Easy ukulele songs for beginners
1. “Riptide” by Vance Joy
Taking it back to the “Riptide”, Vance Joy’s smash hit features simple Am, G, C, and F chords. The trick to mastering it is adopting the DD UD strumming pattern for the verse and a chucking rhythm during the chorus.
2. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Isreal Kamakawiwo’ole (IZ)
One of the most recognisable uke arrangements of recent history, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is a soul-soothing piece that’s fun to play and sing along to. Featuring Am, C, Em, E7, F, and G chords, it might seem intimidating – but they’re all super simple to execute. With a D DU UDU strumming pattern, it’s easy to pick up.
3. “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz
With a steady beat and C, G, Am, and F chords, “I’m Yours” is a breeze to master. A simple down, up strumming pattern with a slight emphasis on each second down strum will nail the rhythm and have 90% of the song covered. There’s a tiny chord called an Edim7, but it’s only strummed once – don’t worry though, it’s super easy!
4. “Hey, Soul Sister” by Train
A popular uke song from recent times, “Hey, Soul Sister” has an up-tempo rhythm that’s great for developing your strumming. A simplified version with C, G, Am, and F chords gives the essential sound while making it accessible to beginners. Your strumming should be at pace, matching the beat of the song, in a DD UDU fashion.
The chorus may be challenging for total beginners, but it’s a great piece to tackle! It has quick chord changes that will help build your dexterity. Follow this video for great tips on how to pick it up.
5. “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus
Once you start playing this song, it’ll be hard to stop! With an Am, Dm, G and C chord progression, you can get the gist of “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus nailed pretty quickly. Followed by an E7 for the pre-chorus and a steady strumming pattern throughout, it’s a true bop to sing over the top.
6. “8” by Billie Eilish
Capo on 3rd fret.
Featuring C, Cmaj7, Dm, G, and E7 chords and a down, up strumming pattern “8”is a catchy song to jam along to. The alternate key and capo let you explore unfamiliar territory – you can play this without a capo in the C key, but it’ll sound slightly off when compared to the original.
7. “Driver’s License” by Olivia Rodrigo
To strum along with Olivia you’ll need the Bflat, Gm, Eflat, F, and Cm chords. While that’s quite a lot, they’re all quite easy to manage! As for your strumming pattern, you’ll want to mainly use downward strokes, with emphasis placed on every second strum.
8. “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison
A complete classic, the intro melody and upbeat rhythm of “Brown Eyed Girl” make this an addictive tune that’ll keep you coming back! With C, D, D7, Em and G chords it’s a nice and simple flow to pick up. Your strumming can be a steady down, up to match the tempo, while you belt out the “Sha-la-las” over the top!
9. “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong
A mellow and joyous piece that’ll put a smile on anyone’s face, Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” requires F, C, Dm, Am, Gm, A7, and Bb chords. The key to the strumming is to do a quick down, up strum, then use your palm to deaden the strings. String the strums together to get a steady beat.
10. “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond
Always a crowd pleaser, “Sweet Caroline” uses four basic chords: A, D, E7, and G.
The strumming pattern is D DU UDU. For the verses, each chord gets two measures, while the chorus uses one measure per chord. Remember to sing the “baa baa baa”s at the top of your voice for maximum effect.
11. “Yesterday” by The Beatles
Melancholic and beautiful, “Yesterday” is another great song to sing along with, featuring easy F, G, G7, Am, and C chords. The strumming pattern is D DU UDU for each chord. For the verses, each chord gets two measures, while the chorus features one measure per chord. Take your time with this heartfelt classic and enjoy strumming along on your ukulele!
12. “Dancing in the Moonlight” by Toploader
You only need to know four chords: Em, Bm, D, and A for “Dancing in the Moonlight”.
The strumming pattern is D DU UDU for each chord. However, during the chorus, the strumming pattern changes to D DU UDDU. This upbeat tune is perfect for beginners who want to get their feet wet with a fun and catchy song!
13. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns ‘n’ Roses
Taking it back to an iconic rock tune, “Sweet Child O’ Mine”‘s peaceful verses work well with the uke. With easy A, C, Cadd9, D, and G chords forming the basis of the tune, it’s a breeze to master. A steady strumming pattern throughout the verses and chorus will suit the rhythm of the song.
14. “Happy” by Pharrell Williams
Slightly harder than our other songs, this earworm uses some barre chords like Bflat, Fm7, and C, along with an F7. This is great for building strength for tougher chords, and you can keep a regular DU strumming pattern until you have the chords mastered.
15. “Zombie” by The Cranberries
“Zombie” uses the chords Em, C, G, and D with the strumming pattern D D DU UDU. Verses follow a chord progression of Em – C – G – D while the chorus goes C – G – D – Em. It’s a powerful song that takes on a unique character on the ukulele.
16. “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley
C, D, and F chords – that’s all you need to hum along with this hallmark Marley tune. Keep a reggae strum pattern and utilise the “chck” sound by deadening the strings after a strum. You don’t have to go fast, keep it slow, and don’t worry about a thing!
17. “Imagine” by John Lennon
You’ll need to know chords C, Cmaj7, F, and G to play John Lennon’s “Imagine”. The strumming pattern is D DU UDU for each chord. For the verses and chorus, the chord progression is C – Cmaj7 – F – Fmaj7 – G, with each chord getting one measure. The song features a simple progression with an inspiring message that’ll make you feel powerful playing it.
18. “A Horse with No Name” by America
Tune your ukulele to GCEA. “A Horse with No Name” uses only three simple chords: Em, F#m7-5, and D6/9, and the strumming pattern is down, down-up, down-up, down-up. The song has an Intro, Verse 1 and 2, Chorus, and Outro, and repeats. Enjoy playing!
19. “La Bamba” by Ritchie Valens
“La Bamba” is an upbeat and catchy song that can absolutely rock on the ukulele. With a simple chord progression of C, F, G7, and Am, it’s easy to get to grips with. As a great song for beginners, every ukulele player should add it to their repertoire.
20. “Jolene” by Dolly Parton
Passionate and emotional, Dolly Parton’s heartbreak hit works great on the bright and jangly uke, with four simple chords Am, C, G, and Em, playing throughout the song – in that order. As for strumming, it’s D, mute, UD. Perform the mute on the upstroke to get a nice rhythm.
21. “Twist and Shout” by The Beatles/The Top Notes
Shake, twist, and shout along to this classic with three super simple chords: C, F, and G. Strumming patterns don’t matter much, but on the G chord you want to use a quick succession of down strums to match the riff of the song.
22. “Bad Moon Rising” by Credence Clearwater Revival
Classic rock fits just fine on the ukulele, and CCR is no different! To strum along with “Bad Moon” all you need are C, G, and F chords. The pattern you’ll follow is DD UD on the C, followed by DD on the G, and then back to DD UD on the F.
23. “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Continuing with the classic rock legends, “Sweet Home Alabama” presents a simple D, C, and G chord progression to jam along with. Strum in patterns of three downstrokes – DDD U – with the emphasis on the third strum. The final upstroke helps link each section together.
24. “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley
To play along with “Hallelujah”‘s enchanting melodies, you’ll need C, F, G, Am, and Em chords. Adopt a gentle DD UU strumming pattern to transition the chords, and if you’re feeling confident, have a go at fingerpicking the chords instead of strumming!
25. “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King
Play with a steady acoustic guitar-style strum and you’ll have this iconic song mastered in minutes. Combined with a simple set of C, Am, F and G7 chords, “Stand By Me” is relatively easy to pick up and presents a steady repeating rhythm that’s great for singing over the top.
26. “Yellow” by Coldplay
If you’re feeling particularly… err… yellow, then good news! This song shines just as bright on the uke. With C, G, F, and Am, chords it’s super simple, and a steady D D UU UDU strumming pattern fits the beat.
27. “Little Talks” by Of Monsters and Men
Haunting and powerful, “Little Talks” comprises just C, G, Am, G, and F chords, with a DD UU DU strumming pattern throughout – apart from the intro which is all downstrokes.
28. “All Star” by Smash Mouth
Quick and catchy, “All Star” consists of G, D, Am, and C chords in that order. In the verses, you can adopt a steady D DUD pattern, while the chorus can be played with a steady DD DUDU, with single strums for the final line of the chorus.
29. “Heart of Gold” by Neil Young
Four simple chords, G, D, C, and Em make “Heart of Gold” easy for beginners to play on the ukulele. The song is mellow and upbeat and features a simple strumming pattern. Use mainly down strums and listen to the song to match the various sections.
30. “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith
Easy chords but a tricky rhythm make “Stay With Me” great fun to pick up – a real challenge for your timing! Am, F, and C chords are all you need for most of the song. The strums for Am and F are slow, while the C speeds up.
31. “All Of Me” by John Legend
Great for aspiring singers, this heartfelt tune has easy Em, C, G, D, and Am chords. A catchy D DU UDU repeated throughout helps you focus on the lyrics and give the song your all!
32. “The Show” by Lenka
A happy and upbeat song, “The Show” features C, G, Am, and F chords. The strumming pattern is a steady and simple DDU UDU. There are single strums on the line “slow it down, make it stop” – followed by an abrupt pause in playing.
33. “The Real Slim Shady” by Eminem
Pushing the boundaries, “The Real Slim Shady” consists of a repeating four-chord pattern that’s great for developing your skills: Cm, Ab, Eb, and G.
A steady D DU strumming pattern throughout covers the verses and chorus – learn the riff for extra credits!
34. “I Miss You” by Blink 182
Four repeating chords are all you need to get Blink’s hit wrapped up: G, D, Em, and C. The regular DD UU UDU strumming pattern works throughout and gives you a steady tempo to sing the lyrics over the top.
35. “It Was A Good Day” by Ice Cube
Here’s a fun little riff to play on the uke that repeats throughout the song. It involves simple barre chords and hammer-ons and pull-offs which sound tricky but really aren’t! This video breaks it down into easy segments.
36. “Hey Ya” by Outkast
“Hey Ya! has one tricky chord – E major. You’ll find it hard to transition smoothly, but keep at it and you’ll get more fluid with each try. The chords are G, C, D and E, and thestrumming goes DD UU DU throughout the whole song.
37. “I Wanna Be Sedated” by The Ramones
Upbeat and up-tempo, “I Wanna Be Sedated” features C, F, A, and G chords. Retain a fast and steady strum pattern as you cycle through these chords for the whole song and keep in mind that the A chord doesn’t appear until the second half.
38. “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift
Consisting of Am, C, and G chords, “Shake It Off” is quick to pick up and learn. A fast D DU D DU strumming pattern works throughout, with palm muted “chcks” used for the “I’m gonna shake, shake, shake” line.
39. “Take On Me” by Aha
Simple chords, but tricky rhythms make this a great song for beginners to challenge themselves. G, D, Em, C, and Am are the chords and the strumming pattern is a steady DD U UDU. The strumming changes for one part in the chorus.
40. “Basket Case” by Green Day
With C, G, Am, F, and Bb chords, “Basket Case” is quite a steady and simple song, despite the five chords. An easy DU DUDU strum works throughout, except on the C, G, Am, G passage, where you just strum each chord once.
41. “Budapest” by George Ezra
Get jamming to this poppy bop with C, F, and G chords. For strumming, pick the third string first then follow with a D DUD. Sped up, it’s a fluid, folksy strum pattern that fits the song very well. The verses go C-F-C followed by the chorus of G-F-C.
42. “The Final Countdown” by Europe
Tricky chords – but well worth learning! F#M, Bm, E, A, D, and C#m make up “The Final Countdown – they’re all explained in the video below. A galloping-style strum pattern is in the song throughout, with D DU rhythm. Once you’ve got the riff mastered, you can aim to sound as good as this!
