No matter if you’re an amateur or experienced ukulele player, there are numerous ukulele songs suitable for beginners or more advanced musicians alike. Each requires different chords but some might prove more challenging than others.
Foster the People’s Pumped Up Kicks is an infectious pop song that’s easy to learn on ukulele, with just four chords making up this lively melody. Newcomers should find this tune ideal as an entry level song to start practicing with.
Blink-182
The ukulele is an engaging and simple instrument to play, offering an exciting way to enjoy many of your favorite songs. Beginning by learning simple chords such as C, G and Am will make learning how to use the instrument easier; but as your skills improve further you may want to challenge yourself with more complex songs.
Blink-182’s hit song Counting Stars is an ideal candidate to learn on your ukulele as its original recording contains much production; by taking it back down a step or two you can get a better sense of how to play its chords on ukulele and how different strumming patterns might add variety and interest.
Vance Joy’s hit Riptide is another excellent ukulele song for beginners, featuring a low baritone sound with an uninhibited, bordering-on-out-of-control strumming pattern that makes this tune fun to play. Although the key may be difficult, its simple chord progression should help you master it.
Hakuna Matata is an upbeat song about overcoming negativity that’s easy to play on ukulele. Simply use G, C and Am chords along with a D-U-U-D-U strumming pattern for optimal results.
Jason Mraz’s hit song Love Is a Four Letter Word is another excellent ukulele song for beginners. Although there are additional chords in this tune, they’re easy to pick up once practiced for some time. Plus, its fast tempo makes following its chord progression C-Am-F-G an easy task – make sure to practice these chords until you can play smoothly without errors!
OneRepublic
If you’re searching for easy ukulele songs that are also fun to play, OneRepublic could be an ideal source. Since 2001, their hit radio singles have provided an ideal opportunity for practicing chord progressions – one such song being “Counting Stars,” an excellent challenge for beginners with its seven chord progressions! Counting Stars also allows beginners to practice strumming patterns and finger dexterity!
Vance Joy’s Riptide is an engaging ukulele song with accessible chord progressions and catchy lyrics, perfect for practicing C and G chords if they are relatively unfamiliar to you. Adele’s ballad, Someone Like You will put your voice front and center. Although this piece requires capo practice to play smoothly once all the chords have been memorized it should still be easy once all chords have been learned.
Green Day’s When I Come Around is another straightforward ukulele song to master. Its chords are easy for beginners to play, while its lyrics convey emotion-packed tales about socially inept individuals who pursue women they like but are too timid or afraid to approach them directly. This track tells of one such individual whose interest in her becomes palpable yet remains unexpressed due to shyness or social anxiety.
The ukulele’s small size makes it the ideal instrument for learning new chords and practicing songs. You can find numerous free ukulele chord charts online that will assist in practicing songs and increasing skill. A quality chart will also demonstrate how to position fingers on fretboard and strum each chord; plus give tips for keeping hand and wrist relaxed. If you are experiencing difficulty getting the appropriate position for each finger, try readjusting your hand position or switching out lighter strings until you find one with which you are comfortable playing.
Mumford & Sons
Folk rock group The Cure are beloved among ukulele players, and this particular song from them is particularly easy to learn. Perfect for beginners as it uses only simple chords and an easy strumming pattern – plus, it can be played at any tempo allowing you to experiment with your instrument’s sound! Once you master this tune, play along with friends!
The ukulele is an exquisite instrument, capable of playing music across several genres and subgenres. Some artists are known for creating dramatic crescendos and falls of intensity which may be difficult to imitate on your ukulele; however, with enough practice you’ll quickly be able to reproduce this style yourself! One effective method for doing this is listening to songs popular within your favorite genre and trying to replicate their style on your own ukulele.
If you enjoy rock, try learning this classic by Van Morrison – its simple chord progression makes it easy to learn, while any tempo can play it easily. Furthermore, this song provides the opportunity to experiment with various strumming patterns to see which sound best.
“Riptide” by Vance Joy is another fantastic song to learn on ukulele, perfect for beginner players thanks to its simple chord progression and repetitive strum pattern. Once you master that step, simply practice practicing rhythm until it becomes second nature!
Childish Gambino
Donald Glover, more popularly known as Childish Gambino, wrote and released “This Is America”, an upbeat song about gun violence and racism by way of Atlanta director Hiro Murai. Its music video quickly went viral after its debut. Ukulele chords are easy to play while strumming pattern is also straightforward – as are its melodies which provide comforting lyrics that uplift listeners.
This popular Lumineers song is one of the easiest songs to learn to play on ukulele, thanks to its catchy melody and shouts/stomps throughout. Additionally, three Bob Marley chords – C, F and G – make this piece simple to learn for beginners; just practice and you’ll master its chord progression.
Train’s “Hey Soul Sister”, released as the best-selling single of 2009, features straightforward chords and catchy melodies that make this tune easy to learn on a ukulele. For beginners learning this song using G, C, and D chords can play this song using strumming patterns similar to guitarists’ techniques.
Radiohead’s “Creep” is another song you can learn to play on a ukulele, featuring an alternative folk melody with an infectious drum beat and meaningful lyrics. The ukulele makes an excellent accompaniment, making this tune suitable for solo or duet performance. Beginners may have difficulty mastering some chords on this track, so practice until you feel confident enough to move onto more advanced arrangements with more complex chords and rhythmic changes.
U2
U2 is well-known for their politically charged music, making their lyrics about love and war iconic in popular culture. On their album Songs of Experience they feature several beginner-friendly tunes such as Hotel California which makes practicing easy; its chord progression makes learning easy while its lyrics encourage hopefulness and optimism.
Someone Like You by U2 can easily be played on a ukulele, featuring an easy chord progression and strumming pattern that can be learned quickly. The song features a 70 bpm tempo with G, C, and F chords being used. Its lyrics provide an important reminder that we all journey down our own unique paths; therefore it is essential that we recognize those in our lives who play an essential part.
U2’s popular hit song, Elevation, makes playing it on a ukulele an effortless endeavor. Sung along to by anyone at any level of experience or proficiency with this instrument; its chords of D, G and C make learning it simple for any novice player.
Although playing all these songs on a ukulele may not be easy for beginners, they provide an ideal starting point. By learning basic chords such as Am and C chords you will build the foundation necessary for more complex songs to come later on. Playing these songs will improve your ukulele skills and lead you on to becoming a more accomplished musician!