FREE UKULELE MUSIC WITH CHORDS HOW TO

We have taken ourselves back to our home tonic chord and can end the song or go to the next verse. We start on the C and move back and forth to F until the end of the verse where we put G7 in quickly before the C resolves. If you look at the song example here by Elvis you will see he does just that. That V7 is called a dominant seventh and while you may not know what that means now, all you have to realize is that it needs to be resolved. Most songs will repeat the I and IV back and forth until the end of the phrase when they use the V7 to do a “turnaround.” And again in rock, that V chord is often a 7th. While there are plenty of two chord songs, the most common you will find are three chord tunes called I-IV-V or the 1-4-5. Teddy Bear (Elvis Presley) Chord progression: I-IV-V If you want to get a simple upbeat point across in song you can’t go wrong with the root and the fourth or the fifth chord! And now it’s time to put that C, F, and G together to make an even better chord progression! The I-V is common in folk, children’s music, and of course modern pop like Lady Gaga’s “A Yo.” And that song also makes use of a G7. You need to keep a steady upbeat strum up and try not to make it boring! The hard part about the song is keeping the slow changes up. In our song above you get both the G and G7, it’s a great example of how those two chords sound slightly different. Sometimes you will see the I-V as C-G or C-G7, that V7 will be a common chord you see in many songs below. The first chord or the root has a very close relationship with the fifth, you often see these close by. And just like the I-IV there is a common I-V. While you would think the easiest song to play is a one chord song (and they do exist!) in reality you need some changes, sometimes even two chord songs get a little tedious. You Never Can Tell (Chuck Berry) Chord progression: I-V But playing a B (I) and E(IV) chord won’t be easy as a beginner! And you may notice Springsteen doesn’t sound totally right as C-F, and that is because the song is I-IV in the key of B. This I-IV chord progression is also found in the songs “Everyday People” and “Born in the USA.” But of course they use slightly different strums and rhythms. And when we get to the chorus we still have the same chords but we play them with more emphasis. As you get a better feel for the rhythm you will find a nice bluesy yet rocking strum.

Start counting that out as you switch the chords back and forth each measure. As you can see in the chart above the C is I and F IV so this is known as the I-IV progression.Īs far as the strum goes, rock music is often counted as 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & also known as 1/8 notes. This entire song is only two chords! The C7 and F7 are repeated back and forth easily throughout the entire song, so the key is getting a good strum down. The band Traffic played a mix of 60’s rock genres and this simple two chord song was later covered by Joe Cocker. This transposition table is important for first time players to see it will give you a head start recognizing the popular patterns that most songs will be repeating.Īnd the best way to learn this chart is by playing some music, so let’s get started on our first song.įeelin’ Alright (Joe Cooker) Chord progression: I-IV

For now that info is all you need to worry about!Įventually if you find some of the songs below don’t sound good with your voice, then you can use the chart above (or our key transposer) to change the key. Sometimes Roman numerals are used or the Nashville Numbering System of 1-7. And the same for every other transposition. It is very simple to read in the key of C the V chord is G, if we want the V chord in the key of G it is D.

The notes of each key may not seem like they are in order, but they are musically speaking. Right now this chart may not make sense, but by the end you will want to print it out for when you practice!

FREE UKULELE MUSIC WITH CHORDS HOW TO

You can find some of those formulas in this article about common chord progressions on the Ukulele.Īs you learn to play each one below you will unwittingly teach yourself some music theory.Īnd once you reach the final song you will know how to play far more than 30!Īs you read the list keep in mind it's always better to practice with a good instrument. Not only are these songs fun, many are specifically chosen for their educational value.Īlmost all of the songs and genres that are popular follow patterns called chord progressions. In this list we have 30 songs that are perfect for playing on the ukulele. It is a simple process of following the fingering for the chords above the lyrics. If you are new to the ukulele one of the best ways to get started is to jump right in with playing songs.

Free ukulele music with chords