Reggae major vamp progression on ukulele
What is the Reggae major vamp progression?
The Reggae major vamp progression is A and D (I–IV), in the key of A major. Read as harmonic function it moves tonic → subdominant, cycling as a vamp with no full cadence. Play one chord per bar and let it loop.
Good music works like a good walk: you leave, get a little lost on purpose, and come back. The map of this one: A (I, home) → D (IV, the stroll). Press play and follow along — at the "time to come back" chord, notice the physical urge to hear A again — the home chord.
Ukulele
Its fourth string is tuned higher than you would expect, so a chord's notes bunch close together instead of spreading from low to high, giving that clear, chiming sound. This is where the ukulele truly belongs: the Hawaiian vamp — a short back-and-forth of chords — is its native language, and its airy strum sits perfectly in folk sing-alongs, easygoing reggae and gentle country. Its home chord A keeps its lowest note on C# and rings 2 open strings.
Circle of Fifths: See the key's diatonic chords and its secondary dominants · open in Chord and Fret
Save this progression in Chord and FretReharmonize: Want richer substitutions? Reharmonize's Subtle and Medium levels are free; Bold and Jazz are part of Pro · use it in Chord and Fret
Learn each chord of the trip
This is one shape of A. In the app, every chord in this progression comes with its other shapes and audio, free. Open in Chord and Fret →
Metronome: Drill this change in time, with tap tempo and subdivisions · try it in Chord and Fret