A Major Thirteenth Ukulele Arpeggio
Ukulele arpeggio — fretboard diagram
A Major Thirteenth Arpeggio — Notes and Intervals
Notes: A, C#, E, G#, B, F#
Intervals: 1P, 3M, 5P, 7M, 9M, 13M
Formula: 2W-WH-2W-WH-7
Number of notes: 6
Also known as: maj13, Maj13, ^13
The A Major Thirteenth arpeggio contains 6 notes (A, C#, E, G#, B, F#). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this arpeggio on Ukulele with different tunings and fret ranges.
When to Use the A Major Thirteenth Arpeggio
Play the A Major Thirteenth arpeggio whenever a A Major Thirteenth 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 Thirteenth arpeggio uses 6 notes (A, C#, E, G#, B, F#) 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 Thirteenth Arpeggio on Ukulele
On ukulele, find A around the open strings and play through the arpeggio tones (A, C#, E, G#, B, F#). You may need to move beyond a single chord shape to reach all 6 notes. Practice connecting the arpeggio tones smoothly across adjacent fret positions.
The A Major Thirteenth 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 Thirteenth 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, 13M) in any register.
Ukulele Tips
The ukulele's re-entrant tuning creates natural voice leading within the A Major Thirteenth arpeggio. Experiment with picking patterns that take advantage of the high G string to create unexpected interval leaps within the arpeggio shape.