How to Quickly Learn all Ukulele Chords and Shapes
Updated
Learn these easy techniques on mastering all ukulele chord shapes and start playing ukulele like a Pro.
Hi guys. I’ve been received a lot of questions about techniques and methods to easily learn all chord shapes on the Ukulele. This is one problem for all beginners and some advanced learners. I actually asked this question so many times, until I finally found the right technique by myself.
When you spend lots of time playing rubbish, at one point you start asking your ukulele questions, how can I play Bdim? How can I play the 4th major not on key F? at the end of the day we start relying on Capo to play on all keys for ukulele players.
It is advisable for people to use Capo to ease the stress, but I can only recommend Capo for singers who want to sing while playing the ukulele. Sometimes it is hard to move around your fretboard while you are singing, so it is recommended for them to use the Capo.
it is advisable to learn how to play on all keys as a ukulele player and that is why I am writing this article. You can’t play on all keys without learning all the Ukulele Chord Shapes properly. I am not going to be very technical, this is going to be very brief. So here are the tips I want you guys to know:
Feel free to use our free Chord Shape Generator to see every chord in this song on guitar, ukulele and piano.
2. Understand how your open chords were derived: When you understand how these chords are formulated you’ll be able to understand the next step. We all know C, E, and G are the notes that makeup Cmaj. To know all this.
3. Know the intervals between chords: Assuming we are on Key C, the major scale for key C is C-D-EF-G-A-BC. Note the dash means you skip a fret before the next note, while for EF and BC no frets are skipped.
Feel free to use our free Chord Shape Generator to see every chord in this song on guitar, ukulele and piano.
Last Tip: After knowing all these steps, the next thing to do is like kindergarten mathematics 1+1=2. So assuming there is an Am chord and you want to play A#m which is also Bb, all you have to do is to adjust your fingers to the next frets and voila you have an A#m chord. But it won’t sound right and that is where Barre Chords were invented. So you have to re-adjust your hand so that your index finger can be used to create the barre.
You can do this for all the easy chords and you can start playing on any key as long as you know notes of the major scale for all keys. Please feel free to comment on questions, extra tips, or if you found this article useful. Feel free to use the Tab Generator page to easily access and create Chord Shapes
Thank you.
Movable shapes that unlock every key
| Shape | At fret 0 (open) | Move up 2 frets | Move up 4 frets |
|---|---|---|---|
| A major shape (2100) | A | B (4322) | C♯ (6544) |
| G major shape (0232) | G | A (2454) | B (4676) |
| Am shape (2000) | Am | Bm (4222) | C♯m (6444) |
The open strings in the shape become a barre with your index finger when you move up. Learn these and you can play every major and minor chord. Practise them with our ukulele chords.
Frequently asked questions
How many ukulele chords do I need to know?
About 10 open chords let you play hundreds of songs. With three or four movable shapes you can play every chord.
What is a barre chord on ukulele?
A chord where one finger presses several strings at the same fret, usually so you can move an open shape up the neck.
Should I use a capo on ukulele?
A capo is handy when you sing and play, but learning movable shapes lets you play in any key without one.