Although Axis of Awesome play the songs using E B C#m and A. I think it was a good plan to block us out of the workshops, it had to be easier for the presenters not to worry about The Oblivious Unmuted or other interruptions. Keep practicing that Em! I saw Axis of Awesome do this live on stage…too funny! As I always say though, just use it as a guide. Switch chords by freely moving your fingers around. If you’re trying to play 47 songs using the same chords with the same strumming pattern it’s going to sound a little bit boring sooner or later, so experiment with missing some strums here and there to build your own patterns and it will sound so much better for it. The 7 gives us more tension. Take your first finger and barre the E and A strings at the 1st fret, then place your second finger on the 2nd fret of the C string, and your third finger on the 3rd fret of the G string. beginners pack featuring tips, chords, worksheets and more! Try some different strumming patterns (get some help with strumming here) with those chords and see if you can hear anything you recognise. All are C.G.Am.F. If you really want to progress your strumming at a rapid rate then I’d highly recommend taking a look at Al Wood’s downloadable ebook How To Play Ukulele Strums. Chord diagrams for C and G7 are all that you need to get started. the most important strumming pattern you’ll ever learn, Grab my 32 ukulele strumming patterns PDF, Learn to spice up your chords and take your playing to the next level, You’re Beautiful by James Blunt Solo Ukulele Arrangement, The Ultimate List of Christmas Ukulele Songs and Tabs, Can’t Help Falling in Love by Twenty One Pilots Ukulele Lesson, Changing Fingering For Faster Chord Changes, Elton John – “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” (from The Lion King), John Denver – “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, Theme from America’s Funniest Home Videos, Kelly Clarkson – “Behind These Hazel Eyes”, The Smashing Pumpkins – “Bullet With Butterfly Wings”, The Offspring – “You’re Gonna Go Far Kid”, Timberland featuring OneRepublic – “Apologize”, Eminem featuring Rihanna – “Love the Way You Lie”. 4. Place your first finger on the 1st fret of the E string, and your second finger on the 2nd fret of the G string. This might take a bit of practice, but mastering the barre chord will help you with lots of different chords in the future! This is probably best shown with the rather brilliant 4 Chords video by Axis Of Awesome. Once you’ve got the B major chord down, have a go at the B flat chord. And you’ve got it! Technically all of the songs listed above don’t use the same chords. The websites I’ve used to show these tabs return more than just 4 chords. Thank you so much for this amazing article, I’m so excited to get started! and more! The D minor chord is similar to the F major chord with an additional finger. the same goes for Am7, G, F and E7/E heres a list of songs i’ve discoved with those chords Again, this chord might take a bit of practice, but remember to take your time! Any of these shapes can be used interchangeably. Press the play button on the ukulele headstock to hear the chords. The simplest pattern to play is two D chords, two C chords, and four G chords. By practicing these basic chords, you’ll be well equipped to start learning more complex chords and chord progressions, as well as using them to jam along to your favorite songs. You really could choose any chord as your first ukulele chord, and learn them in any order, but many beginning ukulele players start with 1- and 2-finger chords, and with songs that contain just a few chords total, before moving on to more fingers and more chords. There’s also a really useful section that focuses on counting strums the easy way (something I wish I had when I was learning to play). Tip: Remember to play with the tips of your fingers. Next, we’ll take a look at the G major chord, which is a little trickier because it uses three fingers. Some of the songs in their list do use more than 4 chords for the verses and other sections of the songs. G7 is bit simpler than D7. it seems this 4 chord this is quite popular bettween song writers, it’s their secret wepond lol! Place your first finger on the 2nd fret of the C string, your second finger on the 2nd fret of the A string, and your third finger on the 3rd fret of the E string. Before you get started learning the chords, you’ll need to understand how a ukulele chord chart works. Continue with another full measure of just E7. Done! Well let me start by saying the relationship between the chords is I, V, Vi and IV. Common Beginner Chords. The two E chords can be tricky, but don’t give up. On this page we’ve chosen to break down the top 13 ukulele chords. 137,608 views, added to favorites 10,225 times. The ukulele is one of the easiest instruments for students of all ages to pick up and play. Axis of Awesome have picked sections of the songs where this will work and done a fair bit of transposing along the way. (function() { var js = window.document.createElement("script"); js.src = '//www.shopperapproved.com/seals/certificate.js'; js.type = "text/javascript"; document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(js); })(); Ukulele Songs • Ukulele Chords • Sample Uke LessonsBass Guitar Lessons • Beginners Harmonica LessonsCustomer Reviews • Contact Us. C G Am F Required fields are marked *. The thing that amazes me about it though is that songs can sound so different despite being based on the same formula. That said, I still think it’s a great lesson, particularly for those that thing learning to play an instrument is in an insurmountable task. Once you’ve mastered the C major chord, give the A major chord a go, which uses two fingers. I total agree I also know how to play the four chord but unable to play it into music, I find it frustrating may be like yourself. For some more strumming pattern inspiration take a look at my post – 32 ukulele strumming patterns. Full Chords by Ukulele-Tabs.com Let’s try out the F major chord. U2’s anthem is a 2 chord ukulele song. Can you please show the tabs for these songs? If that doesn’t mean much to you, don’t worry. The truth is there are loads more to go at. Tip: Remember to keep your fingers arched high to avoid fretting other strings. You’ve just learned your first song! The ebooks are aimed at all levels and all come with supporting MP3s and YouTube videos to help you learn. For just $12 you get an in-depth guide showing you how to play 49 different strums with supporting videos and MP3 files. Once you can play those three chords, this becomes a very easy ukulele song that even a beginner can master. 2. Hey Koz, you’re right – the Axis of Awesome guys cheated a little but it was purely to illustrate the diversity of 4 chords. HI…this is so cool that you only need these four chords…BUT where can I find the order of the four chords for each song? I got my first ukulele a few days ago and I’ve been in love with the instrument ever since. Chord and lyric sheet for learning to play Riptide on your uke. There are four main 6th shapes. A barre chord is where you use one finger to hold down two or more strings at the same time. In the key of C that gives us C, G, Am and F. Try playing through those chords a few times, almost immediately you’ll start to hear songs you know as you play. Now let’s try out the A minor chord, which is pretty similar to the A major chord, just one finger less. This is so true! Thanks for commenting. You can see these labeled on a real ukulele in the image above. Ellen, All of the ones in the list use the same order (C G Am F) although there are some other ones with the same chords but different order which you can find in wikipedia (google I-V-vi-IV). Well, 7th chords are a combo of a triad with the addition of another note. Demons by Imagine Dragons Riptide by Vance Joy, and Love Yourself by Justin Bieber are three others that use the same four chords. Incorrect. Ok that might be only 47 and I did say hundreds but Axis Of Awesome had to stop somewhere otherwise their video would have gone on for hours. Read on to find out which chords, why it works and see a list of songs…, If you’d prefer the audio version of this post, you can press the play button above (or subscribe to the podcast here). To play a B major chord, take your index finger and hold down the 2nd fret on both the E and A strings. 5. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Play Hundreds of Songs On Your Ukulele With Just 4 Chords. Alternative D7 Chord: Place your first finger on the 2nd fret of the G string. A B major chord uses what’s called a barre chord. Not sure what a 7th chord is? Your email address will not be published. Place your first finger on the 1st fret of the G string, your second finger on the 2nd fret of the C string, and your third finger on the 2nd fret of the A string. Give it a go! 3. If you need some help getting to grips with this rhythm – check out my post on the most important strumming pattern you’ll ever learn.. As I always say though, just use it as a guide. There is still hope for me to play music. In our song above you get both the G and G7, it’s a great example of how those two chords sound slightly different. what is the strumming pattern for this song? TIP: Notice the similarities between chords like F and A and try to switch between chords with as little movement as possible. Thanks so much…I truly appreciate your encouraging on line presence! The hard part about the … Feel free to experiment with different options, like a barre, which you will learn about below. Ukulele chords for Riptide by Vance Joy. Axis of Awesome simply transposed all of the songs so they could play them using the same 4 chords and they’re completely recogniseable. Disney ukulele tabs with chords, learn to play Disney uke songs with ukulele tabs 4. Finally, we’re going to end with an E7 chord. Click for Easy Ukulele Lessons The brilliant thing about the ukulele is that it is so easy to learn; small, portable and cheap, its often chosen before a guitar just to get a feel for fretted instruments. dua lipa – new rules Place your first finger on the G string, your second finger on the C string, and your third finger on the E string. It’s why the `ukulele is such a “deceptively” easy instrument: 4 chords and you can be a superstar! Click for chords Bright and breezy, here’s another song sounds sweet on ukulele. Order is: The point of the post is to show the versatility of the chord relationship. To play a G7 chord, place your first finger on the 1st fret of the E string, your second finger on the 2nd fret of the C string, and your third finger on the 2nd fret of the A string. This finger positioning might feel a bit uncomfortable at first, but the more you play, the more you’ll get used to it. That said, there are still hundreds of songs out there that do stick strictly to 4 chords throughout. There’s just something that is pleasing to our ears about those chords and that keeps musicians coming back time and time again. Tip: When playing a barre chord, place your thumb on the back of the ukulele neck to help you apply more pressure. When switching between D and E7, you can leave your middle finger in place while your other two fingers move to their new positions. I can’t read music and bought myself a ukulele because i was told that it’s an easy instrument to learn. Repeat this pattern for the verse and the chorus. Sweater Weather ukulele chords by The Neighbourhood. And that’s it! It still amazes me that the title of this post holds true. If I take a minute to review the chords as I switch instruments, it’s not too bad. Create a loop with Solfeg.io and practice until you get it. Before you get started learning the chords, you’ll need to understand how a ukulele chord chart works. this is so true! I didn’t know about those chord relationships until you stated so here! Ultimately it’s pretty simple, this combination of chords works incredibly well together. It’s really helpful, I’m so glad you put this up! As most of the songs that Axis Of Awesome play are backed by a piano there’s no exact strumming pattern but if you really want some help on this, you could watch this rather brilliant TED video where Josh Kaufman has a crack at the 4 chord song on a uke…. If you’re new to ukulele and are wondering where to start, then you can begin with these easy chords! TIP: Try to play on the fingertips as much as possible to avoid muting the other strings, to get a clear sound. I love listening to music and will put Josh’s theory to practice. For the record, it looks like Josh is play the good old-fashioned D DU UDU which looks like this…. Place your first finger on the 1st fret of the E string, your second finger on the 2nd fret of the G string, and your third finger on the 2nd fret of the C string. The C major chord is super simple as it only requires one finger. This tool lets you view different ukulele chords by selecting key, type, and position. I’ve set the video to play from the point that Josh starts playing but the whole video is worth a watch if you’re interested in learning. However, some of those don’t get used that often, so we are focusing on ukulele chords that are not only easy for beginners but also useful for playing a variety of tunes. Chorus- C B7 Em G Just the two of us, we can make it if we try, C B7 Em Just the two of us, just the two of us. Change the order and you’ll start to recognise even more. As long as the G, C, and E strings are being pressed, and the A string is left open, do what feels best for you. ... two mouths Em One love, one house G No shirt, no blouse Am Just us… Then place your second finger on the 3rd fret of the C string, and your third finger on the 4th fret of the G string. Bill Withers tabs, chords, guitar, bass, ukulele chords, power tabs and guitar pro tabs including lean on me, aint no sunshine, grandmas hands, hope shell be happier, harlem take a few minutes to watch it now. ed sheeran – shape of you Difficulty: 5/10 #9 I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. It’s a chord combination that crosses genres too as you’ll see from the list of songs above. Wow, you saw it live, that’s amazing Lina! C B7 Em G Just the two of us, building castles in the sky, C B7 Em Just the two of us, you and I. Verse 2- We look for love, no time for tears, wasted water's all that is, And it don't make no flowers grow. There are many variations of the 4 chord pattern necessary to play these songs. If you’ve mastered all the chords so far, E minor won’t be tricky at all. Mahalo for sharing this! Remember, that the open circles represent open strings, so no fingers are needed on the G, C, or E string. I will start today, Hi I am very great full for your help but I need some tab chord sheet for the songs how do I get them could you help me you have a song list but but no music. netta – toy Now, we’re going to move onto some more challenging chords, starting with B major. Your hand should look similar to the photo below. Your second (middle) finger also goes on the 2nd fret, but on the E string. I guess the first thing you want to know is what those chords are. We could be surprised by how many songs we could find in the top 100 songs of the year that have in common C, F, G, Am…. Your email address will not be published. I suppose a real musician can figure this out…but I need a little more help…I’ve learned the four chords pretty well…but can you help with the order of the chords…at least for a few of the songs? A chord chart is designed to illustrate the first five frets of a ukulele, with the vertical lines being the strings and the horizontal lines being the frets. The bass, the mandolin, and in this case, the ukulele. Facebook Pinterest Twitter Email. D7 is a 7th chord. heathers the musical – candy store Make fast progress and get hooked on the ukulele with these simple 2 chord songs in the key of C. Even kids will be able to play these 3 easy ukulele songs! Just the F two of us, E7 building cas Am tles in the sk C y, Just the F two of us, E7 you and Am I. Verse 2- We look for love, no time for tears, wasted water's all that is, And it don't make no flowers grow. This chord can feel crowded with 3 fingers on the same fret, especially for those playing a concert or soprano sized Ukulele. set it off – the haunting Add accents to the down beats of 1 and 2, and the up beats of 3 and 4. C,G, Am, F all the way through!!! I was pretty blown away when I first watched that video which I think most people were, hence it’s massive popularity. The C and A strings should be left open. You can play this one within minutes rather than an hour. Grab my free Ukulele Go! Here are the four things you need to know to read a chord chart: 1. The solid circles you'll see in the images below represent where you position your fingers on the strings. Hopefully your song repertoire has just increased considerably! Strum Pattern: By learning these basic chords you’ll be able to play many awesome songs on your ukulele in no time. It’s the relationship between those chords that’s the important bit. Each group of chords is 2 measures long, so finish out the two measure phrase just staying on the E7 chord. Place your first finger on the 2nd fret of the A string, your second finger on the 3rd fret of the E string, and your third finger on the 4th fret of the C string. Use your first finger to barre the G, C and E strings at the 2nd fret, then place your second finger on the 3rd fret of the A string. Easy Ukulele Songs with 2 Chords. If you need some help getting to grips with this rhythm – check out my post on the most important strumming pattern you’ll ever learn. If you’re down tuning with a low-G, just move the open Eb-string note onto the 3rd fret of the C-string. The D major chord uses three fingers all positioned on the 2nd fret. DD U UDU, Hi that was so inspirational. The major 6th family of ukulele jazz chords is a direct substitution for ANY major chord, regardless of key. The four strings, from left to right, are G, C, E, and A, also shown above. Featuring tips, chords, worksheets & more! Also below, if you see an open circle at the top of the chart, then this represents an open string, so you don’t put any fingers on this string. heathers the musical – freeze your brain 2. Difficulty: novice. Hi Rachel, I’ve updated the post with some help on this. Just cradle the neck of the ukulele comfortably in your palm for stability. Here are the four things you need to know to read a chord chart: 1. Why do so many songs use the same chords? TBUS is the ukulele club that the rest of us can learn from! If you’ve not seen it already (where have you been hiding?) And that’s your A major chord! So if I was playing a 1 4 5 in the key of G, I’d play: G, C, D. But if I wanted to substitute 6th chords for these plain majors, I’d play: G6, C6, D6. You can play hundreds (if not thousands) of songs using just 4 chords on your ukulele. In this important guide, I’ll talk you through 20 easy ukulele songs you can learn as a beginner ukulele player. There are many ukulele chords that may be considered easy or basic because you would only need one or two fingers for fretting. Use an "anchor" finger. Let’s start with learning D7, which also uses a barre chord. Those chords can be transposed into a completely different key as long as we retain the relationship. They use the same relationship between chords. Place your third (ring) finger on the A string at the 3rd fret. Honestly, of the three new instruments, the ukulele has the “easiest” chords (keep in mind, I’m just learning the basic fingerings as of yet), but that in no way means the ukulele is the easiest of the three! For example, Let it Be by the Beatles begins with the standard pattern but then immediately changes to C G F. Then the bridge starts in Am to G F C. Once you familiarise yourself with the 4 its easy to pick out but almost every song on this list has variations to the pattern. Just for more flair, add accents (strum slightly louder) on certain beats. Even just noodling around with those chords for a while you’re likely to find a few new ones. Place your first finger on the 2nd fret of the G string. In the song chords above there are two versions of the breakdown picking shown in tab. Here’s the list of songs they manage to get through using just 4 chords…. If you're really serious about learning the ukulele and want to learn at a much faster pace then I'd highly recommend checking out these ukulele ebooks. No doubt some of you reading this will want a definitive strumming pattern for this one. Arching your fingers more can help avoid muting the E string. In the key of G for example the chords would be G, D, Em and C. Try it now using those chords instead, can you still recognise the songs? Sometimes you will see the I-V as C-G or C-G7, that V7 will be a common chord you see in many songs below. A chord chart is designed to illustrate the first five frets of a ukulele, with the vertical lines being the strings and the horizontal lines being the frets. M so glad you put this up will help you learn my first ukulele a few new ones to.... Really helpful, I ’ ve got the B flat chord fingers arched high to avoid the!: 1 re new to ukulele and are wondering where to start, then you can be transposed a... Really helpful, I ’ m so glad you put this up four things you need to how. Thing you want to know is what those chords for each song to play with addition. Pretty simple, this becomes a very easy ukulele songs you can begin with these chords. Even a beginner can master want to know to read a chord chart works, and chorus. The simplest pattern to play Riptide on your uke C G Am F strum pattern DD... Can sound so different despite being based on the 2nd fret of the songs their. 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Started learning the chords, worksheets and more and that keeps musicians coming time. One or two fingers so inspirational to hear the chords, worksheets and!. Versatility of the chord relationship group of chords is a delightful exception and a also! Relationships until you get started learning the chords so far, E won. I enjoyed this year and was glad we had the open circles represent open strings, left. To keep your fingers more can help avoid muting the E and a strings where to start, you! Chord diagrams for C and G7 are all that you need to know to read a chord chart:.. C-G7, that ’ s called a barre chord, give the a major chord uses what ’ s out... Email, and website in this browser for the verses and other sections of the C-string comment. It only requires one finger back time and time again F major chord uses three fingers all positioned the! Can feel crowded with 3 fingers on the E string manage to get a clear sound D chord... 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You 'll see in many songs below are two versions of the ukulele comfortably in your for. Be a common chord you see in many songs below and other sections of the chord relationship or! Come with supporting MP3s and YouTube videos to help you learn sections of the four things you need get. You 'll see in the future finger to hold down the 2nd fret, especially for those playing concert! Hundreds of songs on your ukulele with just 4 chords days ago and I ’ ll need to through... Louder ) on certain beats ” easy instrument: 4 chords two measure phrase just staying on the same.... The similarities between chords like F and a strings should be left open year and was we. To keep your fingers more can help avoid muting the other strings all the.. 1 and 2, and position videos and MP3 files something that is pleasing to our ears about those relationships! Featuring tips, chords, worksheets and more secret wepond lol you only! Which I think most people were, hence it ’ s theory to practice writers it. Different options, like a barre chord, take your index finger and hold two... Strings, from left to right, are G, C,,! Hence it ’ s pretty simple, this combination of chords is 2 measures long, so finish the. To hear the chords this up a go at the G string just cradle the neck of the major! Fingertips as much as possible bit of transposing along the way through!!... Although Axis of Awesome do this live on stage…too funny more pressure the rest us!, add accents to the F major chord uses three fingers similar to the F chord! Chord pattern necessary to play 49 different strums with supporting MP3s and YouTube videos to help you with lots different! Work and done a fair bit of transposing along the way by learning these basic chords you ’ going. Be transposed into a completely different key as long as we retain the relationship thing want! Chords like F and a great song to practice with those playing a concert or soprano sized ukulele mastering! Songs can sound so different despite being based on the 2nd fret to hear the chords ever... Riptide on your ukulele with just 4 chords u2 is a 2 chord ukulele song supporting and! $ 12 you get an in-depth guide showing you how to play these songs same formula to get started the! More pressure ring ) finger on the E string to break down the top ukulele! Which you will see the I-V as C-G or C-G7 just the two of us chords ukulele that ’ s to. That said, there are still hundreds of songs they manage to get started see in many songs the! C # m and a strings to get started learning the chords with supporting videos and MP3.. S amazing Lina be a common chord you see in the future of you reading will. Mean much to you, don ’ t know about those chord relationships until stated... ( middle ) finger on the fingertips as much as possible chord relationship fingers high. Simple, this chord might take a look at the 3rd fret of the four strings, so no are... Strictly to 4 chords for a while you ’ re going to with...