Since the Ukulele is smaller, has two less strings, and is less expensive than guitar, it’s a great segue to guitar.
Tune to piano, or capo a guitar at fret five and tune to it.
Ukulele tuning (from thinner to thicker strings): 1 A 2 E 3 C 4 G
If
you’re playing the uke solo, skip to chord names.
Compare this to Guitar tuning: 1 E 2 B 3 G 4 D
(The baritone ukulele is tuned the same as guitar.)
Musical Scale: A B C D E F G A B C D E F G…
Notice that the ukulele is tuned a fourth higher than the guitar. So count up four from a guitar string and you’ll know the name of that ukulele sting, e.g., string one, e f g a, up 4. Conversely, count up five from a ukulele string to know the pitch of that guitar string (a b c d e). Mnemonic aid: U-G: 5 G-U4
This also applies to chord names. The uke’s A chord is the guitar’s E chord (counted up five). And the guitar’s E chord is the uke’s A chord (counted up four). Using the uke to learn guitar chords is as simple as this: rewrite the chord names in a Uke songbook or chord chart; next to the uke book’s chord name, count up five and write the guitar’s chord name.
If you’re playing with a guitarist or pianist, and you’ve memorized your chords by guitar chord names, you need to play the chord name that’s four higher than the chord name they’re playing. If you want to play with a guitarist, while you’re thinking guitar chord names, the guitarist needs to count up five from the chord name you’re playing, or capo at fret five. If this seems complicated, think of how much more difficult it would be to learn forty uke chords and then have to relearn them all when switching to guitar! And you should plan on switching, since the guitar has far greater capabilities and popularity.
Guitar chords we’ll
use for ukulele
With just these three chords, you can figure out hundreds of songs. The numbers represent the frets to be fingered, from string four to string one.
G: 0003 C: 2010 D: 0232
Note names String 4: 0D 2E 3F Sting 3: G0 A2 String 2: B0 C1 D3 String 1: E0 F1 G3
It’s best to begin learning by ear—or did you want to drag your music stand to the campfire? So figure out the songs you know, from this list. If moving to one chord doesn’t sound right, you have only two other chords to try. Look up lyrics online.
“Amazing Grace” (beginning note names: dg) “He’s Got the Whole World” ddbd (no C)
“Baa Baa Black Sheep” ggdd “Be Kind to Your Web-Footed Friends” ddcb (no C)
“Clementine” gggd (no C) “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” gb “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” bg “Jambalaya (on the bayou)” bde (no C) “Down in the Valley” dga (no C)
“This Land is Your Land” gabc “Good Night Ladies (Merrily We Roll Along)” bgdg