Your First Four Ukulele Chords

The ukulele is one of the friendliest instruments to learn. Its four nylon strings are gentle on fingers, and many chords need only one or two fingers. With just four chords, you can play a huge number of songs.

Reading a ukulele chord diagram

Hold the ukulele facing you, standing up. The four vertical lines are the strings: from left to right they are G, C, E and A. The horizontal lines are the frets.

• A dot shows where to press. The orange dot is the root, the note the chord is named after.
• ○ above a string means play it open.

The four chords

• C: ring finger on the third fret of the A string. Just one finger!
• Am: middle finger on the second fret of the G string.
• F: keep the Am shape, and add your index finger on the first fret of the E string.
• G: index on the C string (2nd fret), ring on the E string (3rd fret) and middle on the A string (2nd fret). It makes a little triangle.

The four-chord pattern

Play each chord four times with a gentle down strum:

C → Am → F → G, then back to C.

This pattern, in this order or a slightly different one, is behind a surprising number of pop songs, film songs and nursery rhymes. Once it feels smooth, try singing along to a song you love.

Free toolChord FinderLook up any chord and see guitar chord diagrams and piano keys side by side, then hear how it sounds.

Last updated 9 October 2026

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