Workshop tool · Free
Ukulele chords: every shape in GCEA and other tunings
The ukulele is the quickest way into playing chords: four nylon strings, small stretches, and many chords with one or two fingers. This tool gives you the eight chords to start with, a chord finder that shows several positions for any chord, the scales on the ukulele neck and three strumming patterns. It is for beginners picking up their first uke and for guitarists who want to transfer what they know to four strings.
Included in the free account.
What the ukulele tool includes
- Four tunings. Standard soprano and concert tuning G C E A with a high G, low-G (the same notes with the G an octave lower), baritone D G B E, and the older D tuning A D F# B. The string names are shown from the 4th string to the 1st.
- The scale view. Pick a root and a scale and see it on the ukulele neck in note names or intervals, with its formula and, for seven-note scales, its diatonic chords.
- The 8 chords to get started, drawn in standard tuning with the root marked: C, Am, F, G, G7, D, Em and A7.
- The chord finder. Choose a root and a chord type (major, minor, diminished, augmented, sus2, sus4, 7, maj7, m7, m7♭5, 6, m6, 9, add9) and get up to six positions in the first 12 frets for the tuning you selected.
- Strumming patterns: down-down-up-up-down-up, the island strum and a calypso pattern.
Standard ukulele tuning and the first chords
Standard ukulele tuning is G C E A, from the string nearest your chin to the one nearest the floor. It is re-entrant: the G string is tuned higher than the C next to it, which gives the ukulele its bright, close sound. Strum the four open strings and you hear a C6 chord (C E G A).
The eight starter chords below are written G C E A, one fret number per string (0 means open):
| Chord | Frets (G C E A) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| C | 0 0 0 3 | G C E C |
| Am | 2 0 0 0 | A C E A |
| F | 2 0 1 0 | A C F A |
| G | 0 2 3 2 | G D G B |
| G7 | 0 2 1 2 | G D F B |
| D | 2 2 2 0 | A D F# A |
| Em | 0 4 3 2 | G E G B |
| A7 | 0 1 0 0 | G C# E A |
They are all open chords, and they combine into whole songs. C, Am, F and G give you the I-vi-IV-V progression in C; G, G7 and C show how a dominant seventh pulls back home. Comparing C (0 0 0 3) with Am (2 0 0 0) is also a quick lesson in major and minor chords: they share C and E, and only the G becomes an A.
From guitar to ukulele
If you play guitar, you already know more ukulele than you think. Baritone ukulele (D G B E) is tuned exactly like the four highest guitar strings. Standard G C E A is the same set of intervals five frets higher, like a guitar with a capo at the 5th fret on its top four strings.
So a guitar shape keeps its fingering but changes name: it moves up a fourth. The guitar D shape on the top four strings (0 2 3 2) is a G on the ukulele; the guitar A shape becomes a D, and the guitar E shape becomes an A. Select Baritone in the tool and the shapes match your guitar; select Standard and the same shapes give the new names. To go deeper into how tunings reshape chords on six strings, see the alternate tunings tool.
What is free and what needs Premium
A free GuitarHarmony account opens the workshop; the tool runs in your browser on computer, tablet or phone, with nothing to install.
Free: all four ukulele tunings, the eight starter chords, the chord finder with every root and chord type, the strumming patterns, and the scale view with the major scale, natural minor, pentatonics, blues scale and the seven modes of the major scale.
With Premium (Pro library): only the exotic scales in the scale view, namely harmonic minor, melodic minor, Phrygian dominant and the altered scale. Premium costs 4.90 € a month or 39 € a year. Every ukulele chord is free.
How to use it
- Choose your ukulele tuning. Click Standard (high G), Low-G, Baritone or D-tuning. The string names update, and so do every diagram and the scale view.
- Start with the 8 chords. Learn the starter chords in order: C, Am, F, then G and G7, then D, Em and A7. The orange dot marks the root of each chord.
- Find any other chord. In the chord finder, pick a root and a chord type. The tool lists the notes of the chord and up to six positions on your ukulele.
- Add a strumming pattern. Play your chords with down-down-up-up-down-up first, then try the island strum and the calypso pattern.
What you can do with it
Your first song on the ukulele
Learn C, Am, F and G, play them four beats each with the universal strumming pattern, and you have the accompaniment for many pop songs.
A guitarist picking up a baritone
Select Baritone and look at the chord finder: the shapes are the ones you know from the top four guitar strings, with the same names.
Teaching ukulele to children
A teacher can start with the one-finger chords C and A7 and the two-finger F, then add Am and G as the hands get used to the neck.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard ukulele tuning?
G C E A, with a high G (re-entrant tuning) on soprano and concert ukuleles. The tool also offers low-G, baritone D G B E and the older D tuning A D F# B.
What are the easiest ukulele chords for beginners?
C (0 0 0 3) and A7 (0 1 0 0) need one finger, Am (2 0 0 0) one finger and F (2 0 1 0) two. With C, Am, F and G you can already play many songs.
Can I see several positions for the same chord?
Yes. The chord finder shows up to six positions in the first 12 frets for any root and chord type, in the tuning you have selected.
Are the ukulele chords free?
Yes, every chord, tuning and strumming pattern is free with a free account. Premium only adds the exotic scales of the Pro library to the scale view.