No Ukulele Skills? No Problem!
So, you really want to buy a WAGAS ukulele, but you want it more to be just a pretty display piece in your home. You want so badly to play it well, but you’re not confident in your skills.
What if I tell you that you have what it takes?
All you need to learn is four basic chords C, G, Am, and F-- and you can pretty much play anything!
Mix that up into a different chord progression-- Am, C, G, and F, and you would pretty much become a ukulele pro in no time.
First, here’s a basic guide on how to play those chords:
To play C major, you place your ring finger on the third fret on the first string. The position of the ring finger helps you quickly shift into the other chords later.
To play G major, you can place your middle finger on the second fret of the first string, and then put your index finger on the second fret of the third string, and your ring finger on the third fret of the second string.
To play the A minor chord, you only need your middle finger on the second fret of the fourth string.
Finally, to play the F chord, you need to place your middle finger on the second fret of the fourth string, and add your index finger to the first fret of the second string.
All you need is to familiarize these chords and how your fingers are positioned on the instrument so you can get comfortable.
To help get you started, here are some songs you can play with those two chord progressions.
Chord progression 1:
C, G, Am, F
What ukulele players would call the most basic chord progression doesn’t seem basic at all when you consider how versatile it is.
From the classic “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What A Wonderful World” medley, to Taylor Swift’s You Belong With Me, I’m sure you can play hundreds of songs to impress your friends and family just by learning one chord progression.
Here’s a hint: Taylor really likes this chord progression. You can try playing most of her songs on the ukulele with these chords alternating-- her early hits like Our Song, Fifteen, Teardrops on my Guitar, and her newer songs like Cardigan.
Other songs you can play with this progression are Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours” and “Hey Soul Sister” by Train.
Chord Progression 2:
Am, C, G, F
A slight variation of the first chord progression, this brings the tone a little lower, which is perfect to play along to some well-known rock ballads.
A good song to play along to this chord progression is Counting Stars by One Republic. I have a theory that everybody could recite that song from top to bottom! The song basically repeats the entire chord progression all throughout.
Another fun song to play is Have You Ever Seen The Rain by Creedence Water Revival. Even your parents and grandparents would appreciate the easygoing chill vibe of this song.
Just practice!
I’m sure that with the right amount of practice, you’d be able to progress at ukulele playing faster than you think.
Who knows, maybe you can elevate your skills more and be able to write your own songs in the future!
Take a page from the book of America’s Got Talent winner Grace Vanderwaal, who played her original song “I Don’t Know My Name” during her auditions. And guess what? You can play this song with the similar chord progressions above too!
If you don’t have a ukulele yet, go check out the Wagas Ukuleles catalogue and see the best fit for you today.