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a-ha - Take On Me - Guitar Cover

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Key A major
a-ha - Take On Me guitar cover video
Kfir Ochaion
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
Hunting High and Low album cover
Hunting High and Low
1985 3:45
Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Music
a-ha Pop Rock 1985 A major
Capo Advisor 0 A major · Original key

About Take On Me

Few pop songs from 1985 are as immediately recognisable on guitar as "Take On Me," yet the part most people hum is actually a synthesizer line. Your real job on guitar is locking in with the rhythmic drive of the track, which sits at a steady 120 BPM in A major and rewards clean, precise playing rather than flash. The song's Pop Rock feel calls for tight, punchy chord work and crisp picking, so sloppy rhythm playing will stand out quickly. If you want to tackle the synth melody as a single-note guitar line, it's a great exercise in even pick attack and smooth position shifts. That melodic phrase moves fast enough to trip up your fretting hand, so use the Practice Toolbar to loop it slowed down until every note speaks cleanly. a-ha built the track around layered parts, so even a single guitar needs to hold its own rhythmically to make the arrangement feel full.

  • The song runs at 120 BPM in A major, making it a useful tempo reference for building clean rhythm guitar timing.
  • Playing the famous synth hook as a guitar melody is a practical exercise in consistent pick attack and smooth single-note shifting.
  • E Standard tuning keeps all open chord shapes available, so you can choose between open-position and barre chord voicings throughout.

How to Play Take On Me

Tuning: E Standard · Key: A major · Tempo: 120 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 120 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Pål Waaktaar-Savoy's primary choice for A-ha's signature sound, the Strat's bright single-coil pickups deliver the glassy, chimey tone that cuts through synth layers on hits like 'Take On Me.' The responsive dynamics let chorus and delay effects shine without muddiness.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Used alongside the Stratocaster throughout A-ha's classic 1980s era, the Telecaster provides additional brightness and snap to complement the band's synth-driven arrangements. Its single-coil character maintains that open, defined quality essential to their chorus-heavy effects palette.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

In later years, Waaktaar-Savoy employed the Les Paul Standard for warmer, thicker low-mid tones that contrast with his Fender arsenal without venturing into heavy rock territory. The humbucker warmth adds textural depth to newer material while keeping the sound distinctly A-ha.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Similar to the Standard, the Custom provides the humbucker thickness needed for fuller tones on later albums, offering warmer character than single-coils while maintaining the clean, effects-driven approach that defines A-ha's production aesthetic.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

The Twin Reverb's high-headroom clean platform and lush reverb tank are foundational to A-ha's sparkly 1980s tone, allowing Waaktaar-Savoy to run effects at moderate volumes without power-tube breakup. The amp's transparency lets chorus and delay effects articulate clearly.

Vox AC30
Amp

Vox AC30

The AC30's natural chime and breakup characteristics align perfectly with A-ha's chorus-rich sound, capable of running pristine and clean for 1980s hits or providing grittier moderate gain for later material. Its resonant character enhances the band's signature atmospheric effects.

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