Most songs begin with a chord progression. These chords must be played in order to match the key of the song being composed.
Acquaint yourself with a fretboard layout and chord diagram. A dark horizontal line represents the nut while four vertical lines represent strings with dots for frets; any string with an “O” should remain open.
C Major
C Major (Cmaj) chord is one of the most frequently used chords in music. Its easy playing makes it popular across pop, rock and other genres songs alike, while different voicings and shapes allow for different moods; from mellowing out like Radiohead’s Creep song or becoming more dissonant and driving.
All major chords consist of the first, third and fifth notes from any scale; so when shifting between C chord and F chord in your playing you should use similar fingerings for both chords.
To switch from a C chord to an F chord, begin by placing your ring finger on the 2nd fret of A string, moving onto third and fifth fret with middle and thumb respectively before repeating when going back down scale.
G Major
Are You New to Ukulele? Initially, mastering the G chord can seem intimidating. With practice and understanding how it’s made, however, adding it to your repertoire of chords should become simple and stress-free.
The G major chord consists of the root note G, major third B and perfect fifth D – three notes commonly found across various musical genres and important to learn early on.
This chord can be played several ways, but one popular way is to leave the G string open and fret the C string with your index finger, the A string with your middle finger, and E string with your ring finger. This shape is among the most iconic for ukulele chord playing and can also be used to form other major or minor chords; plus it serves as an ideal way to practice chord inversions!
E Major
E Major is another one of those chords people tend to avoid when beginning the ukulele, yet that would be a mistake as this chord is widely used in songs and can help familiarise beginners with barre chords – an essential way to unlock much of the rest of the fingerboard.
E chord shapes are generally straightforward for most ukulele players once they’ve learned some barre chords, although complete beginners may take more practice as it is a new shape that they need to train their fingers on. I often recommend that beginners check out my post on this subject and experiment with various ways of playing them – perhaps 4442 (closing C string while leaving A string open), for example). While this approach might not work every time but still provides a useful starting point.
A Major
A Major is an elegant chord that works beautifully in many songs and one of the first chords most emerging ukulele players learn to play.
Practice this chord effectively by playing along with some popular ukulele songs that use it, this will allow you to familiarize yourself with it and enhance its integration into other ukulele chords.
For this chord, begin by positioning your fretting hand (index finger for right-handed players and middle finger for left-handed) against the neck of the ukulele with its fretting finger placed against the dot that indicates where to position it. Next, position your thumb against the back of the neck as support and to prevent excessive string vibration when fretting with fingers.
Place your second finger on the second fret of the top G string, while your index finger rests on the first fret of C string, and strumming all four strings to hear how a chord sounds.
B Major
B Major is another fundamental ukulele chord found across various musical genres. It’s constructed using a major triad, composed of the root (first) note, major third note and perfect fifth – essential building blocks of chords that help give major chords their happy sound.
Your fretting hand’s three fingers can be used to form the B chord on a ukulele, or two of them can be used. To utilize only two strings as part of a partial barre, place an index finger at each fret first fret and leave slightly past second fret; this method is known as partial barring.
For an enhanced sound, add your middle finger on the third fret of the C string and your ring finger on the fourth fret of the G string (4-3-2-2). You could also create a power chord by opening all strings except E in this arrangement.
C Minor
C minor gives your repertoire an additional chord option and adds moodiness to songs.
This chord is a partial barre chord, meaning that only three out of the four strings are covered; leaving one string open. Playing it can be challenging due to using fingers like barricades across the fretboard; this causes tension in your fretting hand and may increase stress levels during performances.
This chord can often be heard in popular alternative songs from the 1990s such as Radiohead’s “Creep.” It adds an atmospheric, subdued vibe and can set a dark and melancholy atmosphere in a track. Take your time practicing this chord until your fingers no longer get too tense; doing so will also help make switching between chords easier!
D Minor
The D minor chord is one of the easiest chords to learn and its sound combines soulful, melancholic tones with easy playing on ukulele – just two thirds away if you already know F chord!
To play this chord, place your index finger on the first fret of the G string; your middle finger on the second fret of C string; and your ring finger on first fret of E string – leaving A open.
Once you master it, this chord requires more precision and practice, but once mastered it will add another great-sounding chord to your arsenal! Practice regularly and soon enough you’ll become an accomplished ukulele player!
E Minor
By now, if you’ve been following these ukulele chord lessons, you should have a firm grasp on C and G major chord shapes; various A minor and E minor shapes; as well as power chords. Now we move onto one of the saddest chords on ukulele: Dm.
This lesson features open position chords (all strings strummed together). To finger this chord, place your index finger on the 2nd fret of A string; middle finger at 3rd fret of C string; and ring finger on 4th fret of E string.
Practice switching back and forth between these chords at a steady tempo. Once each one sounds clear without buzzing or muffled/muted strings, move onto the next. By doing this regularly, you’ll soon be playing all your favorite songs! Sign up for a free trial at Fender Play to unlock an array of ukulele lessons, skills and songs!
A Minor
Imagine the amazement on the faces of your loved ones as you pull out your ukulele and effortlessly play a familiar song – that’s possible when you learn the 14 most useful ukulele chords!
To play an A minor chord, begin by placing your index finger on the second fret of G string – this string requires fretting; all others may be played openly.
A minor chord is a type of minor triad, consisting of three notes – its root note, minor third note and perfect fifth – which combine to produce its characteristic dark sound.
Learning a minor chord on your ukulele can add some contrast to your music and can make song writing and composition easier with just this one simple chord! Starting out may seem tricky at first but, with practice comes success and mastery will become much simpler over time! Just one minor chord could increase song writing abilities and compositional flexibility!