The A13 ukulele chord contains A, C#, E, G, B, D, F#. Its first ukulele voicing is the open position: G string open; C string at fret 1 (index finger); E string at fret 2 (middle finger); A string open. As a dominant 13th chord it has a distinct job in a progression, and this page explains that job alongside the fingerings, the notes and the practice steps that make it stick.
What notes are in the A13 chord?
The A13 chord is a dominant 13th chord, and its notes are fixed: A, C#, E, G, B, D, F#. Every voicing on every instrument uses these same notes, in some order and in some octave — change one of them and you are playing a different chord. The table below lists each note with its interval from the root A, so you can see the structure of A13 at a glance. On the ukulele, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes A, C#, E, G, B, D, F# in A13.
| Note | Interval |
|---|---|
| A | Root |
| C# | 3 |
| E | 5 |
| G | b7 |
| B | 9 |
| D | 11 |
| F# | 13 |
The root is A, the note the chord is named after and the note your ear hears as home. Above it, the intervals in A13 are 3, 5, b7, 9, 11, 13. That combination is what makes A13 sound the way it does: the intervals decide the colour, and the root decides the pitch. On the ukulele, the notes appear in the order the fingering dictates, but the set of notes never changes.
A13 sounds warm and jazzy, the sound of a dominant chord with every colour note stacked on top. The colour is strongest when all the notes ring clearly. A muted chord tone, especially the 3rd or the 7th where the chord has one, flattens the character of A13 noticeably. On the ukulele, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes A, C#, E, G, B, D, F# in A13.
Comparing A13 with its closest relatives helps to fix it in your ear. In short, 13th against 11th: A13 adds the 13th F# on top of the 11th chord. It is the fullest dominant extension, and in practice several notes are omitted. Hearing the comparison matters more than reading it: play A13, then play the chord it is compared with above, and let your ear find the note that changed. On the ukulele, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes A, C#, E, G, B, D, F# in A13.
How to play A13 on ukulele
On the ukulele, A13 has 3 voicings in the data below, and each one uses the same notes — A, C#, E, G, B, D, F# — in a different place on the neck. The first voicing below is the one to learn first, and the alternatives cover the rest of the neck. Finger numbers below use 1 for the index finger, 2 for the middle finger, 3 for the ring finger and 4 for the little finger, and x means the string is not played.
The open position puts A13 in open position: G string open; C string at fret 1 (index finger); E string at fret 2 (middle finger); A string open. This voicing is comfortable because the fretted notes sit close together, from fret 1 to fret 2, so your hand stays relaxed and every note can ring. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in A13 — A, C#, E, G, B, D, F# — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
The barre chord is the voicing to learn if you want A13 in around fret 9: G string open; C string at fret 9 (index finger); E string at fret 9 (index finger); A string at fret 9 (index finger). It barres across strings 2 to 4 at fret 9 with the index finger. The barre is the hard part: the index finger must press every string from 2 to 4 evenly at fret 9, so roll it slightly onto its bony side and keep it close to the fret wire. If the barre buzzes, move it a fraction closer to the fret and press from the arm, not the thumb alone. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in A13 — A, C#, E, G, B, D, F# — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
The movable voicing puts A13 in around fret 3: G string at fret 6 (middle finger); C string at fret 6 (middle finger); E string at fret 3 (index finger); A string open. The stretch is the challenge: the fretted notes span from fret 3 to fret 6, so keep your thumb low behind the neck and let your fingers reach rather than squeezing the neck. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in A13 — A, C#, E, G, B, D, F# — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
Choosing between the voicings of A13 is a musical decision, not a right-or-wrong one. The open or low-position voicing rings the most and suits strumming, while a barre or movable voicing lets you slide A13 up the neck to any key without changing the shape. When you change chords, pick the voicing of A13 that sits closest to the chord before it — shorter moves between shapes mean faster, cleaner changes. Practise the change into A13 from the chord that comes before it in your song, not the chord on its own, because the move is the skill. On the ukulele, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes A, C#, E, G, B, D, F# in A13.
A short practice routine for A13 on the ukulele: play the first voicing four times slowly, checking each note, then change to it from the chord a fourth above A and back, four times, at a slow tempo. Then play the second voicing the same way. If a note buzzes, stop and fix the finger placement rather than playing through the buzz — clean notes at a slow tempo become clean notes at full tempo, while buzzes practised fast become habits. Use the Ukulele Chord Finder to see the diagram for A13 while you practise, and the Chord Finder to compare it with the same chord on other instruments.
Common mistakes
These are the mistakes that most often make A13 sound wrong on the ukulele, and each one has a concrete fix. Work through them one at a time rather than trying to fix everything at once.
Voicing it too low. Low extensions sound muddy. Spread the chord across octaves and keep the 13th F# high. On the ukulele, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes A, C#, E, G, B, D, F# in A13.
Using it everywhere. A13 is a special-occasion chord. Save it for turnarounds and final dominants, where its richness earns its place. On the ukulele, the open position of A13 puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
Pressing too hard on the nylon strings. Ukulele strings need far less pressure than guitar strings, and pressing hard on A13 pulls the notes sharp and tires the hand. Use the lightest touch that gives a clean note, and keep your fingers close to the frets. On the ukulele, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in A13.
Trying to play all seven notes. Seven notes cannot fit in most voicings. Keep the root, 3rd, 7th and 13th, and drop the 5th, 9th and 11th as needed. On the ukulele, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes A, C#, E, G, B, D, F# in A13.
Where A13 is used
A13 is not a diatonic triad in any major or minor key, because it is an extended or altered chord, but its base triad belongs to the key of D major, the key of E major, the key of A major. the richest V chord in jazz, resolving to the tonic with maximum colour. As a dominant-type chord it also points toward D major, the key a perfect fourth above A, which is the tonic it most often resolves to. That is where A13 does its work: not as a home chord, but as a chord that creates movement and then resolves. On the ukulele, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in A13.
Because A13 is an extended or altered chord, it appears in progressions as a colour or a dominant rather than as a diatonic staple. Try it in place of the plain A triad in a progression you already know, and listen to how the extra notes change the feel — that substitution is the usual way extended chords enter real music. The Chord Progression Builder lets you try A13 in a progression in any key and hear how it connects to the chords around it. On the ukulele, the open position of A13 puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
The same chord on other instruments is covered in A13 on guitar, A13 on piano, A13 on bass, and the scales that fit over it are the A major scale and the A minor pentatonic scale. Learning A13 on the ukulele and then checking it on another instrument is one of the best ways to fix the notes — A, C#, E, G, B, D, F# — in your memory, because the notes stay the same while everything else changes.
Practising A13
A short worked example makes A13 concrete. Play the four-chord progression D – A – Bm – G in D major, the key A13 most often resolves toward: D – A – Bm – G. Play each chord for one bar at a slow tempo, and listen to how A13 sounds in that sequence — whether it feels like home, like a lift, or like a chord on its way somewhere else. Then play the same four chords in a different order, starting on A13 itself, and notice how its character changes when it opens the progression instead of sitting inside it. On the ukulele, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in A13.
For a second exercise, play A13 and then the chord a fourth above A, back and forth, four times each. That move — a chord and the chord a fourth above it — is the most common resolution in Western music, and it is the move A13 is built for when it acts as a dominant. Finish by playing A13 on its own, slowly, and naming each note out loud as you play it: A, C#, E, G, B, D, F#. Naming the notes while you play them is what turns a shape into knowledge you can use in any key. Test yourself with the Practice Chord Quiz and keep time with the Metronome as the tempo rises. On the ukulele, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes A, C#, E, G, B, D, F# in A13.
Frequently asked questions
Which notes can I drop from A13?
The 5th (E) first, then the 9th (B) and the 11th (D). The root, 3rd (C#), 7th (G) and 13th (F#) define the chord. On the ukulele, the first voicing above shows where that note sits.
Where is A13 used?
A13 is a V13 chord in jazz, used as the richest dominant before a resolution to the tonic. It appears in jazz standards, turnarounds and final cadences. On the ukulele, the first voicing above shows where that note sits.
How do you play A13 on the ukulele?
The first voicing is the open position: frets 0–1–2–0, fingers 0–1–2–0, on the ukulele. That voicing uses the notes A, C#, E, G, B, D, F#, and it is the one to learn first. The page above lists more voicings for A13, so you can choose the shape nearest the chords around it.
Is A13 hard to play on the ukulele?
It depends on the voicing. The first voicing of A13 on the ukulele is the easiest starting point, and the movable voicings further up the neck are harder because they need a barre or a wider stretch. Practise the first voicing cleanly at a slow tempo before you try the others, and the harder shapes will come more easily.
What is the easiest voicing of A13 on the ukulele?
The open position is the easiest voicing listed for A13 on the ukulele: frets 0–1–2–0, fingers 0–1–2–0. Learn that shape first, get every note ringing cleanly, and only then move on to the alternative voicings further up the neck.