Ukulele For Beginners

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to the start of your ukulele journey.

The ukulele is such a fantastic instrument that is

accessible for all ages and abilities. At first, like any
instrument the thought of learning to play can be a little
scary but it doesn’t have to be - it also doesn’t have to
be difficult!

This guide is your first steps on your ukulele journey

giving you the fundamentals needed to strum your way
through the next BBQ or family party that needs a bit of
a lift. You will be presented with some: basic chords,
strumming patterns and a couple of songs to get you
going.

I really hope you enjoy this guide and you start busking
your way through life very soon!

Thank you and good luck!

William Marshall
Holding the Ukulele

The main aim with the ukulele is to be sitting comfortably and to

have easy access to the instrument. Below is a step by step guide to
sitting with the instrument.

1. Sit up straight on the front part of the chair.

2. The ukulele should be close to your body in an upright
position with the neck pointing slightly upwards.
3. Some players prefer to sit with their legs crossed and some
like to rest the ukulele on their leg slightly.

Experiment to find the seated position feels most

comfortable to you.
Strumming
Strumming is the number one problem that learners face when
starting out on the ukulele. Though the natural uninstructed way
will be enough to blag your way through, I feel spending some
dedicated time to this technique is essential for the long term and
for continuous personal development.

How Do I Do It?

Strumming takes place with the index finger of your right hand.

Your whole hand should be loose and relaxed (not clenched into a
fist) and should freely move from the wrist. When performing a
down strum, the nail should lightly contact the strings. When
strumming back up the tip of the finger should come into the
contact - the hand doesn’t twist and turn.

Down Strum: Up Strum:

Strum down with the nail. Strum up with the tip of

the finger.
Strumming Terminology
D – Down strum
Exercises
U – Up strum
Here are a few
(D) – Silentexercises to help
down strum
develop your
strumming
A silent down strum is where you move your hand down but do not make contact with the strings.
technique. Stick
with them and
slowly work
your way
through one
exercise at a time. Don’t move on until you have completed the one
you are currently practicing and focus on correct technique and not
speed.

1. 1 2 3 4
D D D D

2. 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D U D U D U D U

3. 1 + 2 3 + 4
D U D D U D

4. 1 2 + 3 4
D D U D D

5. 1 2 + 3 4 +
D D U D D U

6. 1 2 + 3 + 4
D D U (D) U D
String Names
Learning the names of the strings is very beneficial when faced with
a new chord and learning how to fret on the instrument. Using a
simple mnemonic acronym will help you learn these in a matter of
seconds:

Starting from the string closest to you, use the acronym as follows:

G – Good
C – Children
E – Eat
A – Apples

Remember: Start from the string closest to you…

G – Good

C – Children

E – Eat

A - Apples

The Left Hand

 Like the right hand, the left hand also has a very important part to
play when learning the ukulele. The left hand is what creates chords
and is pivotal in creating melodies.

Placing the Fingers on the Ukulele

When placing a finger onto the ukulele you The thumb goes on the back, parallel to the
use the tip and not the pad. finger - not over the top or sideways.

How to Read a Chord Chart

With casual ukulele playing reading music is not an essential
criterion. It is more than acceptable to learn via chord charts, ear
and memory. Before I give you some basic chords to start learning
we first need to know how to read a box diagram.

Chord Name This is the name of the chord being presented.

Open Strings These are strings that have no fingers on but are
(play these strings open) still played. If these are not stated then play them
open.
Black Dot The black dot shows us in which fret to put our
(put fingers here) finger(s).
Fret Numbers The open rows are the frets. Working from the nut
(top of the ukulele) we count up 1,2,3,4 etc.
String Names The vertical lines indicate the string that the fingers
(tuning) are placed upon.

Basic Chords
Below are some basic chords that you will need to start jamming
through some songs. Most songs can be changed in key (made
higher or lower) so that these chords can be used to play them.
 Images copy write of https://www.paulsongeneralmusic.com

You Are My Sunshine - Traditional Chords

C
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
F C
You make me happy when skies are grey
F C
You never know, dear, how much I love you
 G7 C
Please don't take my sunshine away

Other Verses:

The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping

I dreamt I held you in my arms
When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
So I hung my head, and I cried

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are grey
You never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away

I'll always love you and make you happy

If you will only say the same
But if you leave me to love another
You'll regret it all one day

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are grey
You never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away

Please don't take my sunshine away.

Love Me Do – The Beatles Chords

Chorus:
G7 C
Love, love me do
G7 C
You know I love you
G7 C
I'll always be true
 G7
So pleeeeeease... Love me do

Intro: G7 C G7 C

Chorus

Intro: G7 C G7 C

Bridge:
D G
Someone to love, somebody new
D G
Someone to love, someone like you

Chorus

Intro: G7 C G7 C

Solo: (Bridge chords)

Chorus

G7 C G7 C G7 C
Love me do, Yeah love me do, woah love me do...

Chords
Country Roads – John Denver
G Em
Almost heaven, West Virginia,
D C G
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River.
Em
Life is old there, older than the trees,
D C G
Younger than the mountains, growin' like a breeze.
Chorus
G D
Country roads, take me home,
Em C
To the place I belong:
G D
West Virginia, mountain momma,
C G
Take me home, country roads.

Verse 2
All my mem'ries, gather 'round her,
Miner's lady, stranger to blue water.
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky,
Misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye.

Chorus

Bridge
Em D G
I hear her voice, in the mornin' hours she calls me,
C G D
The radio reminds me of my home far away.
Em F
And drivin' down the road,
C G D
I get a feelin' that I should have been home yesterday,
D
yesterday.
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