Add major chords to your ukulele music for some added variety and ease of playback. They are easier than you might imagine!
Start with the C major chord, which only needs your index finger and middle finger to play. Solid circles indicate frets you should press, while open ones show which strings don’t require pressuring down.
A Major
This chord can help you play Otis Redding’s “Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay.” With only two fingers (your index finger and middle finger) needed to press down two different frets, it is simple and quick to learn.
No need for your ring finger or pinky finger in this chord shape – instead try keeping those fingers away from the fretboard so as not to accidentally muffle or dull any other strings’ sound.
This chord chart shows the nuts of your ukulele where the strings are tied together; smaller circles indicate open strings which should not be fingered; solid lines represent frets on its neck;
B Major
B major uses a barre chord. This means your first finger presses down simultaneously on two strings at once: second and third strings.
This can make playing this chord slightly harder on soprano and tenor ukuleles than playing an A major chord, but nonetheless is an extremely useful chord to learn.
What Makes You Beautiful by the English-Irish boy band One Direction has seen tremendous success and this chord would make an excellent practice tune! Practice on it until it becomes one of your favorites!
C Major
C Major is often the starting point for new ukulele players to learn the major chords on their instrument. It is easy to play and is an ideal place for novice or more advanced ukulele players alike to begin building fingering skills on the fretboard.
All major chords can be formed from the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of a major scale arranged vertically on a fretboard to create major chords of any key.
To play the classic C chord, place your index finger on the second fret of the C string, your middle finger on the third fret of E string and your ring finger on fourth fret of A string – this gives two C notes and additional G and E notes.
D Major
D Major is one of the most frequently utilized chords on ukulele, appearing in songs by Creedence Clearwater Revival such as Bad Moon Rising and Bryan Adams’ Summer of ’69. This chord comprises the first, second and fifth notes from D Major scale (which features two sharps). Mastering this chord will help you move quickly between other key chords more seamlessly.
This simple triad chord can be played a variety of ways. A partial barre can be created with your first finger resting on both strings at 1st fret; or full barres with both fingers resting on top two strings 2nd fret can also work effectively in standard ukulele songs.
E Major
E Major is a common major chord found in songs. It consists of the root note E, major third G# and perfect fifth B.
To discover the notes for this chord, it is necessary to know how to read a scale. Starting from one note as your starting point and building up from there by whole steps or half steps can lead you closer to discovering this harmony.
To play this chord on an ukulele, place your index finger on the first fret of its G string; your middle finger on its second fret; and pinky finger on its fourth fret of C string – this moveable shape also enables easy chord changes by moving it up or down one fret.