Ukulele · Chapter 7 of 24
First Chords: C and Am
Two chords, one finger each. By the end of this chapter you’ll be strumming a steady beat and changing between them.
A chord is several notes sounding together. On the ukulele you hold a shape with the fretting hand and strum all four strings. The two easiest chords on the instrument each need just one finger.
C major
Ring finger (3) on the 3rd fret of string 1, the A string. Strum all four strings. It sounds bright and settled: a “home” sound.
A minor (Am)
Middle finger (2) on the 2nd fret of string 4, the G string. Strum all four. It sounds softer and a little sad: that’s the sound of a minor chord.
The down strum
Curl your strumming hand loosely, as if holding a small coin between thumb and index finger. Brush down across all four strings with the nail of the index finger, from the G string to the A string, moving from the wrist and forearm, not the shoulder. Some players strum with the pad of the thumb instead, which gives a softer sound; both are fine.
One strum on every beat, four beats per chord. Count “1, 2, 3, 4” out loud and change chord on the next “1.”
Changing between them
C to Am is easy because each chord uses a different finger. While you strum beat 4 of C, get ready: lift the ring finger and set down the middle finger on the 2nd fret of the G string just in time for beat 1. Keep strumming even if the change isn’t perfect yet; the beat matters more than the chord at first.
Remember
- C: finger 3, A string, 3rd fret. Am: finger 2, G string, 2nd fret.
- Strum down with the index fingernail, from the wrist, over where the neck meets the body.
- Keep the beat steady and change chord on beat 1.