Ukulele

Workbook

#1

Name:_____________________________

Chords You’ll Learn In This Book-

Notes On A Ukulele

This diagram shows where individual notes are on

the ukulele. To play the note, you press down on

the fret and pluck the string you’re pressing on-

just like a chord, but without strumming.

The four notes that look like they’re not on frets

are the notes you would hear if you pluck the

string all by itself- this is called an open string. To

make things simple, these strings are referred to

by the notes they play when they’re open- i.e., the

C string, the E string, ect.

For these songs, you’ll only need the

sticker chords-

Shake It Off

Performed by Taylor Swift

(play 4 strums per chord, on a steady beat)

Lips Are Movin'

Performed by Meghan Trainor

(play 2 strums per chord, slower than “Shake It Off”)

This is the F major chord. To play it, place your

middle finger on the red sticker (like you were

going to play an Am chord) and add your first

finger as shown in the diagram.

Respect

Performed by Aretha Franklin

x3

x2

Home

Performed by Phillip Phillips

x3

Hound Dog

Performed by Elvis Presley

This is a __________ progression in the key of ____

Red Balloon

Performed by Charlie XCX

Labeling Chords

This is the D minor chord (written as Dm). To

play it, position your fingers like you are

playing an F chord, and add your third finger

to the green sticker as shown by the diagram.

Just My Imagination

Performed by The Temptations

My Girl

Performed by The Temptations

x2

Compass

Performed by Lady Antebellum

One

Performed by U2

X2 X2

X3 X2

X3 X2

X8, End on a C chord.

This is the E minor chord (written as Em). To

play it, place your first and second fingers on

the green stickers and add your third finger

as shown in the diagram. Your fingers should

make a diagonal-looking shape.

I Will Wait Performed by Mumford & Sons

First Chorus

Second Chorus

Pachelbel’s Canon By Johann Pachelbel

(two strums per chord)

Root Notes

Every chord is a certain combination of 3 (or more) notes.

The root note of a chord is the note that the chord is

named after.

IMPORTANT! The root of a minor chord is ONLY the

letter name. Notes, all by themselves, are not major or

minor.

Exercise 1: Write the root note above each chord in

Pachelbel’s Canon. Find a partner. One of you plays the

chords on the ukulele and one of you plays the root note

on the recorder (use half notes!).

Exercise 2:

Find a partner. One of you plays the notes on

the staff with a recorder, and one of you plays

the ukulele chords written above (4 strums

each per note). Then switch.

Exercise 3:

Circle the notes on the staff that are root notes of their matching chord.

Can’t Buy Me Love Performed by the Beatles

(two strums per chord)

Song Form

The E7 chord looks a little tricky, but is

actually very natural to play once you get

the hang of it. Use the green stickers to

position your second and third fingers,

and place your first finger as shown in

the diagram.

Fur Elise By Ludwig Van Beethoven

Song Form

Imagine

Performed by John Lennon

Song Form

Somewhere Over The Rainbow Performed by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole

Use this rhythm for every bar-

(Wait 10 measure until vocals come in)