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Ukulele chords for beginners: the 8 you need first
The ukulele is the friendliest chord instrument: C needs one finger. With these eight chords, C to G7, you can accompany most simple songs in a couple of weeks.
- 1C1 fingers · Easy
- 2Am1 fingers · Easy
- 3F2 fingers · Easy
- 4G3 fingers · Medium
- 5Em3 fingers · Medium
- 6Dm3 fingers · Medium
- 7A2 fingers · Easy
- 8G73 fingers · Medium
Learn them in this order
Start with the one- and two-finger chords so you can play a whole song on day one, then add the shapes that need more fingers.
- C — one finger on the A string, third fret. The first chord of almost every ukulele book.
- Am — one finger on the G string, second fret. C to Am is the easiest change there is.
- F — the Am finger stays, add the index finger on the E string. Two fingers, one move.
- G — a triangle of three fingers on the C, E and A strings. The first chord that needs all your attention.
- Em — three fingers in a diagonal line; it feels awkward for a few days, then it clicks.
- Dm — three fingers, two of them on the second fret. A good warm-up for the barre chords later.
- A — two fingers, both close to the nut. Opens up the songs in D and A.
- G7 — the G triangle turned around; it leads back to C beautifully.
The changes to practise
Songs are made of chord changes, not chords. Drill these pairs for a minute each, slowly, until the change takes no longer than one beat.
C to Am: lift one finger, place one finger. Do it a hundred times without looking.
Am to F: the middle finger stays on the G string; only add the index finger.
F to G: a real hand move; aim for the A-string finger first.
C to G7: the classic ending. Keep it relaxed and the G7 triangle lands on its own.
G to Em: both are triangles; slide the shape rather than lifting every finger.
Dm to G7: two fingers move by one string; the index finger finds its place last.
A two-week plan
Ten to fifteen minutes a day beats an hour on Sunday. Use the metronome at a slow tempo and only speed up when the changes are clean.
- Days 1–2: C and Am. Strum down four times on each, then change on every 2nd beat at 60 BPM.
- Days 3–4: add F. Loop C–Am–F and you already have a song shape.
- Days 5–6: add G. The four-chord loop C–G–Am–F fits countless songs.
- Days 7–8: add Em. Practise G–Em until both triangles land at once.
- Days 9–10: add Dm. Try Dm–G7–C, the ii–V–I move.
- Days 11–12: add A and G7. Loop C–A–Dm–G7.
- Days 13–14: all eight chords with the island strum (down, down-up, up-down-up) at 70–90 BPM.
Common mistakes
- Holding the ukulele too tight against the body; it dampens the sound. Rest it lightly on the forearm.
- Strumming with the whole arm. The motion comes from the wrist, the forearm only follows.
- Touching the A string with the palm in G and F. Keep the wrist a little away from the neck.
- Forgetting that the G string is high. A low note in a chord is not the root on a ukulele; that is normal.
- Practising only chords, never changes. One minute of changes is worth ten minutes of single chords.
What next?
Next, try Bb (a two-fret barre), E7 and the seventh chords. The printable chart puts every common ukulele chord on one sheet.