Question Of The Day: What’s The Easiest Song To Play On Ukulele?

Ukuleles are one of the easiest instruments to learn because they only have four strings and require simple chords. But before knowing what's the "easiest" song to play on the ukulele, we should first look at what makes a song easy to play. The easiest songs are usually those that have simple chord progressions and melodies with few or no difficult chords. Songs like these can be played by anyone who has basic musical knowledge. 

Elements That Make a Song Easy to Play

1. Chords

Chords are the building blocks of a song. A song with only one chord is easier to play than a song that has multiple chords. Chords can be simple or difficult depending on how many strings it spans, and if these strings are fretted by more than one finger at once (which produces what's known as an "open" chord). 

Examples of easy chords to play on the ukulele are C and A minor. This is because these chords are played by pressing down on one string on the fretboard. A C chord on the ukulele is played by pressing your third finger on fret 3 of the bottom string on your ukulele. On the other hand, an A minor chord on the ukulele is pressed down with your second finger on fret 2 of the uppermost string. 

2. Chord Progressions

The chord progression is the sequence of chords in a song that your fingers need to press down. A simple chord progression means that you don't have to move your fingers too much when playing the ukulele. 

One of the easiest chord progressions on the ukulele is C-G-Am-F. This chord progression is also used in many popular songs, which means learning this simple chord progression allows you to play several songs on the ukulele right away. The chords aren't that complicated, either!

3. Strumming and Plucking Patterns

The strumming pattern can also affect how easy or difficult it is to play a song on the ukulele. It refers to the repetitive pattern you produce when you strum the instrument. The more complex your strum, the harder it will be for beginners to learn and master. Strumming patterns are indicated as “d” for a downward strum and “u” for an upward strum. 

The simplest strumming pattern you can practice is strumming all the strings downward (d-d-d-d). This will give a very basic sound, but it's good to start with something simple and easy on your fingers before moving onto more complicated patterns. The next step up from this would be alternating between downstrokes and upstrokes.

4. Melodies

Another element that can influence how easy a song can be played on the ukulele is its melody. Although this isn’t much of an issue for beginners (since chords aren’t usually played according to melody), it will become more important as you progress and learn new songs.

Easy Songs to Play on the Ukulele

Now that we've covered everything about music theory, let us look into some of the best songs to play on the ukuleles. These songs were chosen based on their simplicity so that anyone who picks up a uke could easily pick up these tunes within minutes. Here are some beginner songs you can try on the ukulele: 

• Nursery Rhymes: There are plenty of nursery rhymes that are easy to play on the ukulele. Some of the most popular nursery rhymes you can learn are Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Mary Had a Little Lamb, or Hot Cross Buns. You can play these when you are just learning how to hold the ukulele or even when polishing your skills as an advanced player.

• I’m Yours: This song by Jason Mraz features the simple C-G-Am-F chord progression that’s easy to play. There’s plenty of songs that also feature this chord progression!
  
  

• Riptide: If you’re up for a challenge, then try this song by Vance Joy. Although it only has three chords, it has a more complicated strumming pattern which takes a bit more time to get used to.
  
  

• Somewhere Over the Rainbow: This is a classic song to play on the ukulele because of its Hawaiian origins. Although it features a few chords that are more difficult to play, the song is pretty easy to learn, even as a beginner. 

Ukuleles at Bondi Ukuleles

Here at Bondi Ukuleles, we have ukuleles of every style and size. You can pick a ukulele from our collection to learn and play different songs. To know more about our ukulele collection, you may reach out to one of the members of our Bondi Ukulele family. We’re more than happy to help you find the perfect ukulele that will jumpstart your musical journey!