A Major Seventh Ukulele Arpeggio
Ukulele arpeggio — fretboard diagram
A Major Seventh Arpeggio — Notes and Intervals
Notes: A, C#, E, G#
Intervals: 1P, 3M, 5P, 7M
Formula: 2W-WH-2W
Number of notes: 4
Also known as: maj7, Δ, ma7, M7, Maj7, ^7
The A Major Seventh arpeggio contains 4 notes (A, C#, E, G#). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this arpeggio on Ukulele with different tunings and fret ranges.
When to Use the A Major Seventh Arpeggio
Play the A Major Seventh arpeggio whenever a A Major Seventh 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 Seventh arpeggio uses 4 notes (A, C#, E, G#) 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 Seventh Arpeggio on Ukulele
On ukulele, find A around the open strings and play through the arpeggio tones (A, C#, E, G#). You may need to move beyond a single chord shape to reach all 4 notes. Practice connecting the arpeggio tones smoothly across adjacent fret positions.
The A Major Seventh 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
Play the A Major Seventh arpeggio as whole notes over a backing track or drone on A. Focus on intonation and tone quality for each of the 4 notes (A, C#, E, G#). After a few passes, begin improvising short melodic phrases built from these arpeggio tones, connecting them with passing notes.
Ukulele Tips
The ukulele's re-entrant tuning creates natural voice leading within the A Major Seventh arpeggio. Experiment with picking patterns that take advantage of the high G string to create unexpected interval leaps within the arpeggio shape.