10 Ukulele Chords Every Complete Beginner Needs to Know

Learn the ten most important ukulele chords every complete beginner needs to know on ukulele. These chords are used to play hundreds of songs, so if you know these, you’re well on your way to making music! Today I give you tips and tricks on how to play these chords.
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For direct assistance, join me in the premium Ukulele Tricks online video lesson course "Strumming Tricks" where I answer your toughest ukulele questions and help you play the ukulele proficiently and confidently.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:33 C Major Chord
00:57 Am Chord
01:19 F Major Chord
01:48 G Major Chord
02:23 Dm Chord
03:30 A Major Chord
03:59 A7 Chord
04:22 E7 Chord
05:01 D Major Chord (Variation #1)
05:44 D Major Chord (Variation #2)
06:08 D Major Chord (Variation #3)
06:56 D7 Chord
08:00 D7 Chord (Hawaiian Variation)
08:56 How to Practice These Chords

[@ledbemarie919]

I've been playing self taught 6 string acoustic for over 25 years. I just received my very own 1st tenor uke. And I find this video to be a very dignified place to start. Thank you so much!

[@UkuleleTricks]

Welcome, Shawna! There's a lot of fun to be had with the uke. Congrats on the new instrument!

[@libestrella7136]

Thanks and god bless

[@ledbemarie919]

I also wanted to get a baritone but this one was free. I also want to try low g tuning as well but I'm unsure of how to replace just one string...

[@ledbemarie919]

@@madcyril4135 thank you for the vote of confidence!

[@SGI999]

Playing classical guitar for 50 years. Arthritis has stopped me. Now I’m having fun teaching myself with help from good peeps like you. I keep going to do guitar chords . I’m old I might need lots of practice 😂

[@fujierobesky5651]

You are a great teacher, with the slow speaking voice I was able to follow you without feeling rushed to learn the chords. This is the best teaching video I have come across to learn the chords. Thank you and keep the good work going. Will continue to follow your videos. PS: I am 83 years young and I think I am learning something new.

[@unicornworldgamer540]

Your voice is so soft when you talk... This really helped tysm 😄🐥

[@UkuleleTricks]

Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching :)

[@MariaAlfaro-rx4uu]

Th KS my granddaughter wants to learn badly she says

[@joelg4849]

Wow, you taught me to play the uke whilst i was living away from home with work. I would carry it on my backpack on my motorbike, and practice most nights. I did this for 10 months. Haven't touched it in 4 years, but today i had the urge to play again, so i looked you up. So glad your still uploading videos and teaching!

[@UkuleleTricks]

That's amazing, Joel! It's great to have you back :)

[@mynamesash87]

Thanks for the great starter chords! I'm well into my 30s and been wanting to learn some form of guitar for years now. I seem to adore the ukulele and I like how good the chords sound from the very start of practising. That's the best thing for me - getting a taste of good results early on, which then motivates me to carry on learning. Really enjoying it so far. Thanks for your great resources.

[@voxi666]

Thank you for speaking at a slower pace, I didn't need to pause once. I don't usually learn by KZbin for this reason. Love the Uke!

[@nilanthinisr]

The very important video that i have searching so far is your well explained way of ukulele teaching. Thankful to you 🙏🏽 for the beautiful teaching and positive words 👍🏽

[@emilygrace1960]

Hey Brett - for those of us who are just now learning how to play the ukulele, could we requested a guided practice video on the chords most popular and well loved - that would be amazing!! Start out with a simple strum pattern for each chord and transition to the next chord (I think I would do the circle of fifths so it's at least musical sounding and pleasing to the ear to play). While we could easily practice this way on our own here at home, (Classically trained pianist here so I know how to practice on my own but I will tell you...) playing your videos and trying to play along is so much more fun for me these days. It's not only nice to hear the little reminders, but it's super fun to just play along with someone else and try to keep up rather than playing all by myself (total flashbacks of having to sit at the piano for hours and practice monotonous Hanon Virtuoso Pianist exercises out of my beloved yellow Schirmer book). LOL! Admittedly, I really did actually enjoy playing through that book but it just about killed me before I conquered it. Don't tell my piano teacher I ever said that... Also... think about it, if you put together a video like that, it is likely to get played numerous times over by thousands who are trying to practice and learn all their chords just like I am. That's an awful lot of extra passive income from one video alone... ;)

[@UkuleleTricks]

That's a cool idea, Emily! I will see what I can do with more play-along style videos :) I dig it.

[@user-rv2yf7lq7d]

Just what I needed, very well done, thank you!

[@angelpasricha3246]

i just started learning uke and wanted to learn myself and i find this video really helpful!! thank you so much

[@bigbulk688]

Thanks, this is really really helpful.

[@Me2UChannel]

Thanks teacher you did an awesome job by explaining the c hords I'm a beginner and it took me a nice long while to get all these chords down but I'm glad I took the time to learn how to play this beautiful instrument 😁have a nice blessing day👍😁❤

[@UkuleleTricks]

Thanks for watching!

[@Epic12819]

Thank youu, this video is so helpful! I can actually pay attention to what youre doing and saying👍

[@judyseaman4915]

This is very, very helpful. I am a musician, but am just learning ukulele. I have to say that the easiest way to play a D chord is to use my thumb!

[@maryjanealbano3619]

Thank you so much! I have to be patient to learn more😊... thanks a lot!❤

[@user-pi1mj5hc7k]

Thank you so much for your great teaching ❤

[@jasmelybaptiste5586]

This video helps alot. Love it.

[@Messyhealing]

Thank you so much!

[@lyricssoulmate4040]

Dear teacher, Your lessons are great. Now I learn some basics and I am very interested than before. The hover technique is so cool described in your website lesson two, your sincere effort is really great, it genuiney helpful for others like me. Thank you so much teacher.

[@UkuleleTricks]

I'm so glad! And you are absolutely right. The Hover Technique really comes in handy for learning these chords, especially learning how to switch between them. Thanks for your comment!

[@jawharshah]

So helpful thank you 🙏 ❤

[@JacklsAPerson]

Thanks so much! I was so behind on my class and this helped so much

[@marcyisthebest_2]

Thank you so much for this easy-to-understand on how to play ukulele chords. I am a beginner and would love to receive free course lessons that u mentioned in this video. Thank you!

[@colewadsworth9776]

This was so chill and helpful. You look like the live action version of Tin Tin high as hell.

[@yogakuthalane2158]

Very clear tutorial, thank you Sir.

[@Mikelaneous]

Thank you for this tutorial. First time I've noticed a teacher going right into the lesson, without any time-wasting. Genuinely felt I had learned something. I'll be back! 🎶😎🎶

[@Jmmb06]

thank you for making this video! I’m a beginner and this helps me a lot

[@coolinva]

Thanks for the video. Tip: For D (No9), you can use 112 fingering - 1st finger for string 3&4 and 2nd finger for string 2, and this is very a simple and easy way. Hope it helps. Thanks.

[@UkuleleTricks]

Good tip and thanks for sharing! It's always good to try different finger positions for chords! You might find a different position works better for you.

[@mannyjaramillo5021]

Thank you! I enjoyed this one! Coming back again tomorrow. Best one I've found for basic chords..... :-)

[@Hopexi]

Thank you so much for sharing and teaching. I just had my very first ukulele lesson from you 😀🙏 it is great.

[@UkuleleTricks]

Welcome!

[@rajinder4jesus]

Thanks bro. I hope I pick up these chords quickly

[@barbaracairns6845]

Thanks for your clear and calm directions.

[@UkuleleTricks]

Thanks for watching, Barbara!

[@josephirianajr.3456]

Just learning to play so this is very helpful. Thanks!

[@UkuleleTricks]

Welcome aboard!

[@PP-fq1sq]

As a beginner, thank you for the great lesson! It's so helpful! You're awesome!

[@UkuleleTricks]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for your comment!

[@mikenco]

The way you explain in which order to place the fingers is excellent! Thank you.

[@UkuleleTricks]

Awesome!! Glad it helped!

[@savannahatlantasnail]

So helpful! Thank you!!!

[@UkuleleTricks]

You're welcome!

[@grimmy5595]

Awesome, thank you for this 😀

[@UkuleleTricks]

No problem! Thanks for watching, Ian!

[@themcintyres1888]

❤ i love this

[@nothingtoseehere........]

Good stuff!

[@anastacialapastora3288]

Thank you

[@adrianrosenlund-hudson8789]

Great 😃 I've just acquired my first (Banjo) ukulele and this video was an excellent start! Thank you so much 🥇

[@UkuleleTricks]

Awesome! Congrats on the new uke and welcome :)

[@preciousjesaalvar8751]

I want to have practice chords, thank you so much..❤❤❤

[@abandoned-life]

You are so calm person ❤️😍 Bob Ross of Ukulele 😍😍❤️❣️

[@UkuleleTricks]

Haha, thank you!

[@valerieanscombe1588]

OMG!!! What a great teacher! What a great guy!! Thank you!

[@UkuleleTricks]

Haha, thanks, Valerie, for that comment! Keep being awesome!

[@sudiptaarjun7237]

Simply amazing lessons. U made it easier to learn uke..🥰

[@UkuleleTricks]

Happy you enjoyed this video! Thanks for your comment!

[@chunkamonkey6633]

Hi! I loved your tutorial. The only issue I had is when I covered all 4 strings, it made a plucking sound. Do I just rest my fingers on the strings or do I press down? And also where do I strum the ukulele? Thanks!

[@maryjanealbano3619]

Big thanks to this video tutorial...such a big help for a beginner like me...😊

[@UkuleleTricks]

you bet 😊

[@user-mc6sc5op6r]

thank you for making such educational videos

[@UkuleleTricks]

It's my pleasure! Thanks for your comment.

[@neamaaty]

Omg!!!! Finally I found someone who teaches ukelele straight, clearly, with logic! Please explain everything about music and music theory and all other instruments

[@UkuleleTricks]

Ok I will see what I can do! Thanks for your comment!

[@himburger]

this was very helpful!!

[@UkuleleTricks]

🙌🏼

[@cynthiaalvarado9388]

Excellent exercise, thank you!

[@UkuleleTricks]

Glad you liked it! Thanks for your comment.

[@markscale7994]

Thank you yes I can do all of the chords practice now

[@UkuleleTricks]

Awesome work!

[@winniepeg9869]

My soprano uke broke 😢 .... so I’ve just ordered a Kala soprano, quite literally 20 minutes ago! It should be here on Thursday (?) then I can continue with my fingerpicking exercises you kindly demonstrated in your last video. Love your teaching methods Brett. Have a good day, love from Winnie x

[@UkuleleTricks]

Oh no! I like the Kala ukuleles a lot. Good pick!

[@kathleenclarke828]

you are fantastic! thank you

[@UkuleleTricks]

Happy to help! :)

[@Justfun-jv6mp]

Thank u

[@charlesflint9048]

Hi, I usually play electric guitars, so I bought a ukulele for my partner as she’d expressed a wish for one. I’m now interested in playing it myself and enjoyed following the chord lessons. Thank you, I’ll be watching this again.

[@UkuleleTricks]

Welcome, Charles! I have a feeling you will get along with the ukulele nicely. It's great to have you.

[@shin-chan2003]

Tqsm brother 💓💓💓

[@UkuleleTricks]

you're welcome!

[@angelanavaratnam6226]

As beginner, it was a great lesson and very helpful. Thank you so much

[@UkuleleTricks]

You're welcome!

[@jimmylee3850]

Hi Bret, my first time viewing your vid. It came across my FB. Well done, but wondered why no G7. 😀 And an idea for us fat finger folks. I find using two fingers for certain chords, like D & Dm, works really well. An example for D is your first finger on the 2nd fret of both the G & C strings and your second finger on the 2nd fret of E. And for Dm is your first finger in 1st fret E string and middle finger on 2nd fret of G & C string. I teach the ukulele too and have many people with large hands come to class with soprano ukuleles. This seems to calm the learning anxiety really well. Keep up the good work. -Jimmy

[@UkuleleTricks]

That's a great tip, Jimmy! Thanks for sharing.

[@tomruut2440]

Great lesson

[@UkuleleTricks]

Thanks Tom!

[@naenaegoblin2977]

Thanks bro, I appreciate you

[@UkuleleTricks]

I got you. Cheers!

[@elshaddai87]

Really good tip at 7:27

[@jenniferlanders5741]

Brett, I am in your course, but I love visiting all your videos outside of that as well. I was wondering if you have any print outs of your top whatevers, ie strum favorites, top 10 chords, etc? Thank you so much for all your wonderful teachings.

[@UkuleleTricks]

Every now and then I'll include a printout with a video here on KZbin but I have a printout of the most important chords and strumming patterns in the Strumming Tricks course under the "Downloads" section. Send me an email if you need any help finding it :)

[@jenniferlanders5741]

@UkuleleTricks Yes yes, usually your videos do, which is so wonderful, though yah, this video didn't. I looked within the website and didn't see THIS very list, I must've overlooked. I will try again or email you. Thank you bunches!

[@wongposanronicawongposanro3120]

Your information is very helpful. Thanks a lot. Have a pleasant day.

[@UkuleleTricks]

I'm glad I could help!

[@wongposanronicawongposanro3120]

Great help, thanks.

[@ruthdoyle5479]

I really like these jam sessions! My left hand moves around a lot more than yours does though, particularly transitioning between the F and G chords. Is that a matter of me building muscle memory so I know the chords better? Also, my tone is pretty wonky -- not clear. I think my fingers may not be positioned correctly when I'm struggling to switch chords. Again, is that a muscle memory issue?

[@kevin2themystic]

Great video, dude!

[@UkuleleTricks]

Hey, thanks for watching!!

[@wongposanronicawongposanro3120]

It is a useful video. Thank you very much. Have a pleasant day.

[@UkuleleTricks]

Glad it was useful! Thanks for watching!

[@annietruz1985]

Hi! Sir thank you for teaching my kid on how to know the chord God bless,,, from the Philippines

[@JudeeDoyle]

Awesome 😂

[@knifeduckandsleepahh]

This was nice I subed ☺️

[@UkuleleTricks]

thanks for the sub!

[@teodoracordero2467]

Thank you sir for teaching I'm a beginner from Philippines god bless

[@shirleylearner336]

HI Brett, I know that you have separate videos for playing the playing the chords in a C major Scale. I was wondering if you could do one video that contains all the steps please. l and my friend Margie are learning so much from you and are now practicing together weekly. Thank you Shirley

[@UkuleleTricks]

Shirley, thanks for the comment and the feedback! Help me understand. Are you wanting to build C major chords using scale knowledge? Or are you wanting to do something else?

[@shirleylearner336]

@@UkuleleTricks Building y knowledge using scales thank you. shirley

[@mumsylydz]

Thanks for sharing ! I am 52 & want to learn ukelele & u think it would be so useful , thanks & God bless ♥️ btw I have pink ukelele here lol

[@micahstreet1]

Would it be frowned upon to use your thumb wrapping around the top of the uke for a d chord? Seems much more manageable 6:25

[@carolgriffiths2996]

Learning alone, your lessons are so good at explaining fingers to use and as a good teacher , reminding us that it is practice that is required. I use the fingers 1,2,3, for a D chord...having small fingers ...is there a reason you use 2.3.4? My 4th is SO weak

[@UkuleleTricks]

Hey Carol, my fingers are big, so I have trouble fitting the fingers using 1, 2, 3! The little finger is typically the weakest, but it's so useful! Keep practicing with the little finger to strengthen it and to give yourself more creative options when it comes to playing other chords in the future.

[@khaizerlynpadillo4032]

You are so for teaching

[@billpoche5279]

Hey Brett, I have another finger option for that troublesome Dmajor chord. I angle my first finger to cover the 4th and 3rd strings. Then place my second finger right below on the second string. Is this a doable option or a bad habit?

[@UkuleleTricks]

That can definitely work too! Thanks for sharing this method here in the comments.

[@chakaula8642]

G7 too!

[@violetsummer731]

thanks

[@UkuleleTricks]

You're welcome!

[@peter9802]

thx boss

[@UkuleleTricks]

Any time my friend, thanks for watching!

[@Anime_theatre_lover]

I’m intermediate and I know C, G, Am, G, F, A7, G7, Em, D7 and Gm

[@miunce]

debating on getting gloves or jus putting band-aids on my fingertips because just starting out is so weird for your fingers it's actual finger gymnastics I swear gonna come back to this a lot for cord reference and practice for sure

[@UkuleleTricks]

Make sure to give your fingers a break! They will heal up and come back stronger :)

[@LMNevada]

What is this ukulele? I love the sound.

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

Merci beaccoup.

[@UkuleleTricks]

You’re welcome!

[@debarghamalakar9497]

after playing guitar for around 3 years, this really feels fairly easy

[@Colaris99]

Thanks, appreciate the video. Can I just ask what type of ukeulele you are playing, it looks a little bigger than mine(?)

[@UkuleleTricks]

I'm playing a Kala tenor in this video!

[@Colaris99]

@@UkuleleTricks Ah thanks, I only have a soprano which seems to make it really hard to play some of the chords. :s

[@jenniferlanders5741]

Brett, on the D7, could you also not barr, use first second third fingers like D major and pinky the 3rd fret A string to complete the chord? As my fingers don't bend well to barr that chord like that.

[@UkuleleTricks]

That’s certainly an option! This works best if you have smaller hands or fingers. Folks with bigger fingers might find they can’t fit all four fingers in that space. I’m all for experimentation, however, because barre chords are such a powerful skill, I still recommend practicing the D7 barre chord!

[@jenniferlanders5741]

@UkuleleTricks SO wonderful to hear that I can make it work that way, AND I must've explained it correctly, as you understood. I must be getting the ukelele verbiage down! 😆 😉 ❤️ Yes, the barr chords I can do, I do. A second reason I have a bit of a time with it, is I have the start of Dupuytren's Contracture, so some positioning can be harder. Thanks Brett for being the instructor you are. Always prompt to getting back to us.

[@lohndavis3794]

The D cord for me is easier played the way the A cord on the guitar is played- 1st finger placed on the 3rd string 2nd fret- 2nd finger on 4th string 2nd fret and the 3rd finger placed on the 2nd string 2nd fret. I learned to form this fingering pattern quicker !

[@jmp0035]

For the D major I like to go over the top with my thumb.

[@brookecarlson7970]

this is super helpful for me!

[@e.castlerock8454]

Thanks for this video. Regarding the D7, instead of barring the three strings and trying to bend the finger up and off the A string (impossible for me), couldn't you just bar all four strings? It won't affect the sound of the A string because you're fretting the A string higher up in the third fret. If you're touching a string on a lower fret from where you're fretting, it doesn't affect the sound from what I can hear.

[@UkuleleTricks]

I think you are referring to D (major)? If you barre all four strings at the 2nd fret, this is a Bm7 chord, and in some contexts, works as a D6 chord. I don't recommend this for D major since the added B note on the 2nd fret of the bottom A-string will give it a more minor sound. If you wanted to go this direction for the D chord, it would be better to barre the top three strings and leave the bottom string muted. I would also recommend you explore alternative finger positions for the D chord, since it is a really tricky chord! For instance, instead of barring the strings, you might use the middle, ring, and little fingers to press down and hold the top three strings.

[@e.castlerock8454]

@@UkuleleTricks - Thank you for your response. Actually, I was talking about the last chord, D7. But in rewatching your helpful video, I now see that you did indeed say to bar all four strings and then place the second finger in the third fret of the A string, just as I was asking if we could do. My confusion was that I was concentrating more on the visual of the chord diagram, as I find that easier to follow than vocal, and the diagram shows barring three strings (unless as a beginner, I'm not interpreting that diagram correctly). So, my mistake for not listening closely enough and just looking at the diagram. Sorry for your trouble in explaining the D chord in your reply, but much appreciated!

[@gloriaadrabal8443]

Am quite old but still want to learn play the ukr...thank u

[@UkuleleTricks]

Yes! Do it!!

[@benkun_artz2280]

Just finished me and my classmates performance tasks and they were so good at instruments, while me, I can only sing. They have like guitar, piano, drums. Me, I love BoyWithUke, so maybe I wanna buy a uke sometime, or maybe on my birthdate, Thanks for This♥️

[@mikepaus43]

Brett the Dm I just use my Middle finger across the G and C String and 1 st on the E string( F) Tor the D I cant bend my finger enough to cover all three strings so again use a Middle across A and C the slide the ring finger across under the the other finger. And there we go a D with 2 fingers

[@UkuleleTricks]

I like the creativity, Michael! I don't think I could make those chords work that way with my fingers, but this is a good example of how experimenting with these positions can help you find something that works really well for you. Good job!

[@0brycefury]

Is it a concert uke he is teaching us? I will buy my firsf uke very soon.

[@KaigaGaming2013]

I got a ukulele last 4 days as a beginner I don't really know how to do the chords but this helps so much but I struggled so much in the parts the sound of my ukulele sounded so struggled

[@UkuleleTricks]

Glad I could help! Chords can be tricky at first, especially at just four days in. Keep going and keep up the good practice!

[@taraangio679]

Im a beginner.thanks for the tip

[@UkuleleTricks]

You're welcome! Thanks for your comment, Tara!

[@akshayharmalkar6258]

Plz make tutorial on music theory

[@UkuleleTricks]

Definitely want to do more music theory! What specifically about music theory would you like to learn when it comes to the ukulele?

[@markyd1976]

OK, the pubs are open again but instead getting my ukulele out..... been gathering dust and didn't learn during lock down...... thanks for video!

[@UkuleleTricks]

Always the right time to dust off the ol' uke! Glad to have you, Marky!

[@leahcole231]

BEST CRODS EVER!!!!!!!!

[@teddyray9336]

WTH are CRODS?? 😂

[@colin3witt914]

this guy has immaculate vibes

[@andreanunezoberg2110]

...watching your video while drinking a glass of wine at the beach, and feeling understood because I have really big hands (for a woman) and thought I never would be able to do it. Thanks!

[@UkuleleTricks]

Cheers and have fun!