This classic rock tune from the 1970s is great fun to learn and is relatively straightforward for beginning players – only requiring chords of C, F and G which should already be familiar to many ukulele players.
Another classic Sheeran love song, this one can be played using just three chords throughout. Try different strumming patterns to give this track its lively and buoyant sound.
Hallelujah
The word hallelujah is one of those magical words that bridge the sacred with everyday life, linking deep spiritual practices with pop culture. Sung correctly, its power can make one feel everything from pure joy to sadness.
It first made its first appearance in the Hebrew Bible as an amalgamation of two Hebrew words: hallel (which means to praise) and jahweh. But later adopted into Christianity and often reduced to just alleluia sung at churches or arenas worldwide as well as used to express our thanks for anything small such as losing weight or getting the last taxi ride home.
Though it has been used in multiple contexts, “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen in 1984 remains one of the best-known instances. This emotive piece explores themes of good/evil, loss/gain and faith/fear but ultimately reinforces that even through life’s challenges there are plenty of reasons for gratitude.
Musical expression “Hallelujah” has been translated to numerous different musical genres from rock and roll to classical. Leonard Cohen’s rendition is perhaps most recognized; John Cale and Rufus Wainwright have covered it as well. No wonder “Hallelujah” has become such an integral part of modern musical culture — its beautiful melodies and poetic lyrics truly transcend time.
While many associate “hallelujah” with religious celebrations, it’s important to remember that it can also serve as an appropriate response for something already occurring – whether that be good health or landing your ideal job! Hallelujah serves as a powerful reminder that there’s much for which we can be grateful – making it a fitting way to end this list of songs you can play on ukulele!
Love Me Do
This Beatles classic song makes an excellent ukulele song for beginners since it only requires three chords to play and doesn’t involve complex strumming techniques. While some novice players might find the D chord challenging at first, once mastered it becomes simple.
Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen is an easy ukulele song for beginners. While playing this tune requires using a capo to raise your ukulele’s nut up and change its key, this is not the only option available to you for playing this piece – C#/Db tuning may also work, as is more popular among folk musicians.
“Otherside” from Red Hot Chili Peppers may not be top of mind when thinking about ukulele songs, but “Otherside” by them makes an ideal song to transition your uke skills towards more grungy rock sounds. While more complex than some other choices on this list, if you take your time practicing each chord progression individually and gradually you’ll soon master this song in no time!
“Whistle” by Flo Rida is another ideal ukulele song for beginners interested in contemporary pop. Built around a familiar chord progression found in other pop tunes, “Whistle” should make learning the ukulele easier for most beginning ukulele players. Furthermore, you can speed it up for more pop feels or slow it down for melodic ballad tones!
Riptide
Riptide by Vance Joy can make you feel many emotions at the same time, from happiness due to its melody to confusion from its lyrics. The meaning behind this song could be someone used to be shy but now has all sorts of money and success which causes all his friends to turn green due to envy of him.
Counting Stars
OneRepublic’s Counting Stars is an inspiring and beautiful song that should be part of every ukulele player’s repertoire. It speaks about ambition and dreams while emphasizing material wealth over them – the music video even depicts burning money while people swim along rivers symbolizing this desire to pursue more important experiences over material possessions.
This song is perfect for beginners to the ukulele as its easy chords and laid-back island vibe make it accessible. Beginners who are just learning how to play will find this tune particularly fun and catchy – perfect for learning the instrument!
Kermit the Frog’s What A Wonderful World sounds great when performed on the ukulele; rhythm and strumming techniques will come in handy since ukuleles tend to be melodic instruments rather than powerhouse guitars.
There are many wonderful songs you can play on ukulele for beginners who are just getting started, even those just learning. From simple three chord arrangements that provide an ideal opportunity for building finger strength and strumming technique to those that utilize more chords like Jason Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up” and John Lennon’s Imagine; click any button below to run a demo search and locate these songs and more!
One Day
“One Day”, from U2, is an ideal song to begin your ukulele journey as its three chords (C, F and G) make learning this beautiful tune simple and enjoyable! Plus it features some of the most beautiful lyrics ever heard – making learning it that much sweeter!
“Brown Eyed Girl”, composed by Van Morrison, is another great song to start learning the ukulele with. A timeless classic that works at any tempo while still sounding great; its simple chord progressions and lots of repetition make this piece great for practicing on.
OneRepublic’s hit song Counting Stars is another ideal pop hit for beginning players of the ukulele. This track blends pop and hip hop influences and is easy to play as it utilizes an I, V, VI, IV chord progression found frequently in popular music.
Ed Sheeran is an award-winning contemporary singer-songwriter known for his vast catalog of hits that span multiple genres and subgenres. His songs combine rich storytelling with simple acoustic guitar grooves for easy learning of ukulele songs for beginners like Otherside (which features an laid back verse that builds into an explosive chorus). These tracks can help beginners master strumming techniques as well as dynamic control!