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Learning the basic ukulele chords confers a lot of advantages on those who take the pain to learn it.

Learning the basic chords help a person to play almost all the popular ukulele songs. Understanding how to play the ukulele brings a sort of joy to people who love to play.

The good thing is that all the chords are quite easy to learn.

Basic Ukulele Chords #1: The C Chord

The easiest chord for anyone to learn is on the ukulele instrument. The C chord is quite fundamental to playing the ukulele.

When playing the ukulele, the C chord should be a chord a player returns to when he is about to end the song.

The C chord is quite different from all other chords in the sense that it requires pressing on a single string with one finger.

To play the C chord, use the top part of the ring finger (3rd finger), place the finger on the top fret of the lowermost string.

Once the ring finger is well placed on it, stroke the string downwards while making a count of 1-2-3-4.

As a beginner ukulele player continues to improve in his ability, he would likely find new variations on how to play the C major chord.

The benefits of finding new ways to play the same chord are highlighted as follows:

• A chord becomes easier to play
• Ability to blend with a fellow ukulele player
• It helps in finding a new note.

If the instructions above are well adhered to, the rookie player is on his way to playing a simple ukulele tune.

A beginner should also endeavor to use the fingertips to play to avoid muting other strings.

Basic ukulele chords #2: The F Chord

Just like the C chord, the F chord is one of the easier ukulele chords to learn. Playing the F chord requires two fingers. The index and the middle fingers are required.

For every ukulele beginner, the F chord is a compulsory chord to learn. It enables an individual to play a variety of songs with a ukulele.

To begin playing the F chord, place the index finger on the first fret of the E string, and the middle finger is placed on the second fret of the G string.

While playing the F chord, the following tips should be kept in mind:

• Round the fingers. This would prevent the fingers from hindering other strings.
• It’s important to use your fingertips. Using the fingertips would ensure the smooth playing of the chords.
• Before starting to play, test the chords by playing individual strings alone. Doing this would ensure the fingers are well placed.
• If the notes are blocked, try adjusting them until the notes sound clean.

Basic ukulele chords #3: The Am Chord

The Am chord is also written as “A minor” or “Amin” chord. The Am chord can either be played using the middle or second finger.

It is an easy ukulele chord to play. It requires a single finger. Place the middle finger on the second fret of the G string.

It’s important to keep the topmost part of the finger at 90 degrees (perpendicular) as much as possible. A player should also avoid accidentally muting the C string below it.

A player should also ensure that there are no dead or bad sounds from the strings while playing the chords.

The A minor ukulele chord contains 3 notes —A C E. It’s easy to build an Am chord. Simply take the minor triad formula (1-b3-5) and apply it to the A major scale (A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#)

The Am is a minor chord, it is often helpful to lower the third scale degree a half step about the minor triad formula. This would result in the notes A-C-E for the A minor chord.

Basic Ukulele Chords #4: The G Chord

The G chord is the last but surely not the least of the ukulele chords. Out of all the four basic chords of the ukulele, it is the most difficult to play.

The G chord happens to be one of the most popular chords because it cuts across almost every genre of music.

The G chord is challenging simply because it requires 3 fingers all at once to play it. Learning how to play the G chord is fundamental to someone’s musical journey.

Before starting, the G chord is made up of three notes which are:

• G
• B
• D

The G chord is also referred to as the G major chord. The G chord solely relies on the notes in the G major scale.

The G chord makes use of the root note G, the major third B, and the perfect fifth D.

One thing about the G chord is that it is versatile. It is not uncommon to see it in various music styles and genres. It’s crucial for someone who wants to learn the ukulele to master the G chord.

To play an open G chord on the ukulele, begin by placing your index finger on the second fret of the C string. Place the middle finger on the second fret of the A string. Finally, put the ring finger on the third fret of the E string.

In simple words:

• Index finger: finger on the 2nd fret of the C string.
• Middle finger: finger on the 2nd fret of the A string.
• Ring finger: 3rd fret of the E string.

The next hurdle is how to switch from C chord to G chord. We’ll treat that as well.

4 Steps to Faster & Easier Chord Changes

Switching between chords has been a problem for many ukulele beginners. But the mistake they make at times is working too hard.

The following tips would help a beginner switch fingers easier.

Look Ahead

As a beginner, once your hands are on the chord, there is no point holding the chord for too long.

Think about what the next chord is going to be. Thinking about the next move helps the player to be better prepared when it’s time to change the chord.

Hover Over The Board

When playing an ukulele instrument, players need to hover their fingers over the next chord to be played.

Any finger not in use should be directed towards the next fret.

If a player is holding the Am chord with the middle finger on the second fret, he can hover the index finger over the E-string.

String It Together

A string path on a ukulele serves as a means of connecting dots between chords.

When a finger stays upon the same string but shifts frets in the next chord, leave that finger on the string.

Just lift the finger up slightly, shift, and then press down again.

Conclusion

With the simple instructions that have been covered in this article, we are sure you are now able to play the basic chords of the ukulele. Congratulations!

The next step is to better sharpen your skills through a lot of practice.