🎧 About the Song
“Take On Me” is the perfect storm of 1980s brilliance: icy synths, impossible vocals, and one of the most iconic music videos ever made.
Norwegian trio A-ha turned pop into architecture — sharp, gleaming, emotional.
It’s part love song, part adrenaline rush.
When you play it on ukulele, something magical happens. The glossy synths vanish, and what’s left is a warm, shimmering piece of melody that still makes people’s eyes light up.
You’re not just strumming — you’re time-traveling back to MTV’s golden hour.
🎸 Ukulele Playing Tips
We’ll play it in F major (close to the original key, comfortable for uke).
You’ll need F, Gm, Bb, C, Dm, and Am.
Verse progression: [F] – [Gm] – [Bb] – [C]
Pre-chorus (“Talking away…”): [Dm] – [Bb] – [F] – [C]
Chorus: [F] – [Am] – [Bb] – [C]
Tempo: around 168 bpm — bright but not frantic.
Strumming pattern: down–down–up–up–down–up, keeping the strokes crisp and bouncy.
If you want to echo the synth riff, try picking:
A |-----0-----------0-----------|
E |---1---3---1---1---3---1-----|
C |-0-----------0---------------|
G |-----------------------------|It’s that instantly recognisable intro distilled for four strings.
Singing tip: Don’t chase Morten Harket’s high notes — unless you’re secretly a Norse demigod.
Sing it lightly and confidently; the charm is in the phrasing, not the range.
On the final chorus, jump an octave only if it feels right — or let the uke carry the energy for you.
💡 Trivia You Can Drop Casually
- “Take On Me” took three versions to hit — the first two flopped before the famous remix exploded in 1985.
- Its groundbreaking rotoscope music video (pencil-sketch animation meets live action) won six MTV awards.
- The song hit #1 in the US and 36 other countries.
- Morten Harket reportedly held the final high note for 20 seconds during recording.
- The band still performs it live, often in a slowed-down acoustic version that sounds hauntingly beautiful — very uke-friendly.
🌈 Final Word
“Take On Me” is optimism you can dance to — brave, bright, and beautifully sincere.
On ukulele, it becomes something more intimate but no less thrilling.
Play it with energy, nostalgia, and a bit of cheek — like you’re leading a synth-pop campfire.
