Once you’ve mastered the fundamentals, it’s time to move on to major chords – the first chords requiring multiple fingers to play them simultaneously while moving up and down the fretboard.
To play these chords effectively, it’s essential that you understand the circle of fifths; a visual aid which shows how sharps and flats alter the key signature for ukulele. Each major chord has an equivalent minor chord found one half step lower on the scale.
C Major
C major is likely the first chord you’ll learn to play on the ukulele, making an ideal first chord to master for beginners. Its relatively straightforward structure offers great appeal for novice players while its striking sounding note provides great opportunities to expand.
At its core, C-shaping involves placing your index finger on the 2nd fret of the bottom A string and your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the top G string; this creates a C shape while leaving other strings open for sounding freely.
This variation on the C chord is extremely popular among ukulele players as it offers a different sound from its standard form. Jazzier in nature, this chord can add something special when used for songs that require something more than your average C chord voicing.
Note that while both C major and A minor have the same root note (C), their intervals differ. For instance, between C and E there is a major third distance; between A and C it’s only minor third.
A Major
A major chord belongs to the major chord family and is easy to remember and play. Simply position your index finger on the first fret of C-string and your middle finger on second fret of G-string; leaving E- and A-strings open will produce this simple yet instantly recognisable chord.
As with other major triads, an A major chord consists of three notes – tonic, major third, and perfect fifth (three tones and a half from tonic). Since minor chords use similar notes as major triads with minor third flattened (or lowered by one semitone), you can use this moveable A shape to produce various major and minor chord voicings up the neck.
This exercise is an effective way to quickly understand the relationships among movable chord shapes on the fretboard! If you find it hard to remember all these different ukulele fretboard shapes, try using “CAGED” as an aid in recalling them all!
E Major
The E major chord can be one of the more challenging tonal ukulele chords to master for beginners, yet if they persevere they will find that this chord can be played across many genres of song.
An F chord can serve as the beginning of an adrenaline-charged song or as the lament of lost love; its versatility means it can be used effectively in any progression and has an interesting relationship to F-flat minor scale, which will be explored later.
G Major
G Major chord is a staple chord across many musical genres and appears in 44% of tracks analyzed by Hook Theory, used across various genres such as traditional hymns or pop hits by Ed Sheeran such as Hearts Don’t Break Around Here and Taylor Swift Shake It Off. Furthermore, its usage can also be found in heavier styles of music like rock, Drum n Bass and Dubstep.
This chord is constructed by taking the first, third and fifth scale degree notes of G major scale which are G-B-D as its basis. There are numerous shapes you can play this chord on baritone ukulele; each offering its own distinct sound and playability.