As you begin playing guitar, if you’re just getting started it may be helpful to work on songs without too many chords; this way you can develop your strumming patterns more efficiently.
Ukulele can be difficult, but mastery comes with time and practice. Let’s begin our ukulele journey with some beginner level songs! For this first lesson you should know your G chord as well as an unknown D7 chord which may come up later.
Hakuna Matata
Beginners looking to start playing the ukulele can begin their journey by learning some of their favorite songs. Beginner-friendly ukulele songs usually feature simple chord progressions and strumming patterns so that you can concentrate on having fun playing and singing along!
Hakuna Matata is an iconic Disney song you should include in your repertoire. Its catchy tune will put a smile on anyone’s face and is ideal for beginner ukulele players to use to practice rhythm and timing.
Sam Smith first became famous with this powerful, emotional pop ballad, and its success catapulted his fame further. Although its chords may seem daunting at first, its strumming pattern remains constant throughout. Additionally, its vocals make this piece suitable for beginners trying their hands at singing as they can be easily managed.
Ed Sheeran is one of the most beloved modern singer-songwriters, and his simple acoustic ballads make great beginner ukulele songs. “Sing” from Ed Sheeran features an engaging build up from verse to chorus – be patient here as it demands careful consideration! This particular track requires patience in its buildup – take your time with this part!
Bob Marley and the Wailers are reggae superstars, and many of their songs make great introductions to ukulele for beginners. One such tune, “Lean On Me,” offers an upbeat, lighthearted feel that’s easy to capture with just a few chords. Furthermore, its chorus allows you to experiment with building intensity gradually or at will.
Disney songs are always great choices for beginners as they typically feature easy chord progressions and melodies to learn. For something a bit more challenging, Mumford and Sons’ upbeat folk rock tune “Chord Changes and an Em Chord” provides more chord changes and requires playing an Em chord than some of the other songs on this list; nevertheless it provides an opportunity to practice your rhythm and timing skills!
Counting Stars
Blink-182’s infectious and catchy hit requires only four chords: G, D, Em and C. Though typically played on guitar in higher keys than ukuleles, this song can easily be tuned down for beginners on either instrument if need be. A simple DD UU UDU strumming pattern works great and once you master its chords you’ll enjoy singing along!
The ukulele is smaller than a guitar, making it easier for beginners to hold and play. Furthermore, with its simplified chord shapes and few strings used by this instrument, making it an excellent instrument to learn first. When starting out it’s essential that songs that are simple for newcomers can help build skills and confidence before moving on to more difficult tunes.
Counting Stars has become one of the most-streamed ukulele songs ever, boasting over three-quarters of a billion streams on Spotify alone. Due to this overwhelming success, it became one of the fastest songs ever to reach Diamond status; becoming Diamond after only six months!
Though learning the ukulele may be easier than guitar, its smaller size makes it harder for novice players to master it. Beginners should begin with simple songs using four strings and chords before moving onto more challenging tunes as their abilities develop.
These ukulele song lists feature some of the easiest tunes for beginners to learn on a ukulele, as well as video lessons to help beginners master chords quickly and develop incredible right hand technique so they can play any song easily.
Margaritaville
Margaritaville is one of the easiest ukulele songs for beginners to learn, evoking memories of sunny beachside days while helping develop finger dexterity and understanding how chords interact in songs. All that is required to start learning the ukulele is knowledge of G and C chords as well as basic rhythmic skills. Beginners should first familiarize themselves with G chord by practicing four consecutive down strums at slow tempo on multiple measures before moving onto C chord and then back again; eventually transitioning back and forth between both chords will help build finger dexterity while giving learners insight into how chords interact in songs!
This song is an iconic example of “Island” music, which can be defined as contemporary local tunes that lie somewhere between traditional Hawaiian and reggae music. Island tunes tend to be played at more relaxed events where an ukulele can add an idyllic and relaxing soundscape.
Margaritaville has come to symbolize the carefree lifestyle promoted by Jimmy Buffett’s “Parrothead” fan base, with its song released as a hit back in 1977 becoming an international success and inspiring restaurant chains, Broadway musicals, beer tequila brands and apparel products alike.
Leaving on a Jet Plane is another timeless classic beginners can easily learn. Requiring only G, D and C chords as well as an accessible form that’s simple to remember; additionally it uses an accessible DDU UDU strumming pattern which makes learning much simpler for newcomers.
Brown Eyed Girl
Popular song from 2009, this country tune is one of the easier ukulele songs for beginners to learn. The chord progression uses only our basic Am, C and G chords – making strumming pattern fast yet dexterity building practice possible! Ukulele music lends itself particularly well to country music as many tunes rely on just three chords that work well on our instrument. By transposing other tunes into key compatible with your instrument you may find even more traditional country and folk songs will become accessible and easy for beginners!
This Twenty One Pilots song may utilize more chords than the others on this list, yet still remains manageable for beginning ukulele players. Strumming patterns that capture its uptempo folk sound will provide a fun challenge!
Tom Petty’s classic, this relaxed anthem makes an excellent starting point for novice ukulele players to learn. With four easy chords to learn and a strumming pattern that can be practiced to develop dexterity, this track makes an excellent selection to learn as a first song on ukulele.
The only difficult chord on this list is D7, as it requires using a barre to play correctly. Once mastered however, you will find that its sound resembles that of standard D chords – making learning the rest of a song much easier!
Ukuleles are an excellent instrument to learn for beginners, and these songs provide an ideal starting point. Once you master these basic chords, more complex songs may help develop your abilities even faster and help further accelerate learning.
Hey Soul Sister
Hey Soul Sister is an accessible four chord song to learn on ukulele. The tune features an easy repetitive pattern of two downstrums for A and B chords followed by one upstrum for each. Hey Soul Sister makes for an excellent starter tune and can be played either in E or B tuning; either one will work perfectly!
Train frontman Pat Monahan wrote and released “Save Me, San Francisco” as its debut single from their fifth album Save Me, San Francisco in 2002. Since then it has been covered by many artists such as 2010 X Factor winner Altiyan Childs and Street Corner Symphony.
Lyrically, the song depicts a man’s obsession with an unattainable woman he can’t be with due to commitment issues. He refers to her as his “soul sister,” an expression from African American culture used to refer to someone close by whom they love deeply.
The music video for “My Way” was shot outside Chango Coffee in Echo Park, Los Angeles, California and intercuts scenes of the band performing with images of a woman walking around her apartment and another person painting lyrics to the song on landscape features.