Your first ukulele chords
Now that you know how to read chord diagrams and tabs, it's time to learn a few simple chords.
First, you should make sure your ukulele is in tune. If you own a chromatic tuner, you may use this to help tune your instrument. There are ukulele-specific tuners and tuning pipes available at music stores, but Chromatic tuners work very well and can be used to help tune other instruments, as well.
A chord is played by pressing your fingertips down on the strings on the indicated frets which are labeled by number and running a finger up and down on the strings, which is called strumming.
The first chord you will learn is the C major chord. This is played by pressing your third finger down on the third fret of the A string. The chord formation looks like this:
C major:
--|--|3|--|--A or like this: 0003
--|--|--|--|--E
--|--|--|--|--C
--|--|--|--|--G
The next chord is the A minor chord. This chord is played by pressing your second finger down on the second fret of the G string. It looks like this:
A minor:
--|--|--|--|--A or like this: 2000
--|--|--|--|--E
--|--|--|--|--C
--|2|--|--|--G
The third is the A major chord. This is played by keeping your middle finger on the second fret, G string and pressing your first finger down on the first fret, C string. It looks like this:
A major:
--|--|--|--|--A or like this: 2100
--|--|--|--|--E
1|--|--|--|--C
--|2|--|--|--G
Next is the F major chord. Like the A minor and A chords, you keep your middle finger in the same spot, but you move your index finger down one string. It looks like this:
F major:
--|--|--|--|--A or like this: 2010
1|--|--|--|--E
--|--|--|--|--C
--|2|--|--|--G
Then the D major chord. This is played by either pressing one finger on the G, C, and E strings on the second fret, or pressing three fingers on the three strings. I prefer to use my middle, ring and pinky fingers, but some prefer to use their index, middle and ring fingers. Whichever feels comfortable to you is fine. It looks like this:
D major:
--|--|--|--|--A or like this: 2220
--|2|--|--|--E
--|2|--|--|--C
--|2|--|--|--G
Then the D minor chord. This is played by pressing your middle finger down on the G string, second fret; ring finger on the C string, second fret; and index finger on the E string, first fret. It looks like this:
D minor:
--|--|--|--|--A or like this: 2210
1|--|--|--|--E
--|2|--|--|--C
--|2|--|--|--G
Then the G major chord. This is played by putting your index finger on the C string, second fret; your middle finger on the A string, second fret; and your ring finger on the E string, third fret.
G major:
--|2|--|--|--A or like this:0232
--|--|3|--|--E
--|2|--|--|--C
--|--|--|--|--G
Then the G7 chord. This is played by placing your index finger on the E string, second fret; your middle finger on the C string, second fret; and your ring finger on the A string, second fret.
G7:
--|2|--|--|--A or like this: 0212
1|--|--|--|--E
--|2|--|--|--C
--|--|--|--|--G
Then E minor. This is played by putting your index finger on the A string, second fret; your middle finger on the E string, third fret; and your ring finger on the C string, fourth fret. And sometimes, putting your ring finger on the G string and pinky on the C string on the fourth fret. It looks like this:
E minor:
---|2|--|----|--A or like this: (4)432
---|--|3|----|--E
---|--|--|-4-|--C
---|--|--|(4)|--G
These are the basic chords that are what every ukulele player needs to learn.
