A-ha – Take On Me chords

I couldnt find a 100% correct tab for the chords or the riffs in this great song, so heres my
attempt!!


Notes:

- You really need two guitars, one for the chords and one for the various riffs, but if 
youre singing then you can leave the riffs out and concentrate on the chords.

 - All the riffs have been tabbed out for a non-capoed guitar - this makes it clearer and 
easier to understand - ive put a note above each riff just to remind readers. 

- For those of you without a capo and/or limited upper-fret access (if youre using a 
traditional acoustic, for example), there is a separate tab catering for this at the bottom 
(the capoed version sounds so much better though).

- Ive tabbed out the riffs the way i play them - obviously you can change them by playing 
the same notes on different strings etc, but theyre probably easiest to play in the form 
ive put them in.



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Capo on 2nd fret


Am   D    G    C    C/B  D/F# Em   Bm   F    Cadd9

0    2    3    0    0    2    0    2    1    3
1    3    3    1    1    3    0    3    1    3
2    2    0    0    0    2    0    4    2    0
2    0    0    2    2    0    2    4    3    2
0    x    2    3    2    x    2    2    3    3
x    x    3    x    x    2    0    x    1    x



Intro chords (played over the riff below):

Am  D  G  C  C/B x2

Am  D  Am  D


Intro riff (synth, tabbed out for guitar):

*NOT RELATIVE TO THE CAPO*

e|-14-14-------------------16-16-17-19-17-17-17-------14-14-14-------14----| B|-------15-------17-17-17----------------------17-15----------17-17----17-|G|----------16-16----------------------------------------------------------| x2D|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|A|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|-14-14-------------------16-16-17-19-17-17-17----------------------------| B|-------15-------17-17-17----------------------15----17-17-17-15-15-15----|G|----------16-16----------------------------------16----------------------| D|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|A|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|



Verse:

Am                  DWe're talking away

     G                C     C/BWell i dont know what im to say

    Am             DIll say it anyway

  G        C           C/BToday's another day to find you

Am           DShying away

Em                     CIll be coming for your love, ok?



Chorus:

G      D/F# Em  CTake   on   me (take on me)

G      D/F# Em  CTake   me   on (take on me)

G      D/F# Em    CIll    be   gone

            G    D/F#  Em   C    In a day or two...



Verse: 

   Am           DSo needless to say

   G              C       C/B Im odds and ends, but ill be

Am         DStumbling away
 
G                    C       C/BSlowly learning that life is ok

Am        DSay after me
 
Em                  C        Its no better to be safe than sorry



Chorus:   

G      D/F# Em  CTake   on   me (take on me)

G      D/F# Em  CTake   me   on (take on me)

G      D/F# Em    CIll    be   gone

            G    D/F#  Em   C  In a day or two...



Bridge:

Bm  F  Bm  F  Am  D


Theres an arpeggio played on the synth over the second Bm. Its quite tricky so if you cant
play it, just play the chords. Here it is in tab:

*NOT RELATIVE TO THE CAPO*

e|-16----------------------16----------------------16----------------------|   B|----17----------------17----17----------------17----17----------------17-| G|-------18----------18----------18----------18----------18----------18----|D|----------18----18----------------18----18----------------18----18-------| A|-------------16----------------------16----------------------16----------| E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|


Repeat, and fade out over the second F. Then fade back in over the D, and stop just before 
the pre-verse.



Pre-verse chords:

Am  D  Am  D

Am  D  G  C  C/B x2

Am  D  Am  D


Pre-verse riff:

*NOT RELATIVE TO THE CAPO*

e|-14-14-------------------16-16-17-19-------------------------16-16-17-19-| B|-------15-------17-17-17-------------19-19----------17-17-17-------------|G|----------16-16----------------------------19-16-16----------------------| D|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|A|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|-14-14-------------------16-16-17-19-17-17-17-------14-14-14-------14----| B|-------15-------17-17-17----------------------17-15----------17-17----17-|G|----------16-16----------------------------------------------------------| x2D|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|A|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|


e|-14-14-------------------16-16-17-19-17-17-17----------------------------| B|-------15-------17-17-17----------------------15----17-17-17-15-15-15----|G|----------16-16----------------------------------16----------------------| D|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|A|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|E|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|



Verse:

    Am                       DOh, the things that you say

      G             C       C/BYeah, is it life or just to play

   Am             DMy worries away?

       G                  C      C/BYou're all the things ive got to remember

       Am          DYou're shying away

Em                CIll be coming for you anyway



Chorus:

G      D/F# Em  CTake   on   me (take on me)

G      D/F# Em  CTake   me   on (take on me)

G      D/F# Em    CI'll   be   gone

     G    D/F#   Em   CIn a day... 



Outro:

 G      D/F# Em  C(Take   on   me) Take on me

 G      D/F# Em  C(Take   me   on) Take on me

 G      D/F# Em    C Ill    be   gone

      G    D/F#  Em    C   In a day...


G    D/F#  Em    Cadd9



*Strum the Cadd9 slowly...*


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NO CAPO VERSION


Bm   E    A    D    D/C# F#m  C#m  G    D5  

2    0    0    2    2    2    4    3    5
3    0    2    3    3    2    5    3    3
4    1    2    2    2    2    6    4    2
4    2    2    0    4    4    6    5    0
2    2    0    x    4    4    4    5    0
x    0    x    x    x    2    x    3    x



Intro chords:

Bm  E  A  D  D/C# x2

Bm  E  Bm  E



Intro riff:

e|-2-2-------------4-4-5-7-5-5-5-----2-2-2-0-0-2-0-|B|-----3-----5-5-5---------------5-3---------------|G|-------4-4---------------------------------------| x2D|-------------------------------------------------|A|-------------------------------------------------|E|-------------------------------------------------|


e|-2-2-------------4-4-5-7-5-5-5-------------------|B|-----3-----5-5-5---------------3---5-5-5-3-3-3---|G|-------4-4-----------------------4---------------| D|-------------------------------------------------|A|-------------------------------------------------|E|-------------------------------------------------|



Verse:

Bm                  EWe're talking away

     A                D     D/C#Well i dont know what im to say

    Bm             EIll say it anyway

  A        D           D/C#Today's another day to find you

Bm           EShying away

F#m                    DIll be coming for your love, ok?



Chorus:

A      E    F#m DTake   on   me (take on me)

A      E    F#m DTake   me   on (take on me)

A      E    F#m   DIll    be   gone

            A       E    F#m  D In a day or two...



Verse: 

   Bm           ESo needless to say

   A              D       D/C# Im odds and ends, but ill be

Bm              EStumbling away
 
A                    D       D/C#Slowly learning that life is ok

Bm            ESay after me
 
F#m                 D        Its no better to be safe than sorry



Chorus:   

A      E    F#m DTake   on   me (take on me)

A      E    F#m DTake   me   on (take on me)

A      E    F#m   DIll    be   gone

            A      E    F#m  D        In a day or two...




Bridge:

C#m  G  C#m  G  Bm  E


Heres a simplified version of that arpeggio (see above for full explanation):

e|-4-------4-------4-------4-------4-------4-------|B|---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2-|G|-----1-------1-------1-------1-------1-------1---| D|-------------------------------------------------|A|-------------------------------------------------|E|-------------------------------------------------|



Pre-verse chords:

Bm  E  Bm  E

Bm  E  A  D  D/C# x2

Bm  E  Bm  E


Pre-verse riff:


e|-2-2-------------4-4-5-7-----------------4-4-5-7-|B|-----3-----5-5-5---------7-7-------5-5-5---------|G|-------4-4-------------------7-4-4---------------| D|-------------------------------------------------|A|-------------------------------------------------|E|-------------------------------------------------|


e|-2-2-------------4-4-5-7-5-5-5-----2-2-2-0-0-2-0-|B|-----3-----5-5-5---------------5-3---------------|G|-------4-4---------------------------------------| x2D|-------------------------------------------------|A|-------------------------------------------------|E|-------------------------------------------------|


e|-2-2-------------4-4-5-7-5-5-5-------------------|B|-----3-----5-5-5---------------3---5-5-5-3-3-3---|G|-------4-4-----------------------4---------------| D|-------------------------------------------------|A|-------------------------------------------------|E|-------------------------------------------------|



Verse:

    Bm                       EOh, the things that you say

      A             D       D/C#Yeah, is it life or just to play

   Bm             EMy worries away?

       A                  D      D/C#You're all the things ive got to remember

       Bm          EYou're shying away

F#m               DIll be coming for you anyway



Chorus:

A      E    F#m DTake   on   me (take on me)

A      E    F#m DTake   me   on (take on me)

A      E    F#m    DI'll   be   gone

     A    E    F#m  DIn a day... 



Outro:

 A      E    F#m D(Take   on   me) Take on me

 A      E    F#m D(Take   me   on) Take on me
 
 A      E    F#m   D Ill    be   gone

      A    E    F#m  D      In a day...
 

A    E    F#m  D5



*Strum the D5 slowly...*


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And there you have it, enjoy!!