Easy ukulele chords for beginners: C, Am, F, G and songs that use them

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The good news about ukulele chords is that the first few are very small. One finger is enough for some of them, and four chords between them cover a huge number of songs. This guide assumes standard GCEA tuning.

How to read a chord chart

A chord chart is a picture of the neck standing upright. The four vertical lines are the strings, from G on the left to A on the right. The horizontal lines are the frets, and dots show where to press. An "o" above a string means play it open; numbers often show which finger to use (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little). Written as numbers, a chord lists the fret for each string from G to A. So 0003 means G, C and E open and the A string at the 3rd fret.

The first four chords

C (0003): ring finger on the 3rd fret of the A string. Everything else open.
Am (2000): middle finger on the 2nd fret of the G string.
F (2010): middle finger on the 2nd fret of the G string, index on the 1st fret of the E string. Notice that it shares the Am finger.
G (0232): index on the 2nd fret of the C string, ring on the 2nd fret of the A string, middle on the 3rd fret of the E string. This is the hardest of the four; give it time.

Next chords to add

G7 (0212): a gentler alternative to G that often leads back to C.
C7 (0001): index on the 1st fret of the A string.
Em (0432): a stretch at first, but common in songs.
D (2220): three fingers lined up on the 2nd fret, or one finger flattened across them.
A7 (0100) and Dm (2210): these open up songs in other keys.

Songs built on four chords

A great many pop songs use the same four chords in different orders. In the key of C on the ukulele, those are C, G, Am and F. Try these sequences, four strums per chord:

C – G – Am – F
C – Am – F – G
Am – F – C – G
F – C – G – Am

Once one of these flows, search for chord sheets of songs you know that use them. Many simple folk songs and children's songs need only C, F and G7.

Changing chords smoothly

This is what separates sounding like a beginner from sounding like a player, and it is mostly about where your fingers go between chords.

Look for anchor fingers. Going from Am to F, the middle finger stays on the G string. Leave it there and add the index.
Move fingers as a shape. For G, try to place all three fingers at once rather than one by one. Practise lifting the shape a centimetre off the strings and putting it back.
Practise only the change. Pick two chords, switch between them slowly for a minute, without strumming. Then strum once on each. Then twice.
Keep strumming and let a chord be late. If your fingers are not ready, keep the strumming hand going and strum open strings for a beat. The rhythm matters more to the listener than a perfect chord.
Use a metronome or a slow song. Choose a speed where you can change on time, even if it feels too slow.

Pressing the strings properly

Press with the fingertips, just behind the fret wire rather than on top of it.
Keep the thumb behind the neck, roughly opposite your middle finger, without squeezing.
If a string buzzes or sounds dead, play each string of the chord one at a time to find which finger is touching it.

Sore fingertips in the first week or two are normal; short, frequent sessions help more than long ones. Which chord is giving you trouble, and what song are you learning first? Share it in the comments.