Take On Me

How to play Take On Me by a-ha on guitar

These are the sounding chords. With a capo on fret 2 you play D, Am, G, C, Em, Bm, the shapes the player above shows.

Take On Me is a bright, high-energy song that feels instantly familiar and fun to play. At about 120 BPM, it has a driving pop pulse that keeps your right hand moving and makes the whole part feel lively once it locks in.

You can lean on the open shapes E, A, and D, but the harder barre shapes Bm, F#m, and C#m will ask for clean fretting and steady pressure. The opening E - Bm - E - Bm change is the one to watch out for, since it needs quick, accurate shifts without losing the groove.

Start by looping the opening progression slowly until the move between E and Bm feels automatic. Then add the other chord shapes one at a time, keeping your changes smooth before you try full-speed play. Once the shapes are solid, run the whole song in short sections and build up to tempo.

Use the play-along above to follow each chord change in time with the music, or learn the shapes first with the chord diagrams below.