To read a ukulele chord diagram, look at the four vertical lines, which are the strings, from G on the left to A on the right, and the horizontal lines, which are the frets, with the top line as the nut. The dots show where to put your fingers, an O means play the string open, and the diagram is the map of the chord, on the fretboard.
How do you read ukulele chord diagrams?
To read a ukulele chord diagram, look at the four vertical lines, which are the strings, from G on the left to A on the right, and the horizontal lines, which are the frets, with the top line as the nut, and the frets below it, in order. The dots show where to put your fingers, with the number in the dot, or next to it, telling you which finger to use, 1 for index, 2 for middle, 3 for ring, and 4 for pinky. An O above a string means play the string open, and the diagram is the map of the chord, on the fretboard, and the player puts their fingers where the dots are, and strums the strings, and the chord rings. The ukulele chord diagram is like the guitar chord diagram, but with four strings, not six, and the strings are G, C, E, A, from left to right, and the frets are the horizontal lines, with the top line as the nut, and the diagram shows the chord as it looks on the fretboard, from the player's point of view, with the G string on the left, and the A string on the right. The diagram is the standard way to show a ukulele chord, and it is used in books, on websites, and in apps, because it is clear, and it shows the fingers, the frets, and the strings, all at once. The C major ukulele chord and the G major ukulele chord are the chords most players first read in diagrams, and the chord finder shows the diagram for any chord.
How ukulele chord diagrams work
A ukulele chord diagram works by showing the fretboard, with four vertical lines for the strings, and horizontal lines for the frets, and dots for the fingers, so the player can see where to put each finger, and which strings to play, and which to leave open. The top horizontal line is the nut, and the frets below it are numbered, 1, 2, 3, and so on, and the diagram shows the frets the chord uses, usually the first three or four, and the dots are on the frets, on the strings, showing the finger placement. The number in the dot tells the player which finger to use, and the O above a string means play it open, and the diagram is read left to right, G to A, and top to bottom, nut to frets, and the player puts their fingers where the dots are, and strums the strings, and the chord rings. The diagram can also show a barre, with a curved line across the strings, showing that the index finger bars them, and the barre is the index finger, pressing all the strings at one fret, and the barre is used for chords that are not open, such as Bb major, which is barred at the 1st fret. The ukulele diagram has four strings, so it is simpler than the guitar diagram, with six strings, and the chords are simpler, with one or two fingers, and the diagram is easy to read, once the strings and the frets are known. The D major ukulele chord and the A major ukulele chord are the chords the diagrams are built on.
Worked example — reading a C major ukulele diagram. Look at the C major diagram: the vertical lines are the strings, G on the left, C, E, and A on the right, and the horizontal lines are the frets, with the top line as the nut. The dot is on the A string, the 1st string, at the 3rd fret, with the number 3, the ring finger, and the other strings are open, with an O above the G, C, and E strings, meaning play them open. Put your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the A string, strum all four strings, and the notes are 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 diagram told you the chord, with one dot, and three Os. The key of C major lists the chords the diagram is built for.
How to practise reading ukulele chord diagrams
Practise reading ukulele chord diagrams by looking at a diagram, and then playing the chord, without looking at your fingers, so the diagram becomes a habit, and the chord is played from the diagram, not from memory.
- Look at the C major diagram, and play the chord, putting your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the A string, and strumming all four strings, open, open, open, fretted.
- Look at the G major diagram, and play the chord, and compare the finger placement with C major, noting which fingers move, and which stay.
- Play the I–V–vi–IV progression in C major on ukulele, by reading the diagrams, one chord at a time, without looking at your fingers.
- Use the chord finder to see the diagram for any chord, and practise reading it, and playing it, until the diagram is clear.
- Practise reading a barre chord diagram, with the curved line for the bar, and play the Bb major barre, at the 1st fret, following the diagram.
Common mistakes
- Reading the diagram upside down — The diagram has the nut at the top, and the G string on the left, and reading it upside down will put the fingers in the wrong place, and the chord will be wrong. Check the nut, and the G string, before you play, and the diagram will be right.
- Ignoring the O — The O means play the string open, and ignoring it will make the chord wrong, because a string that should be open will be muted, or a string that should be muted will be played. Check the O, above each string, before you strum.
- Using the wrong finger — The number in the dot tells you which finger to use, and using the wrong finger will make the chord hard to play, and the change to the next chord will be slow. Use the finger the diagram shows, 1 for index, 2 for middle, 3 for ring, and 4 for pinky.
Quick reference
This table shows the symbols in a ukulele chord diagram, with the meaning for each one, so you can read any diagram, without guessing. The vertical lines are the strings, the horizontal lines are the frets, the dots are the fingers, and the O is the open string, and the table shows them all at a glance.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Vertical lines | Strings, G on the left, A on the right |
| Horizontal lines | Frets, top line is the nut |
| Dot | Put a finger here, number = which finger |
| O above a string | Play the string open |
| Curved line | Barre, index finger bars the strings |
Use the table to read any ukulele diagram: find the strings, find the frets, find the dots, check the O, and look for the curved line, and the diagram will tell you the chord. When you can read a diagram in seconds, you can play any chord, from any book, website, or app, without guessing.
Frequently asked questions
How do I read ukulele chord diagrams?
Look at the four vertical lines, which are the strings, from G on the left to A on the right, and the horizontal lines, which are the frets, with the top line as the nut. The dots show where to put your fingers, and an O means play the string open.
What do the numbers in the dots mean?
The numbers tell you which finger to use: 1 is the index finger, 2 is the middle finger, 3 is the ring finger, and 4 is the pinky, and the number is in the dot, or next to it, so the player knows which finger goes where.
What does an O above a string mean?
An O means play the string open, without fretting it, because the open string is part of the chord, and it should ring, and the O is above the string, at the top of the diagram.
How is a ukulele diagram different from a guitar diagram?
The ukulele diagram has four vertical lines, for the four strings, G, C, E, A, while the guitar diagram has six, for the six strings, E, A, D, G, B, E, and the ukulele chords are simpler, with one or two fingers, and the diagram is easier to read.
What does a curved line across the diagram mean?
A curved line means a barre, where the index finger bars the strings at one fret, pressing them all down, and the barre is the index finger, and the other fingers form the shape behind it.