Common Chords

Below are common ukulele chords. I am presenting the Major (the "happy" chord voice), the Minor (the "sad" chord voice), and the 7th (the "jazzy" chord voice) for each chord. We may not use all of these chords, especially the Minor chords, but you will have them for the future.

You can always find this page by simply entering "chords" in the search box in the upper right hand corner of this blog.

The Major Chord is simply represented as a capital letter letter, e.g., A.

The Minor Chord is represented by the capital chord letter and a lower case m, e.g., Am.

The 7th chord is represented by the chord and a 7, e.g., A7.

Remember, the numbers in the black circles indicate which finger(s) you should use when making a chord.

The ukulele can be played in seemingly infinite approaches, but I believe at its heart, it is a singing and strumming instrument. Try slowly strumming and switching between chords, (e.g., C to F to G and back to C).

The songs we learn will provide you with perfect practice material for switching chords. You will be
1. singing
2. strumming
3. switching chords.
That's a lot to do all at once. It's one more challenge than patting your head and rubbing your stomach, so it's not easy at first.

Before trying to play any of our new songs, you should be able to play all of the chords in the song and be able to switch chords smoothly. Take your time and enjoy.

Let's Get Started

Anatomy of a ukulele

Tuning

To maximize our time, it is essential that you learn how to tune your instrument quickly and accurately. Practicing with a tuned instrument is equally essential to developing your ear for hearing correct notes. Students will be expected to tune their instruments as soon as they arrive for class.

Ukulele strings take a while to stretch on a newly strung instrument, but once they are stretched they should need only minor retuning.

From the 4th string to the 1st, we will tune in standard or "re-entrant" tuning: G C E A.

 

When tuned properly, your instrument will match your voice when you sing, "My dog has fleas."

 

Simply clip your tuner onto the top-middle of the peg headstock. Strum the 4th string, the G string. Tune up or down till your tuner shows the G note that lines up with the green line directly above the G. If it is to the left and showing red, you are flat and need to tune up. If it shows yellow as in the picture below, you are sharp and need to tune down. Repeat this process for all of your stings. You may need to make minor adjustments till your strings have had time to stretch.

 

 

Here's a detailed tutorial on how to use a tuner to tune your ukulele: Tune Up

Chords

Ukulele chords are written in a specific way. Understanding this will help you to learn new chords using the correct fingers. I will give you the finger number, fret number and string number (in that order) every time I introduce a new chord.

 

Chords will be introduced with the ukulele oriented vertically, as above.

Left Hand

You will note the ukulele with your left hand and strum with your right hand. I will refer to your left hand fingers by numbers as below. It will be important to use the correct fingers for each chord. It may seem easier to use other fingers at first, but using the correct finger will allow you to be much faster and more efficient when changing chords.

Fret and String Numbers

Fret markers and strings are numbered as below.

Ukulele Chord Notation

The C chord is presented below. Instructions are:
- 3rd finger (indicated by the number in the black circle)
- 3rd fret (just behind the 3rd fret marker)
- 1st string

The C chord would be drawn as:

 

The Importance of Practice

Playing an instrument for pleasure necessitates that it become automatic over time, so the player no longer thinks about what they are doing, but uses the instrument as their voice. To do this, you must develop muscle memory. You don't have to consciously think about walking, but as an infant you had to give it a tremendous amount of concentration. Practicing slowly and cleanly will develop your speed and accuracy over time, just like Daniel in The Karate Kid:)

It is better to practice a little bit each day than a long period only once or twice a week. You will develop muscle memory much faster and you won't have to look at your fingers any more. Keep your ukulele out of its case and close at hand so you can pick it up any time you like. You may want to build your practice into your homework routine, but don't feel like that's the only time you can play. Don't be discouraged, like anything worth doing, it takes time. In just a short time, with regular practice, you'll be playing like a pro.