As a beginner to ukulele playing it can be confusing trying to identify all of its strings and where they go. Chord diagrams often display thick lines at the top that represent your instrument’s neck as well as an “O” which denotes an open string.
Typically, one is assigned to your index finger while two to your middle finger, followed by three for your ring finger and four being assigned for your little finger.
C Major
This chord can be found in many songs, making it a useful one to become acquainted with as it’s used across all major scales.
To play this chord, place your index finger on the first fret of the C string and your middle finger on the second fret of G string; do not press your ring finger against either string.
G Major
G Major chord is an iconic staple that appears across genres and musical traditions, so mastering it on your ukulele is key for its versatility and performance.
To play a G Major ukulele chord, begin by placing your index finger across both E and A strings at their second frets – this forms a barre chord – or by simply using only the top string’s second fret and moving just your index finger around to form partial bars (with index fingers placed only over top string second fret). This method creates a barre chord; to modify further you could make partial bars by moving just one of your index fingers across all strings second frets at a time (a partial barre chord).
D Major
D Major is an easy chord to play and contains three notes – D, F# and A. It can be performed using various techniques, each giving off its own distinctive sound.
One way of playing D Major on ukulele chords is to barrar across the first fret with your index finger while reaching up with your fourth finger to fret the second string – this technique is known as barrering across and reaching up for fretting the second string simultaneously.
E Major
E Major is the key of devotion and trust, laughter and lyrical pleasure as well as the gentle fulfillment of love fulfilled.
This second enclosure begins on the major third of the scale (G# in E Major). Although initially difficult, with practice you will be able to connect this shape to those that come before and after it.
F Major
F major chords possess a lively and joyful sound that makes them ideal for solo pieces featuring upbeat melodies.
On a ukulele, this chord can be played using various techniques. One option is creating a partial barre with your middle finger on two of the top strings at 2nd fret; alternatively you may prefer playing this chord using both index and ring fingers.
A Major
A Major is one of the easiest ukulele power chords to play. To do so, place your index finger on the first fret of C string and your middle finger on second fret of G string, with both fingers touching these frets with equal pressure.
Some ukulele chord charts contain numbers inside each dot to show which fingers to use when fretting; an index finger number in a circle means to use only that index finger while middle finger numbers should only be used if needed.
B Major
B Major chord progressions tend to feel happier and more optimistic, making B Major an excellent choice for many types of songs.
B Major is often chosen when writing more lyrically reflective songs or rock theatre pieces. You’ll often hear it featured by Bon Iver, Guns ‘n Roses or other epic music acts.
C Minor
C Minor is an emotional key, with its solemn sound conjuring up feelings of sorrow and loss while simultaneously having the potential to create propulsion when combined with other chords.
Scale degrees include tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, and subtonic tones. When performing ascending melodic minor scale, three lower degrees may be added; when performing a descending melodic minor scale only two lower scale degrees will be present.
G Minor
G minor is a dark key and songs written in it tend to feel tense; yet there’s also an element of relief when hitting an octave note.
Cherry Glazerr’s “Had Ten Dollaz” demonstrates how this chord can convey negative and upsetting emotions with powerful force.
D Minor
As with C Minor, D Minor chord is also diatonic but does not adhere to tidy stacks of thirds. Guitarists commonly double one string (e.g. index finger on second fret of two bottom strings) when playing this chord and leave one G string unplayed – something C Minor does too.
Practice strumming this chord for several measures while listening to songs featuring it, then look into other chords using similar shapes on the fretboard.