Ukulele Basic Chords For Beginning Players
by Jonas
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The basic ukulele chords every beginner should learn first are C, Am, F and G. Add C7, G7 and Dm and you can play hundreds of songs. Most use just one to three fingers, and they only take a few days to switch between cleanly.
The fastest way to start playing is to learn a handful of easy chords. Just four of them, C, Am, F and G, already cover a huge number of songs, and a few more (C7, G7 and Dm) fill in most of the rest. Here are the essential beginner chords, easiest first.
Which are the ukulele basic chords for beginners?
Don’t panic, but there are dozens of chords and hundreds of ways to play them on a ukulele (see them all in the UkuTabs Chord Library).
You might run into problems with difficult chord diagrams, painful fingers, strumming, feeling the rhythm, tablatures, etc. Although the UkuTabs chord charts already show you the easiest way to play all the “main chords” (180 in total), you can slim things down quite a bit more. Read on! Having troubles reading chord diagrams? Check out how to read chord charts here.
1. Seven absolute basic ukulele chords
| Chord | Frets (g C E A) | Type | How hard |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 0 0 0 3 | Major | Easiest, one finger |
| Am | 2 0 0 0 | Minor | One finger |
| C7 | 0 0 0 1 | Seventh | One finger |
| F | 2 0 1 0 | Major | Easy, two fingers |
| G | 0 2 3 2 | Major | Three fingers |
| G7 | 0 2 1 2 | Seventh | Three fingers |
| Dm | 2 2 1 0 | Minor | Three fingers |
The four numbers are the frets to press on the g, C, E and A strings, read from top to bottom; 0 means play that string open. Master C, Am, F and G first, they alone unlock hundreds of songs.
The first basic ukulele chords you should start learning are Am, C, F and G. Learning these four basic chords will allow you to play most popular songs in the C key by for example Bob Dylan, Adele, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift and Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Ready for some more? Add D and Em to the mix and you’re set to play almost all songs in the G key. Learn E major as well and the key of A opens up too.
While these seven ukulele chords already open up a very wide range of songs that you can play, it’s only the tip of the metaphorical ukulele chords iceberg. Ready for the next step in learning ukulele chords? Let’s learn some major, minor and seventh chords to become a true ukulele guru.
2. Major Chords
Everything starts with the seven major chords: A B C D E F G (= La Ti Do Re Mi Fa Sol). The most important ones in this list are A C D E F and G. So basically, all of them except the B chord. The B isn’t used that much, which is a good thing because it isn’t that easy to play.
Another chord that isn’t easy to play is the E chord. Unfortunately, this one is used in quite a lot of songs. That’s why I’ve written a guide dedicated entirely to this E chord. Want help on how to play the horrific E chord?
3. Minor Chords
After the major chords, we have the minor chords. They are also among the basic ukulele chords for beginners. Minor chords are widely used, and they can give the song a more intimate feel, whereas major chords sound happier and more upbeat.
The ones that are most important to learn when you are just starting out are Am, Dm and Em. For your reference, I have listed all the minor chords below.
4. Seventh Chords
Some people may dispute this, but I personally think that 7th chords are also very important basic ukulele chords, and actually not that difficult to play either! They can add a groovy, funky feeling to the song and are used a lot in jazz, soul and uptown songs.
My favorite is the F7, but I would recommend learning all of them (except maybe the B7). They will also help you when improvising and changing things up to make a song sound more interesting.
Conclusion – Ukulele basic chords for beginners
In my opinion, these are the ukulele basic chords that every player should learn at the beginning. You can pick a few to start with and then expand. If you know all the chords listed on this page (or most of them), you will already be able to play a very wide range of songs. Keep in mind that you can always transpose a song to a different key to make it a little bit easier!
Want to learn more chords? Take a look at the UkuTabs Chord Library, which contains an archive of almost every ukulele chord out there. It allows you to select a chord and it will immediately show you how to play that chord on the ukulele. There are also free A2 posters and A4 PDFs available with all the chord diagrams.
Basic ukulele chords FAQ
What are the easiest chords to learn on ukulele?
The easiest chords for beginners are C, F and G7. These three use only one or two fingers and let you play lots of simple songs right away.
How many chords do I need to know to play most songs?
With just a few basic chords (like C, F, G and Am) you can play hundreds of popular songs. Learning a few more expands your options even further. Take it step by step.
Why do some ukulele chords feel hard to play?
Some chords, especially those using three or four fingers, feel awkward at first. The E chord is notorious for it. With practice your fingers get stronger and more flexible, and the shapes become much easier over time.
Are ukulele chord shapes the same as guitar chord shapes?
The shapes look similar, but they make different chords because of the different tuning. For example, a guitar D shape is a G chord on the ukulele.
What is the difference between major and minor chords on ukulele?
Major chords sound bright and happy, while minor chords sound more sad or moody. On a chord chart the difference is usually just one note, but it completely changes the feel of the song.
Now put them to use
You only need C, Am, F and G to play along with loads of songs. Look up any shape in the free chord library, and when a chord feels hard, the simplify difficult chords guide has quick fixes.
I want join the discusion
Any tips for E chord?
This was very helpful! My only addition is that, once you get to more difficult levels, the chords B, Bm, Gm, and Cm, as well as maybe B7 would be good to memorize as well. A lot of songs I play also feature maj7 chords as well, most of which aren’t TOO hard to play, so I’d reccomend those as well! <3
the b cord is kind of confusing; any tips?
Any tips for a chord?
Oh my. I just can’t get my fingers in place for the E chord!
Hi
E is hard
e chord haunts me, but this is all very helpful!!
Any tips??
Just learning how to play
Hi
I mean, I use the bony part of my finger for barre chords, but the Bb is still a bit hard
[…] Um passo fundamental para quem deseja aprender como tocar ukulele do zero é familiarizar-se com os acordes básicos. Os acordes C, G, Am e F são essenciais e permitem tocar uma variedade de músicas populares. Praticar a transição entre esses acordes fortalecerá a coordenação e a memória muscular. Recursos visuais, como diagramas de acordes, podem ser extremamente úteis nesse processo. UkuTabsmusiprof.com […]
a questo link dove gli accordi sono raffigurati sull’ukulele non capisco cosa sono i numeri e le lettere che sono posti sulle corde nella paletta esempio su Do M (C ) 5, R, 5, 3m. https://ukutabs.com/it/ukulele-chords-diagrams/#root-note4, inoltre sulla tastiera del manico non vedo la diteggiatura
I’m trying to learn the Bm chord but I c’ant seem to place my 1 finger properly to make a clean sound
Looking for video to WATCH chord changes— which will help me change chords EASYILY and using correct fingers!!!
Some instructors include G7 as one of the basic Ukulele chords. Why G7 is not?
Can I purchase the AO sized chord chart poster?
I am a beginner. I am all good with the C, F and Am …. but I just cannot get my finger placing correct for the G and it sounds horrible. Any advice? I feel I cannot move further with my learning before mastering the G.