A Dominant Ninth Ukulele Arpeggio
Ukulele arpeggio — fretboard diagram
A Dominant Ninth Arpeggio — Notes and Intervals
Notes: A, C#, E, G, B
Intervals: 1P, 3M, 5P, 7m, 9M
Formula: 2W-WH-WH-2W
Number of notes: 5
Also known as: 9
The A Dominant Ninth arpeggio contains 5 notes (A, C#, E, G, B). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this arpeggio on Ukulele with different tunings and fret ranges.
When to Use the A Dominant Ninth Arpeggio
Play the A Dominant Ninth arpeggio whenever a A Dominant Ninth chord appears in a progression. Unlike scales (which include passing tones), arpeggios guarantee every note you play IS a chord tone, making your solo sound harmonically precise and intentional.
Arpeggio vs. Scale
The A Dominant Ninth arpeggio uses 5 notes (A, C#, E, G, B) while the full scale uses 7. The arpeggio is a subset — think of it as the skeleton of the scale. Practice alternating between the arpeggio and the full scale to develop a melodic vocabulary that mixes chord tones with passing tones.
How to Play A Dominant Ninth Arpeggio on Ukulele
On ukulele, find A around the open strings and play through the arpeggio tones (A, C#, E, G, B). You may need to move beyond a single chord shape to reach all 5 notes. Practice connecting the arpeggio tones smoothly across adjacent fret positions.
The A Dominant Ninth arpeggio outlines a dominant seventh chord, creating the tension that wants to resolve. Use it over A7, A9, A13 chords, especially in blues, funk, and jazz where dominant harmony drives the groove.
Practice Routine
Start by playing the A Dominant Ninth arpeggio ascending and descending at 60 BPM, one note per beat, using a metronome. Once even and confident, play it in eighth notes, then triplets, keeping each note articulate. Spend at least 5 minutes daily on this before moving to musical application.
Ukulele Tips
On ukulele, integrate the A Dominant Ninth arpeggio into your fingerpicking by plucking through the chord shape one note at a time. This transforms a static strum into a melodic, harp-like texture that showcases each interval clearly.