Beginner musicians will quickly grasp this delightful three chord ukulele song, even with limited strumming experience. Although its strumming pattern might prove challenging at first, with time it will come naturally.
Ukuleles lend themselves well to piano-driven pop ballads like Adele’s ballad “Hello”. It is straightforward and accessible, with shifting chord progressions at various times during its playing.
Hakuna Matata
This classic Disney tune should be on every ukulele player’s repertoire. Not only is it fun and straightforward to learn, but its message – which comes from Swahili language meaning no trouble or worries – is powerful reminder that we should take life lightly without stressing over things that are out of our hands.
OneRepublic’s Grammy-nominated hit is an easy song for any beginner ukulele player to pick up, featuring familiar chords such as am, f, c and g. Play around with different strumming patterns to match different dynamics or intensity levels of the song; click here for full chords.
Let It Be
Paul McCartney composed “Get Back,” during his Get Back sessions, to encourage himself and his band mates to remain passionate about what they were fighting for. While its meaning remains open to interpretation, many see it as an appeal not to let the dissolution of The Beatles get them down and trust that everything will eventually work out for the best.
This easy ukulele song features an I, IV, V, VI chord progression that’s ideal for beginners. Sharpen your strumming and singing skills as you practice playing this classic rock tune! Adjust the intensity of your play to bring out its emotion – try practicing with your band before performing this song together! Click here for complete chords.
Red Red Wine
Red Red Wine by UB40 provides a powerful narrative of emotional escape and human complexity that transcends genre. The lyrics use wine as a metaphor for temporary escapes only to return back into reality’s harsh realities.
Ed Sheeran’s acoustic pop ballads often contain dramatic up-and-down dynamics. The ukulele makes an excellent accompaniment for these songs – simply start off with simple single-strum patterns on verses before progressing to more complex chorus sections.
Adele’s haunting melodies may prove challenging for novice ukulele players to master, but this beautiful ballad by Adele is well worth your efforts if you are up to it! The chords are relatively straightforward and follow an I, IV, V and VI pattern; try playing it with an alternate down mute up/down strumming pattern to further intensify its feel.
Margaritaville
Although not the first song that comes to mind when contemplating ukulele songs, this classic rock tune is an easy and enjoyable ukulele song for beginners. The composition features several themes which must be learned individually before the piece can be performed flawlessly – an excellent starting point!
This song’s combination of blaring brass and an easy single strum pattern provides the energy required for novice musicians. Furthermore, its dynamic range provides ample opportunity for experimentation; try speeding it up to add intensity or slow it down for more melodic feel – this will also allow you to practice chord progression skills! Click here for full chords.
Brown Eyed Girl
This classic rock song is an ideal introduction to ukulele for beginners as its chords, strumming pattern, and strumming pattern all make learning to play easy for anyone starting out on their musical journey. Try adding upstrokes for added flare!
Ed Sheeran is an esteemed contemporary singer-songwriter renowned for his emotive love songs featuring intricate lyrics and guitar-driven melodies. This one follows suit, featuring a slow-building verse leading up to an explosive chorus before receding back down again.
Ukuleles don’t typically lend themselves to creating loud and boisterous sounds, making this song an excellent opportunity to try a more subdued rendition. Furthermore, it will allow you to practice complex chords that might otherwise prove challenging for beginners.
Hey Soul Sister
Hey Soul Sister is an engaging, upbeat song that is ideal for beginners. Using only four simple chords throughout, with only slight changes between verse and chorus strumming patterns, Hey Soul Sister offers great opportunities for experimentation in terms of tempo – fast for an upbeat pop feel or slow for melancholic ballad style performances.
This song explores the experience of falling head over heels in love, regardless of age or stage of life. It was inspired by Train singer Pat Monahan’s interest in Burning Man festival where participants build wooden sculptures of human figures before burning them off in the desert – Monahan claims this inspiration came to him like a dream and is currently their highest charting single to date.
Love Me Do
Love Me Do is one of the simplest ukulele songs to learn and an excellent way to practice dynamics and intensity. Practice leaning into chorus sections with heavier strumming patterns while pulling back for verses; click here for full chords.
Mumford and Sons may not immediately spring to mind when thinking of playing the ukulele, but this lively folk rock hit is really enjoyable and an excellent way to gain experience playing five chords at once!
As with many songs on this list, this song follows the standard I, V, VI progression. Feel free to add in an alternate G7 chord if desired or simply stick with regular G chord. Reverb would work wonders here too.
Riptide
This sultry pop rock tune can be played with an easy strumming pattern on ukulele. Beginners can learn this song easily as it requires few chords and features familiar progressions. Furthermore, this tune allows them to practice dramatic building up and releasing intensity levels during performance.
This classic love song can be easily identified with by many ukulele players, with emotive lyrics and catchy music making it an excellent selection for Valentine’s Day celebrations.
This modern pop hit can be played using just four chords. Learning it will be an enjoyable experience that can be made even more captivating by switching up the strumming pattern between verse and chorus – or adding taps on your ukulele body to emulate drum rhythms!
Just The Way You Are
This song offers a soothing, relaxed sound perfect for playing on a ukulele. Using an easy I, VI, IV and V chord progression – perfect for beginners to learn! – as well as some unique touches like leading tones to walk down into each new chord progression, this tune makes an excellent ukulele song choice.
Ed Sheeran has become one of the most beloved contemporary singer-songwriters, and this song showcases his vivid storytelling ability. Ukuleles make for great piano ballad accompaniment, and its simplicity should help new ukulele players pick it up easily.
This 1989 Tom Petty tune should be straightforward for beginner ukulele players to learn and master. Experiment with various strumming patterns until you capture its bouncing feel.
Let It Go
One of the more beloved ukulele songs, this laid back southern rock classic can be an engaging challenge to play on. The three chords lend itself well to being played on an ukulele; you’ll enjoy trying to recreate its crescendo-decrescendo intensity of its original recording with your strumming patterns.
Anyone familiar with Frozen will recognize this song. It has become a hit earworm and often pops up when discussing personal freedom or mental health.
This Ed Sheeran love song makes a fun and easy ukulele tune for beginners. While its melody may be simple, its strumming pattern may present challenges to new players. Try switching up the rhythmic style or using more of a rolling strumming to add variety. The meaning behind this song is that letting go of fears can empower yourself – however it mustn’t come at the expense of others.