Before learning one of the 10 easy ukulele songs for beginners, make sure that you can play the 4 basic ukulele chords, and the ukulele strumming patterns PDF. Once you can play the basic chords and strumming patterns in the two linked articles, you are ready to tackle the following easy ukulele songs for beginners.
When learning a song, it’s a good idea to use a few different tools. First, have a listen to the song and get the melody in your ear. Then, download the PDF to understand how the strumming pattern and chords fit within the lyrics and melody. Finally, have a look at the chord a lyric sheet to learn the whole song.
*Remember that it can take a while to learn a song well. I suggest working on the different parts on their own before bringing it all together. For ex, practise the strumming pattern first, then work on changing the chords, then try adding the lyrics. If you’re having some difficulty, I am happy to help you out if you like -> Ukulele lessons in Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto.
#1: Country Roads
Country Roads for ukulele PDF: Verse + Chorus
Start by the learning the verse. The strumming pattern of the verse uses only down-strums. In the chorus, I combined one bar of the universal strumming pattern (down, down, up, up, down, up) with one bar of down-strums. If the universal strumming pattern is too difficult, simply play down-strums all the way through.
*Eventually, you can try the universal strumming pattern throughout (more advanced)
Country roads – Lyrics and chords.
#2: Leaving on a Jet Plane
This second easy ukulele songs for beginners uses the universal strumming pattern (down, down, up, up, down, up). If you are having trouble with this strumming pattern, follow the steps in our ukulele strumming pattern article. The lyrics fall naturally within this pattern. If it’s too hard, simply play down strums.
-> Leaving on a jet plane lyrics + chords *replace the Dm chord with an F and the G7 chord with a G
Easy Ukulele Songs for Beginners #3: Cups
This song is written with a strumming pattern of eighth notes (down, up, down, up…). The lyrics fall nicely into this rhythm. If you’re feeling comfortable, try playing this song with the universal strumming pattern.
#4: Hokey Pokey
This is a great song to play for kids. You can give it a nice bouncy feel if you wish. I wrote the PDF with the universal strumming pattern on the F chord, and with eighth notes over the C7 chord. If you’re having trouble with the strumming, you can simply play down-strums and it will still sound great.
#5: Let it Be
-> Let it Be PDF (easy)
This great Beatles classic sounds great on the ukulele. The strumming pattern fits naturally with the lyrics. The chord progression changes around a little bit more than the other songs, so watch out for that.
-> Let it Be chords + Lyrics *Feel free to omit the Em, Dm C rundown.
#6: Three Little Birds
This Bob Marley classic sounds great on the ukulele. I combined the universal strumming pattern (down, down, up, up, down, up) with 4 down-strums to make it easy to fit in the lyrics. If you’re having difficulty with it, simply play down-strums.
#7: I’m Yours
This song by Jason Mraz is very rhythmic. There are a lot of lyrics to fit into the verse sections. Therefore, playing eighth notes (down, up, down, up) will help connect your singing with your strumming on the ukulele.
#8: Rip Tide
-> Rip Tide PDF (like the recording)
-> Rip Tide PDF (Easy) (easy ukulele songs for beginners)
I’ve written two versions of Rip Tide. The first one includes the strumming pattern used by Vance Joy. The second one is written using only down strums. It can be a little difficult to align the singing with the full strumming pattern. I recommend trying the easy version first.
#10: Stand By Me
This Ben E. King classic sounds great on the ukulele. The lyrics fit nicely within the universal strumming pattern.
-> Stand by Me chords + lyrics
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed working through the 10 easy ukulele songs for beginners. If you would like to brush up on your basics, have a look at how to play ukulele for adults and kids.
For help with any of this material: -> Ukulele lessons in Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto.
About Musiprof
Musiprof is a canadian music organization that connects qualified music teachers to students. Musiprof also believes that playing should be enjoyed by everyone and not just professional musicians. After all, playing music helps everyone live happier and healthier lives.
- To find a ukulele teacher in Montreal, visit: Ukulele lessons Montreal
- If you’e interested in finding a teacher in Vancouver, visit Ukulele lessons Vancouver
- Looking for a teacher in Toronto? Ukulele lessons Toronto
