One common misconception about string instruments is that they are all hard to learn, and this tutorial about ukulele chords for beginners will debunk that.
Written by Jay Searle / Published July 04, 2022
Last updated: September 03, 2024
One of the great things that make the ukulele such a fun instrument to learn is that so many songs can be played using just four simple chords. The easiest ukulele chords for beginners to learn are C, F, G, and Am.
In this article, we will teach you how to play these chords along with some basic strumming patterns for you to get started. Getting these four chords under your fingers will undoubtedly have you impressing your friends at your next campfire sing-along in no time.
First though, let’s start with some basics.
For those confident enough to get going themselves, here are the four chords we’ll be covering (standard tuning):
What is a Chord?
In the simplest terms, a chord is when three or more notes are played and allowed to ring together at the same time. Chords help to lay the harmonic foundation of every bit of music you’ll learn to play on the ukulele.
Technically you can have a chord that only uses two notes (the mighty “power chord” that many guitarists are sure to know), but most will have at least three. Before we dive into learning a few chords, we should familiarize ourselves with how to interpret a chord diagram.
Reading Ukulele Chord Diagrams
Reading chord diagrams is actually pretty straightforward. As you can see in the chord diagrams below, the strings of the ukulele are represented by four vertical lines, while the frets are the horizontal lines.
The thick black line at the top of the vertical lines represents the nut, or fret “0”. You may come across diagrams that don’t have a thick line at the top, but instead include a number next to vertical lines. This indicates which fret along the fretboard to start at and is used for chords played in positions further up the fretboard.
The symbols used are as follows:
A black (or colored) dot indicates a fretted note, that is, where to place your finger.
A white dot indicates an open string that is allowed to ring when playing the chord.
A cross indicates an open string that is not meant to ring when playing the chord (muted).
You may see a line across a number of strings. This is known as a “barre” and requires you to lay your finger across the fretboard to fret all the strings simultaneously.
Last but not least is the numbering system at the bottom of the diagram. This indicates which of your four fingers is used to fret a particular note; 1 = index finger, 2 = middle finger, 3 = ring finger, and 4 = pinky finger.
You may also see numbers inside the solid circles. This is just another way of indicating which finger to use to fret the note.
Note: The following chords are shown using standard re-entrant ukulele tuning (g-C-E-A).
Beginner Ukulele Chord #1 – C Major
The C Major chord comes from the C Major scale and consists of the notes C-E-G. This is one of the best ukulele chords for beginners to learn as it only involves the use of one finger!
To play this chord, you simply need to put your ring finger on the A string, at the 3rd fret as shown. The remaining strings are allowed to ring out when you strum the chord as the open notes form part of the chord.
You may often hear this position referred to as the “open position” for playing chords because of this reason. The note names when viewed from the fourth string (leftmost on the diagram) are g, C, E, C respectively.
Chord Diagram
Here is a diagram of the C Major chord in the open position:
Even though we’ve suggested you use your 3rd finger to fret the C note as shown, you can in fact use whatever finger feels most comfortable.
When fretting any notes, it’s important to make sure that your finger doesn’t accidentally mute any of the other strings. You only need to apply as much pressure as feels comfortable and that avoids any “buzzing” of the fretted note.
Beginner Ukulele Chord #2 – F Major
Next up is the F Major chord. This is also a major triad built from the major scale, in this case, F Major. The chord consists of the notes F-A-C. So, to sound those notes on your ukulele, you will be using your middle and index fingers. F Major, like the C Major chord we just looked at, can be played in the open position using open strings.
With your fretting hand, place your index finger on the 1st fret of the E string and then use your middle finger on the second fret of the top G string. Again, it’s important to ensure that your fingers don’t interfere with the other strings to create buzzing or “dead” notes.
Have a look at the chord diagram below to get a better idea of what the chord looks like.
Chord Diagram
F Major chord in the open position.
Beginner Ukulele Chord #3 – G Major
The G Major chord is made up of the notes G-B-D. This is derived from the G Major scale. To play the G Major chord in the open position, you will need to put your index finger on the 2nd fret of the C string, your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the A string, and your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the E string. The g-string is allowed to ring as an open string.
This position can be a little tricky at first, so I recommend taking it slow. If you’re having trouble getting the notes to sound out clearly when you strum, try just adding one finger at a time.
Make sure each finger is comfortable and the notes clear before adding the next. Prior to just strumming away, play each string individually when you have the shape down to make sure there are no dead notes.
Chord Diagram
G Major chord diagram in the open position.
Beginner Ukulele Chord #4 – A Minor
Lucky last in our list of beginner ukulele chords is the A Minor chord (also notated as Am). Minor chords are usually the chords we associate with a “sad” sound. That is because the chord has a minor third instead of a major third.
Don’t worry if this doesn’t mean anything to you right now, the important thing is to recognize the differing sound quality with your ears. The notes in an A Minor chord are A-C-E.
A Minor, like C Major, is one of the easiest chords to play on the ukulele. All you need to do is put your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the g string and strum with your other hand. Simple, right?
Chord Diagram
A Minor chord in the open position.
Ukulele Strumming Patterns
Strumming is the technique used to play chords on the ukulele. To strum your ukulele, make sure that your strumming hand is relaxed and positioned somewhere between the sound hole and the neck.
Hold your hand in a loose fist and use the nail of your index finger to strum the strings on the down stroke. The upstroke uses either the side of the index finger or the fleshy pad. Try not to over think it though.
The most important point is to keep your hand, wrist and forearm relaxed during the movement. Where you’re hitting the strings and on what part of the finger is something you will refine over time.
We rarely play the ukulele by only strumming the strings once and leaving a huge pause before we do it again. That’s where strumming patterns come into play and allow us to develop that chill, island sound.
Learning some basic strumming patterns will make learning songs much easier as your hand will be used to moving in a fluid strumming fashion. When practicing the patterns below, be sure to start off slowly. Once you feel comfortable with the movement and have a sense for the rhythm you can work on speeding them up.
Basic Ukulele Patterns to Practice
1. Down, Up, Down, Up
2. Down, Down, Down, Down
3. Down, Down, Down, Up, Down
4. Down, Down Up, Down, Down Up
When practising the above patterns, you can vary the timing between each stroke to suit your own playing preferences. Your strumming doesn’t need to use even timings between each down and up stroke.
Feel free to come up with your own cool sounding strumming patterns as you become more familiar and comfortable playing the ukulele. There are endless possibilities to explore!
Beginner Ukulele Chords and Strumming Patterns in Context
All of these common patterns can be seen in pop music. Exploring YouTube for ukulele songs will open up your ears and creativity. Here are some pop songs for ukulele to get you started.
See if you can spot the techniques they are using. Bonus points if you can guess what some of the chords are that they’re using.
First up, we have Vance Joy’s hit tune “Riptide” covered by Grace Van Der Waal at the Brooklyn Art Library.
As you’ve probably noticed, Grace uses her thumb when strumming her ukulele. There’s really no right or wrong way, as long as you’re getting the sound you want and are having fun! That’s the most important part.
Next up we a cover of Billie Eilish’s “When the Party Is Over” by Anna Damita. Her channel has loads of really cool covers, and her vocals are fantastic.
See if you can find the common strumming pattern she is using and strum along as she plays.
For those just starting out, we recommend you focus on learning the ukulele part before adding vocals. Building up that muscle memory first and then putting the two together will be a lot easier.
Don’t get me wrong though, singing whilst playing any instrument is definitely a challenge! Props to these artists for making it look easy.
Conclusion
With so many ukulele chords available to us players, it can seem daunting for beginners to know which ones to learn first. There is no right or wrong answer per se, but these chords we’ve featured here will help you learn how to play numerous songs. As far as ukulele chords for beginners go, they certainly are handy to know when starting out.
Jay Searle
Website Founder & WriterJay is a self-professed music nerd and ukulele lover. When not working on the website you’ll find him strumming along to his favorite tunes, spending time with his family, or learning to play the piano.
