To play ukulele chords, press the strings with your fingers, and strum with your index finger, or a pick. A C major chord is played with the 3rd fret of the A string, and the other strings open, so the notes are G, C, E, C, and the chord is C major, with the root, the major 3rd, and the perfect 5th.
How do you play ukulele chords?
To play ukulele chords, press the strings with your fingers, and strum with your index finger, or a pick. A C major chord is played with the 3rd fret of the A string, and the other strings open, so the notes are G, C, E, C, and the chord is C major, with the root, the major 3rd, and the perfect 5th, and the chord is the harmony, and the harmony is played with the fingers, on the fretboard, and the strum, on the strings, and the two together make the music. The ukulele is the easiest instrument to play chords on, because it has only four strings, and the chords are simple, with one or two fingers, and the sound is bright and happy, because the tuning is re-entrant, with the G string tuned high, G4, not low, so the strings are G, C, E, A, and the highest string is the A, not the G, and the ukulele sounds like a small guitar, with a bright voice. A triad is the basic chord, with three notes, the root, the 3rd, and the 5th, and the ukulele plays it with the four strings, with one note doubled, and the chord is full, with the doubled note, and the sound is bright. The C major ukulele chord and the G major ukulele chord are the chords most players first play, and the metronome keeps the beat steady.
How ukulele chords work
A ukulele chord works because the strings are pressed down, and strummed, and the notes ring together, as one chord. The ukulele has four strings, G, C, E, A, tuned re-entrant, with the G string high, G4, 392 Hz, the C string, C4, 261.63 Hz, the E string, E4, 329.63 Hz, and the A string, A4, 440 Hz, and the strings are tuned in fourths, except for the E to A string, which is a perfect 4th, and the G to C string, which is a perfect 4th, and the tuning is G, C, E, A, and the chords are built on it. The C major chord is played with the 3rd fret of the A string, which is C, and the other strings open, G, C, and E, so the notes are G, C, E, C, which are the 5th, the root, the major 3rd, and the root, and the chord is C major, with the root doubled, and the sound is bright. The fingers should be curved, with the fingertips on the strings, and the thumb behind the neck, giving support, not squeezing, because the squeeze causes pain and fatigue, and the support is what the thumb is for. The wrist should be straight, not bent, because a bent wrist puts strain on the wrist and the forearm, and the strain becomes pain, and the pain makes the playing worse. The strum is made with the index finger, strumming down, across the strings, or with a pick, and the strum should be even, and the strings should ring, with no buzz and no mute. The D major ukulele chord and the A major ukulele chord are the chords the playing is built on.
Worked example — playing a C major chord on ukulele. Hold the ukulele, with your left hand on the neck, and your right hand over the sound hole, and put your ring finger, finger 3, on the 3rd fret of the A string, the 1st string, and the other strings are open: the G string, the 4th string, is open, and the note is G, the C string, the 3rd string, is open, and the note is C, the E string, the 2nd string, is open, and the note is E, and the A string, the 1st string, is fretted at the 3rd fret, and the note is C, because A plus three semitones is C. Strum down, with your index finger, across all four strings, and the notes ring together, G, C, E, C, which are the 5th, the root, the major 3rd, and the root of C major, and the chord is C major, played with one finger, and the sound is bright, because the ukulele is tuned high, and the strings ring freely. The key of C major lists the chords the playing is built on.
How to practise playing ukulele chords
Practise playing ukulele chords by playing one chord at a time, until the fingers are in the right place, and the chord rings cleanly, and then by changing chords, smoothly, with the strum, so the song flows.
- Play a C major chord, with the ring finger on the 3rd fret of the A string, and the other strings open, strumming down, and listening for the notes, G, C, E, C, to ring together.
- Play a G major chord, with the fingers on the 2nd fret of the C string, the 3rd fret of the E string, and the 2nd fret of the A string, and listen for the notes, G, D, G, B, to ring together.
- Play the I–V–vi–IV progression in C major on ukulele, changing chords smoothly, and listening for the harmony to change.
- Practise with the metronome at 60 beats per minute, and increase the tempo by 5 beats per minute when the chords are clean at the current tempo.
- Use the ukulele tuner to check that your ukulele is in tune, G, C, E, A, before you practise, so the chords sound right.
Common mistakes
- Pressing the strings too hard — The ukulele strings are nylon, and they need only a light touch, and pressing too hard will make the notes sharp, because the strings are stretched, and the chord will be out of tune. Press the strings lightly, just enough to hold them down, and the notes will be in tune.
- Letting fingers touch neighbouring strings — A finger that lies flat will touch the neighbouring string, and mute it, and the chord will be missing a note, and it will sound wrong. Curve your fingers, so the fingertip presses the string, and the neighbouring strings ring freely.
- Strumming too hard — A strum that is too hard will make the ukulele sound harsh, because the strings are hit too hard, and the sound is loud and brash, not bright and happy. Strum gently, with the index finger, and the ukulele will sound bright and happy.
Quick reference
This table shows the four basic ukulele chords in C major, with the fingering and the notes for each one, so you can see the chords side by side and practise them one at a time. The fingering is the frets, from the G string to the A string, and 0 means open, and the notes are the chord, with one note doubled.
| Chord | Fingering | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| C major | 0 – 0 – 0 – 3 | G – C – E – C |
| G major | 0 – 2 – 3 – 2 | G – D – G – B |
| A minor | 2 – 0 – 0 – 0 | A – C – E – A |
| F major | 2 – 0 – 1 – 0 | A – C – F – A |
| D major | 2 – 2 – 2 – 0 | A – D – F# – A |
Use the table to practise the ukulele chords: play each chord, with the fingering the table shows, and listen for the notes to ring together, and the chord to be clean, and the sound to be bright. When you can play all five chords, you can play the key of C major, and the ukulele is yours.
Frequently asked questions
How do I play ukulele chords?
Press the strings with your fingers, and strum with your index finger, or a pick. A C major chord is played with the 3rd fret of the A string, and the other strings open, so the notes are G, C, E, C, and the chord is C major.
What is the tuning of a ukulele?
The ukulele is tuned G, C, E, A, re-entrant, with the G string high, G4, 392 Hz, the C string, C4, 261.63 Hz, the E string, E4, 329.63 Hz, and the A string, A4, 440 Hz, and the tuning is the foundation of all ukulele playing.
How many fingers do I need for a ukulele chord?
One or two, for most chords, because the ukulele has only four strings, and the chords are simple, with the fingers in the first three frets, and the sound is bright, and the chords are easy to learn.
Why does my ukulele sound out of tune?
Because the strings are not in tune, or because the fingers are pressing too hard, and stretching the strings sharp, or because the strings are old, and they will not hold their tuning. Tune the ukulele, press lightly, and change the strings, when they are old.
Can I play guitar chords on a ukulele?
Not directly, because the ukulele has four strings, and the guitar has six, and the tuning is different, and the chord shapes are different, but the theory is the same, and a chord is a root, a 3rd, and a 5th, on any instrument.