We breakdown Edith Piaf’s iconic song “La Vie En Rose” on ukulele, providing you with the chords and sheet music you’ll need to play along.
Written by Jay Searle / Published July 5, 2024
Last updated: July 10, 2024
A super-strong love hit and easily one of the best depictions of “seeing life through pink glasses,” La Vie En Rose by Edith Piaf is a beautiful, heartfelt tune that is outstandingly fun to play on a uke.
We’re here to provide you with a full breakdown of the La Vie En Rose ukulele chords, complete with diagrams, finger positioning styles, tabs, and tips on how to effortlessly play this beautiful tune on your ukulele. So, let’s get started, shall we?
Download “La Vie En Rose” Ukulele Chord Sheet
La Vie En Rose Ukulele Chords
This tune is just a tad more complex than your average beginner’s ukulele song, mainly because it features nine different chords. These include G, C, C minor 6, G major 7, G7, G6, G7, A minor, D7, and Bb diminished.
Fortunately, most of these chords are fairly easy to fret, but if you have never learned some (or all) of them, you can use these simple chord diagrams to get started playing La Vie En Rose today.
G Chord
La Vie En Rose is played in the key of G, so it’s fitting that we start the song with a G major chord. To play it, you’ll need to fret three notes – D, G, and B. If it’s easier, you can form a bar chord over D and B, especially since G major 7 is the next chord (essentially, a full bar chord over the second fret position).
- A: Place your middle finger on the second fret;
- E: Place your ring finger on the third fret;
- C: Place your index finger on the second fret;
- G: Open;
C Chord
Just like G, the C ukulele chord is an elementary one and very easy to play – all you have to do is fret the C note on the A string and pluck strings G, C, and E openly:
- A: Place your index finger on the third fret;
- E: Open;
- C: Open;
- G: Open;
Cm6
The C Minor 6 chord starts with the A note on the second position of the G string, followed by either a “staircase” over D#, G, and C or the bar chord mentioned above over the entire third fret. We recommend the former option, so follow these steps to do it:
- A: Place your little finger on the third fret;
- E: Place your ring finger on the third fret;
- C: Place your middle finger on the third fret;
- G: Place your index finger on the second fret;
Gmaj7 (GM7)
The G major 7 (or Gmaj7) involves a slight change to the basic G chord. Instead of fretting G on the third position of the E string, you’ll now need to press the F# note on the second position of the same string.
The easiest way to play this ukulele chord is to fret all three notes with your index finger by forming a bar chord. However, since the following chord is a G6 chord, it’s better to use three fingers:
- A: Place your ring finger on the second fret;
- E: Place your middle finger on the second fret;
- C: Place your index finger on the second fret;
- G: Open;
G6
If we strip the G note from the G chord, we get the G6 chord. The chord change from Gmaj7 is relatively straightforward. All we need to do is lift our middle finger to allow the E string to ring open:
- A: Place your middle finger on the second fret;
- E: Open;
- C: Place your index finger on the second fret;
- G: Open;
G7
G7 is almost a mirror image of the G chord about the second fret. The F note on the E string replaces the G, while D and B remain in the same positions.
This “mirroring” also changes the chord’s sonic character, producing a tone that describes what anticipation might sound like. You will need to move your fingers around, so follow our finger guide below:
- A: Place your ring finger on the second fret;
- E: Place your index finger on the first fret;
- C: Place your middle finger on the second fret;
- G: Open;
Am
A minor is a “sad” sounding chord that requires only one finger to play. You only need to fret the A note on the E string and allow the other strings to ring openly. Normally you’d use your middle finger to fret the A on the g string, but for this song, you’re better off using your index finger:
- A: Open;
- E: Open;
- C: Open;
- G: Place your index finger on the second fret;
D7
D7 is best played by barring the strings g, C, and E using your index finger. Then simply use your middle finger to play the C note on the A string:
- A: Place your middle finger on the third fret;
- E: Place your index finger on the second fret;
- C: Place your index finger on the second fret;
- G: Place your index finger on the second fret;
Bbdim
The Bb diminished chord sounds far more complex than it actually is. In essence, it’s the G6 chord shifted a semitone lower to the first fret. It consists of C# on the C string and A# on the A string while the strings G and E are left open. Follow these steps to learn how to play it:
- A: Place your middle finger on the third fret;
- E: Place your index finger on the second fret;
- C: Place your index finger on the first fret;
- G: Open;
La Vie En Rose Ukulele Tutorial
Even though there are nine different chords in La Vie En Rose, there are common tones during each of the changes which helps minimize the need for large position shifts with the left hand.
It is also quite a slow-paced tune, which helps with the changes. We recommend using a strumming pattern consisting of all downstrokes, on the beat, but you can really play any pattern you like.
Let’s break down each section of the song in more detail with some tips on tackling the more difficult chord changes.
Verse 1: G-Gmaj7, G6, Am-D7
La Vie En Rose starts with a G chord and then gradually “retreats” to G6 by dropping half-a-semitone first before completely removing the notes on the E string. By using our recommended fingering position for the G, Gmaj7 and G6 chords, you minimize the amount of movement required in the left hand.
Each iteration of the “G chord” is played for 4 beats. That is 4 downstrokes if you’re using our basic strumming pattern recommendation.
The end of the first verse will take you to the Am chord, followed by a D7 chord, both played for 2 beats each. Use your index finger to bar the second fret when playing the D7 chord to make the change more manageable, since it won’t need to move after playing the Am chord.
Verse 2: Am-D7, Am-D7, G-D7
The easiest way to memorize how to play the second verse is to simply repeat the previous chord change a few times until the G chord. The length you play each chord though, is slightly different.
The first Am chord is played for a count of 4 beats, with the following D7 also played for a count of 4 beats. The next Am-D7 pairing only uses 2 beats for each chord, with the G-D7 also following suite with 2 beats for both the G, and the D7.
If you’re having issues with the timing, practice the second verse as a standalone part, before combining the first and second verses.
Pre-Chorus: G-Gmaj7, G6-G7, C
The pre-chorus is very similar to the first verse. The first bar is identical, but instead of holding the G6 for a full measure, chop it to half a measure and follow it with the G7 before sustaining the C chord for a full count of 4 beats.
First-time players often fall into the trap of thinking that the first verse comes again after the second verse because they sound so similar. Again, practice this part as a standalone chord progression if you’re having similar issues.
Chorus: Cm6-G, BbDim, Am-D7
The chorus is probably the trickiest part in La Vie En Rose since you’ll constantly have to move your fingers around chasing essentially dissimilar chord patterns. Fortunately, this song is quite slow, so you should have enough time to prepare for the next chords. Sadly, there are no shortcuts here, so just practice until your fingers remember how to move on their own.
Outro: G-Gm7, Am-D7, G
The conclusion of La Vie En Rose is a mix of the first two verses and should be easier to memorize than the previous parts. Just play the G-Gm7 combination followed by a bar of Am and D7, and wrap it up with a G chord.
La Vie En Rose for Ukulele
Verse1:
G GM7
Hold me close and hold me fast,
G6
That magic spell you cast
Am D7
This is la vie en ro-se
Verse 2:
Am D7
When you kiss me heaven sighs
D7 Am
And though I close my eyes,
D7 G D7
I see la vie en ro-se
Pre-Chorus:
G GM7
When you press me to your heart,
G6 G7 C
I’m in a world a-part, a world where roses bloom
Chorus:
Cm6 G
And when you speak, angels sing from above,
BbDim
Everyday words seem to
Am D7
Turn into love songs
Outro:
G GM7
Give your heart and soul to me
Am D7 G
And life will always be, la vie en rose.
Conclusion
Considering the many chords involved, La Vie En Rose isn’t as difficult to play on a ukulele as it may appear at first. We hope that our guide helped you learn how to play these La Vie En Rose ukulele chords and differentiate between seemingly identical parts included in this gorgeous love song.
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.
