Reggae minor vamp progression on ukulele
What is the Reggae minor vamp progression?
The Reggae minor vamp progression is F#mF#mF#mF#m and E (vi–V), in the key of A major. Read as harmonic function it moves tonic → dominant, arriving home on a 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: F#m (vi, home) → E (V, time to come back). Press play and follow along — at the "time to come back" chord, notice the physical urge to hear F#m 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 F#m keeps its lowest note on C# and rings 1 open string.
Cadences: Harmony comes to rest here: hear cadences on the neck, 9 free and another one each week · see it 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 F#m. 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