The 10 Basic Ukulele Chords

Playing a song on ukulele is really a fun activity, no doubt about it. And many artists can play virtually any song on the ukulele due to their knowledge of the instrument and the hard work they have put in to achieve this knowledge.

Honestly, there really is no alternative to hard work and experience. However there are certain chord progressions which are used in most songs with only slight variations. And so it follows that by learning these specific progressions, it will be easier for you to learn to play many new songs.

Here are some of the common chords you should know as a ukulele player:

1.    C major

• Level of Difficulty: Easy
• Tuning : Standard (GCEA)

Keep in mind that the C chord is a simple one-finger chord played in the open position. Open position on the uke and guitar means the chord has open strings in the shape.

2.    A minor

• Level of Difficulty: Easy
• Tuning : Standard (GCEA)

This tutorial shows you one of the 1st chords that people learn on the uke, the “A Minor” chord. This is a fairly easy chord to play, even as a beginning ukulele player. But, as with all the Chord Mania lessons, you will learn the main shape of the “A Minor” chord but also the notes in the chord, the major scale that is related to the chord, and how to move this chord up and down the neck.

Once you start moving the chord up and down the neck you will realize that you have to play a bar chord. Bar chords are more difficult than open position chords, but they must be mastered at some point if you want to be a great player.

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• Great for the beginners
• Master Half Notes, Quarter Notes, and Eighth Notes
• Develop amazing right hand strumming technique
• Learn how to play in ‘time’ and keep a solid rhythm
• Memorize essential major, minor, and 7th chords

3.    F major

This video shows you how to play the F major scale using double stops. You are going to play this scale horizontally up the neck as opposed to vertically, which is the way most scales are played. By using the F major scale you won’t go too high and most ukuleles should be able to play it. Make sure to follow fingerings exactly to ensure you can play it smoothly and effortlessly.

• Level of Difficulty: Easy
• Tuning : Standard (GCEA)

4.    G major

• Level of Difficulty: Easy-Medium
• Tuning : Standard (GCEA)

The G on the ukulele is a 3 finger chord and can be found in tons of your favorite songs. This chord shape becomes difficult as you slide it up and down the neck to the A, Ab, B, C, etc.

5.    A major

• Level of Difficulty: Easy-Medium
• Tuning : Standard (GCEA)

The notes in the A major triad are A – C# – E. These notes come directly from the A major scale which is A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G# – A. You might notice that the A chord notes A – C# – E are the 1st, 3rd, and 5th degrees of the A major scale.

6.    E minor

• Level of Difficulty: Easy-Medium
• Tuning : Standard (GCEA)

Here you are going to go in-depth on the “E Minor” chord. There are several ways to finger this chord and this video will show you the 2 main fingerings. This is an important chord because it is used in such songs as “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” by IZ.

Looking at the notes that make up this chord, the music theory behind the chord, and showing you how you can transpose this chord helps you play this exact shape all over the fretboard.

7.   G7 chord

• Level of Difficulty: Easy-Medium
• Tuning: Standard (GCEA)

This lesson is going to review the G7 chord, which is not difficult to play but common. 7th chords are made up of four different notes.

8.    E7 chord

• Level of Difficulty: Easy-Medium
• Tuning : Standard (GCEA)

This video will show you one of the coolest sounding chords on the ukulele. This can be heard on songs like “Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay” by Otis Redding and in Blues, such as a Blues in E or Blues in A or Blues in B.

Here you will dive deeper into understanding what makes up this “E7” chord. We are going to look at the notes that make up this chord, the music theory behind the chord, and show you how you can transpose this chord so you can play this exact shape all over the fretboard.

9.    D major

• Level of Difficulty: Easy-Medium
• Tuning : Standard (GCEA)

This video will discuss the notes involved in the D chord for uke as well as show you how to take this chord shape and move it up and down the ukulele neck so you can essentially play any major chord. Some of the related chord shapes provided in this lesson are E, F, F#, Gb, and Eb major chords.

10.    E major

• Level of Difficulty: Easy-Medium
• Tuning : Standard (GCEA)

E major is an open position chord, meaning that there is at least one open string. This chord also turns into a very hip chord shape as you slide it up and down the ukulele neck. In order to move this chord up and down the ukulele neck and play any chord you will need to know where the root is.

• Features a 6 lesson mini-course
• Master Half Notes, Quarter Notes, and Eighth Notes
• Develop amazing right hand strumming technique
• Learn how to play in ‘time’ and keep a solid rhythm
• Memorize essential major, minor, and 7th chords

These are some of the most common ukulele chords that you should know, and earning them is very easy if you show some dedication. It is always good to learn them from a good teacher, as a teacher knows how to start from the fundamentals.

If you are looking for a tutor and not finding one in your locality then the best way to learn is switching to E-learning mode. There are many teachers online who can teach you as a beginner or as an advanced player.

And, of course, Uke Like The Pros is one of the best sites to learn the basics of the ukulele. We have unique teaching methods which can help you in achieving your goals and play any chord progression you like.

Moreover, we have many other courses available which focus on different aspects of learning the ukulele. At Uke Like The Pros, we not only provide courses for the beginners but also for advanced ukulele players looking to brush up their skills.