A Major Ninth Ukulele Arpeggio
Ukulele arpeggio — fretboard diagram
A Major Ninth Arpeggio — Notes and Intervals
Notes: A, C#, E, G#, B
Intervals: 1P, 3M, 5P, 7M, 9M
Formula: 2W-WH-2W-WH
Number of notes: 5
Also known as: maj9, Δ9, ^9
The A Major 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 Major Ninth Arpeggio
Play the A Major Ninth arpeggio whenever a A Major 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 Major 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 Major 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 Major Ninth arpeggio outlines a A major chord and works perfectly over A, Amaj7, A6 harmonies. It is a foundational arpeggio for soloing over major-key progressions and emphasizes the bright, resolved character of the major triad.
Practice Routine
Practice the A Major Ninth arpeggio in different octaves, starting low and working up. Then try displacing the octaves — play the root low, the C# an octave higher, and continue leaping. This trains your ear to hear the intervals (1P, 3M, 5P, 7M, 9M) in any register.
Ukulele Tips
The ukulele's re-entrant tuning creates natural voice leading within the A Major Ninth arpeggio. Experiment with picking patterns that take advantage of the high G string to create unexpected interval leaps within the arpeggio shape.