Indie heroes Arctic Monkeys combined with the ukulele has been a big hit with fans of this website. I’ve arranged every one of their albums for the uke, and you can see my medley of AM here. “Do I Wanna Know” is a monster riff that sounds really good on the ukulele, and it’s become one of the most requested songs from readers.
What Are We Learning To Play?
Below is a video of what you will be able to play by the end of this post.
Ukulele Tabs
This riff centers around two key techniques that every ukulele player should master: hammer-ons and slides. Once you get comfortable with these, you’ll find them everywhere in modern music.
A hammer-on is marked with an “h” between two numbers in the tabs. You pluck the first note, then place your finger firmly on the second fret without plucking again. This creates a smooth, connected sound between the two notes. Slides are marked with a “/” and work similarly—you pluck the first note, then slide your finger to the new position while maintaining pressure on the string.
Let’s set up your fretting hand for success. Place your index finger on the 5th fret of the C string, with your middle and ring fingers hovering over the 6th and 7th frets respectively. This positioning keeps everything within easy reach.
Start by plucking the 5th fret, then immediately hammer your ring finger onto the 7th fret. You should hear two distinct notes from just one pluck. Next, your middle finger hits the 6th fret, then back to the 7th with your ring finger. Repeat this pattern twice, but don’t end on the 7th fret the second time—this sets you up perfectly for the next section.
Now you’re moving to the G string for the slide section. Use your ring finger to fret the 6th fret and pluck it, then slide up to the 8th fret while keeping pressure on the string. The slide should be smooth and deliberate—you want to hear the pitch change clearly. After reaching the 8th fret, place your index finger on the 6th fret and pluck again.
Apply the same sliding principle to the E string, and the rest of the riff becomes straightforward single-note picking.
A|---------------------6/8--6-----------|
E|------6-----------6----------8/10--8--|
C|-5h7-----7---5h7----------------------|
G|--------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------|
E|-6–8-10--8----6--8--10--10----|
C|----------------------------7-|
G|------------------------------|