Ukulele · From Scratch

Get two tools ready first

From tuning to your first sing-along, just follow along. 10–15 minutes a day and you'll have a song in a week or two.

1. 1

   Meet the Ukulele · How to Hold It

   Learn the parts, sit comfortably, hold it steady, and get ready to play.

   • First learn the parts: tuners, headstock, frets, soundhole, the 4 strings — knowing the names is how you'll follow the instructions later.
   • Holding it: use your right forearm to gently press the body toward your chest to hold it steady; your left hand only frets notes — it shouldn't carry the weight of the uke.
   • Strum just above the soundhole with your right hand; your left thumb rests on the center of the back of the neck, fingers naturally curved and hovering over the frets.
   • The ukulele has only 4 strings, they're soft, and the fret spacing is small — it's far easier than a guitar. Relax, don't be nervous.
2. 2

   Tuning: GCEA and the High G

   Get all four strings accurately tuned to standard pitch, GCEA.

   • From thickest (on top) to thinnest (on the bottom): 4th string G, 3rd string C, 2nd string E, 1st string A — you can use the saying "My Dog Has Fleas."
   • Standard tuning is re-entrant (high G): the 4th string's G is actually higher than the 3rd string's C — this is exactly where the ukulele's bright, chiming sound comes from. It's a feature, not a mistake.
   • Tune with a tuner: needle centered and glowing green means in tune. New strings drift easily, so check it every time you pick it up.
   • Turn the tuners slowly and pluck as you go; make small adjustments as you near the target pitch, and don't overshoot.

   Open the ukulele tuner →
3. 3

   Your First Chord: C (one finger)

   Fret the friendliest chord, C, for that first taste of a clean, ringing sound.

   • C only needs your ring finger on the 1st string, 3rd fret; the other three strings stay open — a first chord you can play with a single finger.
   • Fretting tip: press with your fingertip (not the pad), standing it up right behind the fret, with enough pressure so it doesn't buzz or choke.
   • Pluck string by string from the 4th to the 1st as a "check pass": once every string rings clearly with no muting, strum them all together.
   • Once it's fretted, lightly strum downward with the pad of your right thumb, counting 1-2-3-4 evenly, joining "hold it down" with "strum it out."

   See more shapes in the chord library →
4. 4

   Add Am and F: Three Chords in Hand

   Learn the one-finger Am and the two-finger F, and practice switching chords.

   • Am is also a one-finger chord: middle finger on the 4th string, 2nd fret, the rest open — as easy as C.
   • F uses two fingers: index on the 2nd string, 1st fret, middle on the 4th string, 2nd fret. Notice Am's middle finger is already in place — just add the index and you have F, so they switch extremely fast.
   • Practice "slow-motion chord changes": strum a full 4 beats on C, lift on beat 4, and land on the next chord on beat 1 — slow and steady beats fast and sloppy.
   • Watch for the "shared / nearest fingers": when changing chords, keep the fingers that don't move on the strings and travel the shortest distance — that's how the change stays steady.

   See more shapes in the chord library →
5. 5

   Add G: Unlock the C–Am–F–G Magic Four

   Learn the three-finger G and complete the golden four that play countless songs.

   • G is a three-finger triangle: index on the 3rd string, 2nd fret, middle on the 1st string, 2nd fret, ring on the 2nd string, 3rd fret — remember this "triangle" shape.
   • C–Am–F–G is I–vi–IV–V, the most common progression in pop music; these four alone will get you through hundreds of sing-along songs.
   • Focus on polishing the two switches that come up most and trip people up the most: F→G and G→C. Pull them out and practice them slowly on their own.
   • Use the "one-minute changes" method: switch cleanly back and forth between two chords along with the metronome, count your reps, and beat your record every day.

   Practice one-minute changes with the metronome →
6. 6

   Right-Hand Rhythm: From Down-Strums to the Island Strum

   Build up three levels of right-hand rhythm so your playing goes from "making sound" to "sounding good."

   • Level 1 · all down-strums D-D-D-D: four even strokes with the metronome, wrist relaxed like flicking off water — nail a steady beat first.
   • Level 2 · down-up D-U-D-U: follow each down-strum with an up-strum, your hand swinging up and down without stopping, moving even on the empty beats.
   • Level 3 · island strum D · D-U · U-D-U: the saying is "down, down-up, up-down-up" — the ukulele's most classic groove.
   • The trick: keep your right hand swinging up and down evenly as the "rhythm engine" — touch the strings when you want sound, glide past them when you don't.

   See strumming animations · the rhythm library →
7. 7

   Play Your First Song: Four Chords, Go

   Combine the four chords + strumming into a complete performance and play your first song on your own.

   • Loop through C–G–Am–F: strum each chord for 4 beats (or one bar of the island strum), joined into a non-stop circle — this is the skeleton of countless songs.
   • First get the whole loop smooth with all down-strums, then gradually upgrade the groove to down-up and the island strum; the chord must land right on beat 1.
   • If you want to sing, pick a simple public-domain song to play along with (this site only gives chord progressions, no lyrics): Oh Susanna (C·F·G7), When the Saints (C·F·G7), Aloha ʻOe (C·G7·F·C7, the signature Hawaiian song).
   • Getting several songs that use the same set of chords down cold beats rushing to learn new chords. Slow practice is the fastest shortcut.

   Keep your tempo steady with the metronome →

All public-domain oldies you can play with just the few chords you've learned. We give the chord progression and what to practice — pick one and ease into it.

1. Oh! Susanna

   Public domainDifficulty: Beginner

   Stephen Foster, 1848 · Public domain

   VerseC | C | G7 | C

   ChorusF | C | G7 | C

   Strum: All down-strums D-D-D-D (switch to down-up once it's smooth)

   What to practice: C↔F↔G7 three-chord switching + steady down-strums — the friendliest first song.

   A Foster work from 1848; the author has been dead well over a century, so it's long in the public domain. This site only gives the chord progression, with no lyrics or melody tab.

2. When the Saints Go Marching In

   Public domainDifficulty: Easy

   19th-century American traditional spiritual · Public domain

   First halfC | C | C | G7 ‖ G7 | G7 | G7 | C

   Second halfC | C7 | F | C ‖ C | G7 | C | C

   Strum: All down-strums D-D-D-D

   What to practice: The signature C→C7→F transition (the dominant-seventh pull) — feel how C7 "wants to move on" and pushes toward F.

   A traditional spiritual with no single living copyright holder; this site only takes the chord progression of the traditional melody, with no copyrighted modern arrangement or lyrics.

3. Polly Wolly Doodle

   Public domainDifficulty: Beginner

   19th-century American traditional folk song · Public domain

   VerseC | C | G7 | C

   ChorusF | C | G7 | C

   Strum: Down-up D-U-D-U (light and lively)

   What to practice: Use the two chords C–G7 as a base to practice even down-up strumming, then add F in the chorus; great right after you've learned three chords.

   A 19th-century American traditional folk song, now in the public domain; this site only gives the chord progression, with no lyrics or melody tab.

4. He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

   Public domainDifficulty: Beginner

   Traditional spiritual · Public domain

   Phrase AC | C | G7 | G7

   Phrase BC | F | C–G7 | C

   Strum: Island strum D·D-U·U-D-U

   What to practice: A three-chord loop to practice "landing the chord right on beat 1"; listen for the G7→C resolution clearly.

   A traditional spiritual with no single living copyright holder; this site only takes the chord progression of the traditional melody, with no copyrighted modern arrangement or lyrics.

5. Aloha ʻOe (Hawaiian farewell song)

   Public domainDifficulty: Easy

   Queen Liliʻuokalani, c. 1878 (d. 1917) · Public domain

   VerseC | C | G7 | C ‖ C | F | C | G7–C

   ChorusF | C | C7 | F ‖ C | G7 | C | C

   Strum: Island strum D·D-U·U-D-U (the signature Hawaiian groove — slow it down with a swing)

   What to practice: The ukulele's true home turf; the C→C7→F color in the chorus + the island groove.

   Written around 1878 by Liliʻuokalani, the last queen of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi; the author has been dead over a century, so it's in the public domain — and it's perfect on the ukulele.

All of the above are public-domain works (authors deceased over 70 years / traditional pieces); we only provide chord progressions and practice tips. Melody tabs are limited to confirmed public-domain pieces (such as Twinkle Twinkle below).