Beginners

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HOW TO GET STARTED

Buy a uke and a book (my recommendations), and teach yourself, using the instruction book, the songs from this and other websites, and Jumpin' Jim Beloff's songbooks.
Come to the mid-month meetings of the GLASTONBURY UKULELE CLUB. The first hour (9:45am to 11:00am) is devoted to teaching beginners (from scratch!).
Contact me (Dr. Uke) to find out when I will be teaching Adult Ed or other group lessons.

Practice the most useful chord progression in several common keys:I I7 IV V7. Play a few songs, then come back and practice them some more!

VIDEOS OF DR. UKE AND DAUGHTERS from various venues in NYC

BEGINNERS' SONGS: (I recommend practicing them in the following order. Start with the slow versions. The "BAR" is a link to the baritone arrangement, for tuning DGBE)
- Lullaby and Goodnight/Guten Abend, Gut' Nacht (Brahms' Lullaby) * s BAR-3 chord song in keys of A and C-added 11/30/14
STRUMMING FOR BEGINNERS

Improve your ability to play songs in the common ukulele keys of C,F,G,D, and A by playing "Amazing Grace" and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" in those keys. The first set of "Amazing Grace" contains just the basic three chords of the songs. By playing the "fancy" versions, you will learn other important chords (minors, 9ths, suspended 7ths). I plan to add other songs in those common ukulele keys, which will introduce other types of chords.

Amazing Grace-C s   BAR-added 1/3/16

Amazing Grace-F s   BAR-added 1/3/16

Amazing Grace-G s   BAR-added 1/3/16

Amazing Grace-D s   BAR-added 1/3/16

Amazing Grace-A s   BAR-added 1/3/16

Amazing Grace-C-Fancy s   BAR-added 1/3/16

Amazing Grace-F-Fancy s   BAR-added 1/3/16

Amazing Grace-G-Fancy s   BAR-added 1/3/16

Amazing Grace-D-Fancy s   BAR-added 1/3/16

Amazing Grace-A-Fancy s   BAR-added 1/3/16

NEW! I added slow versions of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot."

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot-C* s (slow)    BAR

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot-F* s (slow)    BAR

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot-G* s (slow)    BAR

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot-D* s (slow)    BAR

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot-A* s (slow)    BAR

(More songs below)

LITTLE (BUT VERY IMPORTANT) POINTS TO REMEMBER:

Keep your left thumb low in the back of the neck, and vertically oriented.
Strum over the fingerboard, not over the sound hole.
Keep the fingernails of your left hand short (if you're playing right-handed).
Hold the ukulele so that the right end hits your inner biceps muscle and your forearm crosses the uke's lower right. Then strum where your hand lands.
Practice your strumming away from the ukulele when you can. For example, in the car, on your seat belt.
Practice chord changes when you can. For example, during a television program, or at least during the commercials.
Smile!

More Beginners' Songs:

Abraham, Martin, and John *s   BAR (C)

Achy Breaky Heart *s   BAR (F)

Act Naturally--SLOW VERSION *s   BAR (C)

Act Naturally *s   BAR (C)

All Day and All of the Night *s   BAR (D)

All Out of Love *s   BAR (F)

Already Gone *s   BAR (C)

Always Take a Girl Named Daisy *s   BAR (G)

And I Love You So-G *s   BAR (G)

And I Love You So-A *s   BAR (A)

Angel Baby *s   BAR (G)

Auld Lang Syne * s   BAR (C)

Aura Lee *s   BAR (D)

Autumn To May s   BAR (D)

Baby, It's You *s   BAR (C)

Baby's In Black *s   BAR (F)

Back In My Arms Again *s   BAR (C)

Back In the Saddle Again s   BAR (C)

Bad, Bad Leroy Brown *s   BAR (F)

Bad Moon Rising-D *s   BAR (D)

Bad Moon Rising-F *s   BAR (F)

Ballad of Davy Crockett * s   BAR (C)

Ballad of Davy Crockett-with key change * s   BAR (C and D)

Ballad of Jed Clampett *s   BAR (D)

Barefoot Days *s   BAR (F)

Be-Bop-a-Lula *s   BAR (G)

Beer Barrel Polka-G *s   BAR (G)

Beer Barrel Polka-F *s   BAR (F)

Big Girls Don't Cry *s   BAR (F)

Bird On the Wire s   BAR (A)

Blowin' In the Wind s   BAR (C)

Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain *s   BAR (D)

Blues On a Ukulele *s   BAR (Bb)

Bring It On Home To Me *s   BAR (D)

Bristol Stomp *s   BAR (A)

Brown Eyed Girl *s   BAR (C)

Burning Love *s   BAR (G)

Bye Bye Love * s   BAR (F)

Bye Bye Love *   BAR (C)-no audio

Cab Driver *s   BAR (C)

Caissons Go Rolling Along s   BAR (C)

Candy Kisses *s   BAR (C)

Can't You Hear My Heartbeat *s   BAR (F)

Catch the Wind s   BAR (C)

Chains *s   BAR (F)

Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes *s   BAR (C)

Chapel of Love-C *s   BAR (C)

Chapel of Love-F *s   BAR (F)

Charlie On the M.T.A. s   BAR (G)

Claudette *s   BAR (A)

Crazy Love-D *s   BAR (D)

Crazy Love-F *s   BAR (F)

Crying *s   BAR (G)

Crystal Chandeliers *s   BAR (D)

Cupid/Another Saturday Night (Sam Cooke Medley)s   BAR (C and D)

Cupid (Sam Cooke)/Diana (Paul Anka) *s   BAR (C)

Da Doo Ron Ron *s   BAR (D)

Danny Boy *s   BAR (C)

Danny Boy-with key change *s   BAR (C and D)

Deep In the Heart of Texas s   BAR (D)

Detour *s   BAR

Devil In Disguise *s   BAR (D)

Don't-C *s   BAR (C)

Don't-D *s   BAR (D)

Don't Let Go *s   BAR (C)

Don't Say Nothin' Bad About My Baby *s   BAR (D)

Don't Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow) s   BAR (F)

Don't Stop Believin' *s   BAR (F)

Do Re Mi *s   BAR (C)

Do Wah Diddy Diddy *s   BAR (A)

Down In the Valley * s   BAR (C, D, and F)

Down On the Corner *s   BAR (D)

Dream Baby-C *s   BAR (C)

Dream Baby-Bb *s   BAR (Bb)

Dreamin' *s   BAR (C and D)

Everything Is Beautiful *s   BAR (C and D)

Easy To Be Hard *s   BAR (G)

El Paso *s   BAR (C)

Elusive Butterfly *s   BAR (C)

Everyday People *s   BAR (G)

Eye of the Tiger *s   BAR (G)

Fiddlin' Dan (Arkansas Traveler tune) *s   BAR (D)

50 Ways To Leave Your Lover *s   BAR (C)

(Counting) Flowers On the Wall *s   BAR (F)

Fly Away *s   BAR (D)

Follow Me *s   BAR (C)

Fooled Around and Fell In Love *s   BAR (G)

Fool On the Hill *s   BAR (G)

For He's a Jolly Good Fellow * s   BAR (C)

For Me and My Gal s   BAR (F)

For What It's Worth *s   BAR (D)

The Frozen Logger *s   BAR (C and D)

Funny How Time Slips Away *s   BAR (D)

The Gambler *s   BAR (C)

Games People Play *s   BAR (D)

Garden Song * s   BAR (C)

Get Together-F (C'mon People Now Smile On Your Brother) *s   BAR (F)

Get Together-D (C'mon People Now Smile On Your Brother) *s   BAR (D)

Gimme Little Sign (Give Me a Little Sign, Girl) *s   BAR (F)

Girl *s   BAR (Gm/Bb)

The Girl That I Marry *s   BAR (G)

Going To the Zoo *s   BAR (D)

Good Morning Starshine *s   BAR (F)

Goodnight, Irene s   BAR (F)

Grandfather's Clock s   BAR (F)

Grandma's Feather Bed *s   BAR (C)

Greenback Dollar *s   BAR (F)

Gypsy Woman-Am *s   BAR (Am)

Gypsy Woman-Dm *s   BAR (Dm)

Hang On Sloopy *s   BAR (G)

Hard Headed Woman *s   BAR (F)

He'll Have To Go *s   BAR (D)

Help Me Make It Through the Night s   BAR (C)

Here Comes My Baby *s   BAR (D)

Hey Jude s   BAR (A)

Home On the Range s   BAR (C)

A Horse With No Name-Am s   BAR (Am)

A Horse With No Name-Dm s   BAR (Dm)

Humble and Kind s   BAR (G)

Hush-a-Bye *s   BAR (Am)

I Almost Lost My Mind *s   BAR (C)

I Can Help *s   BAR (G)

I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) s   BAR (D)

I Dig Rock and Roll Music s   BAR (A7)

I Got a Name *s   BAR (C)

I Like It, I Love It *s   BAR (G)

I Like It Like That *s   BAR (D)

I Love the Flower Girl (The Rain, the Park, and Other Things) *s   BAR (D)

I'll Be Your Baby Tonight s   BAR (D)

I'll Fly Away *s   BAR

I'm a Believer C * s   BAR (C)

I'm Confessin' That I Love You-slow, easier chords *s   BAR (G)

I'm Free *s   BAR (G)

I'm Leaving It All Up To You *s   BAR (D)

I'm Walkin' s   BAR (F)

I Never See Maggie Alone s   BAR (C)

I Never Will Marry *s   BAR (C)

I Think We're Alone Now *s   BAR (D)

I Walk The Line * s   BAR (C)

I Want to be Happy-easy * s   BAR (G and C)

I Want To Hold Your Hand *s   BAR (C)

I'm a Fool To Care *s   BAR (G)

I'm Gonna Make You Love Me *s   BAR (G)

I've Been Working on the RailRoad * s   BAR (C)

I've Got a Home In That Rock *s   BAR (C)

I've Just Seen a Face *s   BAR (D)

I've Told Every Little Star s   BAR (C)

Imagine *s   BAR (G)

In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree * s   BAR (C)

In the Summertime * s   BAR (C)

Island In the Sun s   BAR (C)

Isn't She Lovely s   BAR (F)

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear *s   BAR (F)

It Hurts To Be In Love *s   BAR (C)

It Never Rains In Southern California s   BAR (F)

It's Only Make Believe-No key change s   BAR (F)

It Was a Very Good Year *s   BAR (D)

Jailhouse Rock-D *s   BAR (D)

Jailhouse Rock-G *s   BAR (G)

Jamaica Farewell s   BAR (C)

Jambalaya *s   BAR (A)

Jennifer Juniper *s   BAR (D)

Jenny (or Jimmy) Mack *s   BAR (C)

Jim Dandy (To the Rescue) *s   BAR (F)

Jingle Bells *   BAR (C)

Jingle Bells *   BAR (D)

Juanita s   BAR (C)

Just a Little *s   BAR (Dm)

Just a Song Before I Go *s   BAR (Am)

Just Walkin' In the Rain *s   BAR (C and D)

Kansas City s   BAR (A)

Kodachrome *s   BAR (C)

Keep A-Knockin' (Little Richard Medley) * s   BAR (G)

Kentucky Woman *s   BAR (G)

Key Largo *s   BAR (C)

Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream *s   BAR (C)

Lavender Blue *s   BAR (C)

Laws of Nature *s   BAR (C)

Lean On Me *s   BAR (A)

Lean On Me-G *s   BAR (G)

Leavin' On a Jet Plane-C *s   BAR (C)

Leavin' On a Jet Plane-F (F)

Let Me In (Whee-ooh)-A s   BAR (A)

Let Me In (Whee-ooh)-G   BAR-no audio (G)

The Lion Sleeps Tonight *s   BAR (D)

Little Bit O' Soul *s   BAR C

Little Bitty Pretty One s   BAR (C)

A Little Bitty Tear s   BAR (C)

Little House On the Hill s   BAR (C)

Little Richard Medley (Keep A-Knockin'/Long Tall Sally/Tutti Fruity) * s   BAR (G)

Lonesome Town *s   BAR (C)

Long, Long Ago s   BAR (C)

Lookin' Out My Back Door *s   BAR (F and G)

Look To the Rainbow *s   BAR (C)

Look What They Done To My Song, Ma *s   BAR (C)

Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)-no key change *s   BAR (D)

Love Hurts *s   BAR (D)

Love Is Blue *s   BAR (Dm)

Love Me Do-A *s   BAR (A)

Love Me Do-C *s   BAR (C)

Lucky Lips *s   BAR (C)

Lucky, Lucky, Lucky Me *s   BAR (Am)

The Magic Touch *s   BAR (C)

Make the World Go Away *s   BAR (A)

Making Love, Ukulele Style *s   BAR (F)

Mama Look A Boo Boo (I Wonder Why Nobody Don't Like Me) *s   BAR (C)

Man (or Maid) of Constant Sorrow s   BAR (Bb)

Margaritaville-Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes (Jimmy Buffett medley)*s   BAR (C)

McDonald's/Don't Eat the Liverwurst (parody-sung to the tune of "Down By the Riverside")* s   BAR (C)

Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard *s   BAR (D)

Monster Mash s   BAR (G)

Moscow Nights (English version)-no key change *s   BAR (Am)

Moscow Nights/Dark Eyes (Russian songs-in English)*s   BAR (Am)

Mr. Blue *s   BAR (D)

Mr. Tambourine Man *s   BAR (G)

Muskrat Love *s   BAR (D)

My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean -slow * s   BAR (F)

My Maria *s   BAR (G)

Never Been To Spain *s   BAR (C)

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down s   BAR (F)

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da *s   BAR (D)

Octopus's Garden *s   BAR (C)

Oh, Boy! *s   BAR (D and F)

Oh, Lonesome Me s   BAR (C and G)

Oh Lonesome Me/O Susanna Medley s   BAR (C)

Oklahoma *s   BAR (G)

Old Man *s   BAR (A)

On the Road Again *s   BAR 24 (C)

On Top Of Old Smoky s   BAR (C)

The Open Road *s   BAR (C and D)

Over the River and Through the Woods-G *s   BAR (G)

Over the River and Through the Woods-C *s   BAR (C)

Papa Loves Mambo *s   BAR (Bb)

Paper Roses-no key change (Marie Osmond/Loretta Lynn/Connie Francis)*s   BAR (G)

Party Doll/At the Hop/Do You Wanna Dance s   BAR (F and D)

Peggy Sue s   BAR (F)

Perfidia *s   BAR (G)

Peter Cottontail *s   BAR (A)

Put Your Arms Around Me, Honey * s   BAR (Bb and C)

Rain On the Roof *s   BAR (D)

Ramblin' Rose s   BAR (A)

Red River Valley * s   BAR (C)

(Sinking of the) Reuben James *s   BAR (A)

Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay *s   BAR (F)

Rock and Roll Music *s   BAR (C)

Rock Around the Clock * s (slow)    BAR (C)

Rock Around the Clock-a little fancier s   BAR (C)

Roses Are Red s   BAR (C)

Sad Songs (Say So Much) *s   BAR (D)

Santa Catalina (26 Miles Across the Sea) *s   BAR (A)

Save the Last Dance For Me s   BAR (C and D)

Save the Last Dance For Me-no key change *   BAR (C)-no audio

Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose? *s   BAR (G)

Scarlet Ribbons s   BAR (D)

Searchin' * s   BAR

Secret Agent Man *s   BAR (Am)

Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding *s   BAR (A)

She'd Rather Be With Me-no key change *s   BAR (D)

She's Got a Way (About Her) *s   BAR (D)

Side By Side * s   BAR (C)

Silly Love Songs *s   BAR (D)

Since I Met You, Baby s   BAR (C)

Sister Golden Hair *s   BAR (C)

Sixteen Tons-Dm *s   BAR (Dm)

Sixteen Tons-Am *s   BAR (Am)

Solitary Man * s   BAR (C)

Somebody Stole My Gal *s   BAR (G and A)

Something Stupid *s   BAR (D)

Something To Talk About *s   BAR (A)

Song For a Winter's Night *s   BAR (G)

Songman s   BAR (A)

Song Sung Blue * s   BAR (C)

Spanish Eyes *s   BAR (F)

Splish Splash * s   BAR (G)

A Spoonful of Sugar *s   BAR (D)

Stand By Me *s   BAR (C)

Starwood In Aspen s   BAR (C)

Stop In the Name of Love *s   BAR (C)

Stupid Cupid *s   BAR (F)

Sugar Town *s   BAR (G)

Summer Breeze *s   BAR (A)

Summer Rain *s   BAR (Em)

Summertime Blues s   BAR (C)

Surf City *s   BAR (D)

Sunshine s   BAR (F)

Sunshine On My Shoulders s   BAR (F)

Sweet City Woman *s   BAR (C)

Sweet Nothin's s   BAR (G)

Sweet Surrender *s   BAR (D)

Sylvia's Mother *s   BAR (D)

Take a Message To Mary *s   BAR (C)

Take It To the Limit-C *s   BAR (C)

Take It To the Limit-D *s   BAR (D)

Take Me Out to the Ball Game s   BAR (A)

Takes Two To Tango (Pearl Bailey/Louis Armstrong)s   BAR (D and F)

Takes Two To Tango-no key change (Pearl Bailey/Louis Armstrong)s   BAR (D)

Take These Chains From My Heart *s   BAR (C)

Teach Your Children Well *s   BAR (C)

Then I'd Be Satisfied With Life *s   BAR (C)

There Is a Tavern in the Town * s   BAR (C)

Things-no key change s   BAR (C)

This Land Is Your Land *s   BAR (C)

This Train *s   BAR (Am)

Time of the Season *s   BAR (Am)

Time of Your Life *s   BAR (D)

Tired of Waiting For You *s   BAR (C)

To Know Him Is To Love Him (or To Know Her) *s   BAR (D)

Too Late To Turn Back Now *s   BAR (D)

Tutti Fruity (Little Richard Medley) * s   BAR (G)

25 or 6 to 4 *s   BAR (C)

Twistin' the Night Away s   BAR (C)

Two Brothers *s   BAR (Am)

Up On Cripple Creek *s   BAR (D)

Vacation *s   BAR (F)

Wagon Wheel *s   BAR (F)

Was a Sunny Day *s   BAR (C)

Well, Well, Well *s   BAR (Am)

What Have They Done To My Song, Ma? *s   BAR (C)

When *s   BAR (D and Eb)

When a Man Loves a Woman s   BAR (C)

When the Red, Red Robin Goes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along * s   BAR (C)

When the Saints Go Marching In *   BAR (C)

When the Saints Go Marching In * s   BAR (A)

Where Have All the Flowers Gone s   BAR (A)

The Whiffenpoof Song *s   BAR (A)

Whistle While You Work *s   BAR (F)

The White Cliffs of Dover *s   BAR (G)

The Wild Rover s   BAR (D)

Willkommen *s   BAR (D and F)

Windy *s   BAR (C)

Wishin' and Hopin' s   BAR (C)

Witch Doctor-no key change *s   BAR (F)

Witch Doctor-no key change-SLOW VERSION *s   BAR (F)

Won't You Be My Neighbor-easier s   BAR (C)

Yankee Doodle s   BAR (F)

Yellow Submarine *s   BAR (C)

Yes Sir, That's My Baby * s   BAR (C)

Yesterday's Gone *s   BAR (D)

You Are My Sunshine -slow * s   BAR (C)

You Are Not Alone-F *s   BAR (F)

You Are Not Alone-C *s   BAR (C)

You Beat Me To the Punch *s   BAR (D)

You Don't Mess Around With Jim *s   BAR (C)

You Make Me Feel Like Dancing *s   BAR (C and D)

You May Be Right-F *s   BAR (F)

You May Be Right-D *s   BAR (D)

You Never Can Tell *s   BAR (A)

You Raise Me Up *s   BAR (C and D)

Your Cheatin' Heart * s   BAR (C)

You're No Good *s   BAR (Am)

You're Only Lonely *s   BAR (C)

(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher *s   BAR (D)

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy (I Got Love In My Tummy) *s   BAR (B and C)

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy (I Got Love In My Tummy)-no key change *s   BAR (B and C)

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