always stretch up and add a higher note to a chord. But on instruments like a uke and a guitar, it’s not always practical or possible to reach up into the next octave to grab the ninth.
So the rule for uke (and guitar) is that you make add9 chords by putting the ninth wherever you can – but be aware that some combinations won’t sound as good if the notes are too close together in pitch. Here’s what that looks like for the C shape.
The sound of the chord is really cool. You get the open, airy sound of the sus2 while keeping the full sound of the regular major chord. I said earlier that the A shape Maj7 chord is one of the most perfect chords you can play on a ukulele. Well, the A shape add9 chord is a close second.
Form the chord by playing the “easier to play” major triad from earlier – the diagonal line made using your ring, middle, and index fingers on the GCE strings. Then add your pinky on the A string on the same fret as your ring finger.
Augmented Chord
Augmented (aug) chords are made using the root (1), the major third (3), and the sharp five (#5). They have a tense, dissonant sound, and they are mainly used as transition chords, good for adding an accent while moving between chords or to transition from one key to another mid-song.
The full, four-string A shape augmented chord is tricky. Use your pinky to grab the root note on the G string, put your ring and middle fingers next to each other one fret up on the C and E strings one fret up, and then place your index finger one fret up from your ring and middle fingers on the A string.
You can play a simplified, and much easier to form, triad of this chord by leaving out the A string. Use your ring finger for the G string and then use your index and middle fingers to grab those two notes next to each other one fret up on the C and E strings.
Wrap Up
I’ve combined all of these chord shapes as well as the parent scale diagram on a downloadable PDF for quick reference. Click the download button if the embedded PDF doesn’t display correctly on your device.
You can play all sorts of chord progressions just by moving these shapes around the neck, but it gets even more fun when you start learning the other shapes of CAGED as well. Check back in future weeks as I continue to explore moveable chord shapes on ukulele.
Leave a comment below if you found this article useful or if you have suggestions on how to improve it. Happy picking!
The-A-Shape-CAGED-for-UkuleleThe A Shape – CAGED for Ukulele PDF Download
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