Ukulele Chord Progressions
Pick a mood, hear the progression play, see the shapes, then take it straight into the strumming trainer to practise. A friendly way to find chords that sound great together.
The Four-Chord Song
The progressions
Ukulele chord progressions, by mood
A chord progression is simply the order you play a few chords in, looped over and over. Learn a handful and you can play hundreds of songs, and start writing your own. Below are 21 of the best, grouped by the feeling they give off. Tap Play this in the tool on any of them to load it into the player above, hear it, see the shapes, and try it in any key.
One quick note on the numbers you’ll see (I, IV, V and so on): they just tell you which chord of the key you’re on. Capital letters are major chords, small letters are minor. You don’t need to memorise them to play, they just show why two songs sound alike.
Beginner Ukulele Chord Progressions
The ones you already half-know. Easy open chords and instant songs.
Four-Chord Song
Four of the main chords in the key of C. They all belong to the same key, and the F at the end leads your ear back to the C at the start, so it loops cleanly. Jason Mraz’s I’m Yours uses it in the key of B.
Doo-Wop
The same four chords as above in a different order and key. It starts on the home chord (G), drops to its relative minor (Em), then uses C and D to lead back home. Ben E King’s Stand By Me uses it in the key of A.
Happy Ukulele Chord Progressions
Bright, major-key and upbeat. Feel-good strumming.
Pop Anthem
It ends on the V chord (A) instead of the home chord, so each loop leads straight into the next rather than resolving. That is why it suits building pop choruses.
Sweet Home
Just the I, V and IV chords of the key, the three that fit together most naturally. It keeps moving because it rarely lands on home. Sweet Home Alabama uses these three in the key of G.
Island Ukulele Chord Progressions
The reason a ukulele sounds like a beach.
Island Strum
The three main chords of the key (I, IV and V), so nothing sits outside the key and the E leads back to A. Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds uses it in the key of A.
Over the Rainbow
It moves between major and minor chords from the same key, mixing bright and sad. Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s ukulele version is in the key of C.
Dreamy Ukulele Chord Progressions
Soft, floaty and a little wistful. Great with maj7 and gentle picking.
Dreamy Wash
A major 7th is a normal major chord with one extra note added on top, which makes it sound softer and less finished. Alternating two of them is a common lo-fi sound.
Maj7 Drift
Every chord is a 7th, so none of them sound final. It moves smoothly from one to the next, which is common in neo-soul and R&B.
Suspended Sky
A sus chord replaces the note that decides major or minor with a neighbouring one, so it sounds unresolved. Dropping back to the plain chord resolves it.
Sad Ukulele Chord Progressions
Minor and bittersweet. The loopable, in-your-feelings ones.
The Sensitive One
It starts on the minor vi chord and ends on V rather than home, so it never fully resolves and loops easily. It is common in acoustic ballads.
Creep
The fourth chord is the trick: the C major becomes C minor, one note dropping down. That borrowed minor chord is the hook of Radiohead’s Creep, which is in the key of G.
Rising Sun
A minor progression that uses a major D chord, which is not in the natural minor scale, so it sounds unsettled. It is the basis of House of the Rising Sun.
Epic Ukulele Chord Progressions
Big and cinematic, with choruses that lift off.
The Zimmer
All four chords come from the E minor scale, cycling round in an order that keeps rising and falling. It is a common film-score progression.
Pachelbel’s Canon
Under the chords, the bass note steps down the scale one at a time, which is easy for the ear to follow. It is shown here in its original key of D, and turns up in Let It Go and Basket Case.
Viva
It starts on the IV chord instead of the home chord, so it sounds like it is already mid-phrase. Coldplay’s Viva la Vida uses this progression.
Jazzy Ukulele Chord Progressions
Smoky 7th chords and smooth turnarounds.
ii - V - I
The standard jazz ending. The V chord (G7) builds tension and the I chord (Cmaj7) resolves it. Most jazz standards end this way.
Autumn Leaves
Two ii-V-I moves linked together, working around the key. The jazz standard Autumn Leaves is built on it.
Bossa Nova
The G7 is not in the key of F, so it adds a lift before the progression settles. This kind of borrowed chord is common in bossa nova, like Girl From Ipanema.
Bluesy Ukulele Chord Progressions
Dominant 7ths, swing and swagger.
12-Bar Blues
Every chord is a dominant 7th, which adds a slightly dissonant note to a major chord. That is the core blues sound, used in almost every blues and early rock song.
Ragtime Turnaround
Each chord is a 7th that leads to the next, moving round the circle of fifths back to the start. It is common in ragtime and trad jazz.
Advanced Ukulele Chord Progressions
The clever, colourful ones that make people ask how you did that.
Royal Road
It sets up to resolve home but lands on the minor vi chord instead. It is used in a lot of anime and J-pop, including Demon Slayer’s Gurenge and Lemon.
Andalusian Cadence
The chords step down the scale (Am, G, F) to a major E, which creates tension at the end. It is the flamenco sound heard in Stairway to Heaven and Hit the Road Jack.
Neo-Soul
Mostly 7th chords from the key, ending on an A7 that is borrowed from outside it to add movement. It is common in neo-soul and gospel.
Take a progression further
Once a progression is under your fingers, this is how you turn it into a song:
- Send it to the Strumming Trainer to add a rhythm and loop it hands-free. The progression carries straight across.
- Switch on Fingerpick in the player above for a softer, gentler feel.
- Use the key selector to move it to a key that suits your voice. The shapes change, the pattern stays.
- Stuck on a shape? Look it up in the Chord Browser or name one you stumble on with the Chord Namer.
- Want songs that use these? Browse the ukulele tabs library.
- Change the feel by slowing it right down for emotion, or speeding it up for energy.
Want to go deeper?
My Ukulele Utopia course walks you through chords, strumming and songwriting step by step, so these progressions turn into real songs you can play.
Questions
Chord progression FAQ
What is a chord progression?
It is just the order you play a few chords in, usually looped. Most songs repeat the same small handful the whole way through. Learn one progression and you can play a lot of songs that share it.
What is the most common ukulele chord progression?
I–V–vi–IV, which is C, G, Am and F in the key of C. It sits under a huge number of pop hits, which is why it gets nicknamed the four-chord song.
Do chord progressions work in any key?
Yes. A progression is a pattern of steps, not fixed chords. Use the key selector on the tool above to move any progression to a key that suits your voice. The shapes change but the pattern stays the same.
How should I practise one?
Load it into the tool, play it slowly until the changes feel smooth, then send it to the Strumming Trainer to add a rhythm. Little and often beats one long session.
Can I use these to write my own songs?
Absolutely. Common progressions cannot be copyrighted, only the melody on top. Pick one that fits the mood you want and write over it.