The usual first ukulele chords for beginners are C, Am, F and G. Written as fret numbers for the G, C, E and A strings, they are C 0003, Am 2000, F 2010 and G 0232, where 0 means an open string. Between them they use one to three fingers, and Am to F is the one change where a finger stays down.
How to read the fret numbers
Every shape in this post is four digits, one per string, in the order G, C, E, A. Each digit is a fret number, and 0 means you play that string open. The first digit is the G string, nearest your face when you hold the ukulele, and the last is the A string, nearest the floor. So 0003 means three open strings and the A string pressed at the 3rd fret.
Fingers are numbered too, 1 for the index, 2 middle, 3 ring and 4 little finger. On a typical chord diagram the vertical lines are the strings in the same order, G on the left and A on the right, and the dots show where your fingers go.
These shapes assume standard G-C-E-A tuning, so tune your ukulele before you play them.
The four shapes, finger by finger
C (0003). Your ring finger goes on the A string at the 3rd fret. The G, C and E strings ring open. One finger.
Am (2000). Your middle finger goes on the G string at the 2nd fret. The C, E and A strings ring open. One finger.
F (2010). Your index finger goes on the E string at the 1st fret, and your middle finger on the G string at the 2nd fret. The C and A strings are open. Two fingers, and your little finger isn't needed.
G (0232). Your index finger goes on the C string at the 2nd fret, your middle finger on the A string at the 2nd fret, and your ring finger on the E string at the 3rd fret. Only the G string is open. It's the only three-finger shape of the four, and your fingers form a small triangle.
Press with the tip of each finger, just behind the metal fret. That's where a note sounds cleanest, and it needs less pressure there. Keep the top joints of your fingers upright, so each fingertip comes down on its own string. A finger that leans over can touch the open string beside it, and that string will sound muted or dead.
Which change to practise first
Four chords give you six changes, and each asks something different of your fingers. I'd start with Am to F and work through the rest in this order, from the change where the least moves to the one where everything does.
Am to F, and back. Your middle finger stays on the G string at the 2nd fret, and you only add or lift your index on the E string at the 1st fret. It's the only pair of the four where a finger stays on the same string and fret, which is why I'd begin here.
C to Am. Each chord uses one finger, but a different one. Your ring finger comes off the A string and your middle finger goes onto the G string, on the other side of the neck, so nothing stays down.
C to G. Your ring finger hops one string over, from the A string to the E string, and stays at the 3rd fret. Then your index and middle fingers join it at the 2nd fret, on the C and A strings.
C to F. These two shapes share nothing. Your ring finger lifts off, and your index and middle fingers go down on the E and G strings.
Am to G. Your middle finger stays at the 2nd fret but crosses from the G string to the A string, past two strings, so I'd count it as a full move. Your index and ring fingers then go down on the C and E strings.
F to G. A full reshape, because every finger moves. Your index goes from the E string to the C string, your middle finger from the G string to the A string, and your ring finger comes in on the E string at the 3rd fret. G also needs a third finger, which is why I'd leave this change for last.
A two-chord drill
Pick one pair of chords and go back and forth between them, lifting and placing only the fingers that move. Everything else stays where it is.
Take Am and F as an example. Am to F is the one change where a finger stays down, so your middle finger never leaves the G string. While you hold Am, keep your index finger hovering just above its F spot, on the E string at the 1st fret. Drop it for F, lift it for Am, and leave the middle finger alone.
Go slowly enough that every string rings after each change, and only then pick up the pace. Once a change is clean, adding a strum is the natural next step, and the strumming post covers the patterns.
When a chord won't ring: check it string by string
Strum the chord, then play each string on its own, one at a time. It's a standard check that teachers use, and every string should ring clearly. If one sounds dead or buzzes, that string points you to the problem. Fix it, then strum the whole chord again.
There are three causes to look for, and each has its own fix.
A finger touching the next string. A fingertip leaning on an open string beside it mutes that string. Bring the finger up so its top joint is upright and the tip lands on its own string only.
A finger too far from the fret. A fretted note sounds cleaner and needs less pressure close to the fret. Move the finger up to just behind the metal fret.
Not enough pressure. If the finger is in the right place and the note still buzzes or dies, press a little harder, right at the fingertip.
Run the check whenever a shape sounds wrong, and fix one string at a time before you go back to the change.
Learning chords on your own, and where a teacher helps
Free charts and videos cost nothing, and they're enough for your first chords. With fret numbers and the string-by-string check, you can learn these four shapes by yourself and catch a dead string by ear.
The check has a limit, though. It tells you when a string goes dead, but it can't show you a habit in your hand that doesn't make a bad sound yet, and when you learn alone, nobody sees your hands.
I teach ukulele one-to-one, live online on Zoom to students anywhere in Canada and in the US, and in person in Victoria, BC. I've led ukulele workshops in Victoria for more than 10 years, and I also run ukulele group classes in Victoria at two levels, beginner and intermediate. You can read about ukulele lessons with me on the lessons page, and when you write, tell me which chord change is slowing you down.
Chord charts, baritones and the next chord to learn
Do these chord shapes work on every ukulele?
The C, Am, F and G shapes work on soprano, concert and tenor ukuleles, because all three share standard G-C-E-A tuning. Baritone is the exception. It's tuned D-G-B-E, like the four highest guitar strings, so the same shapes make different chords: C sounds as G, G as D, F as C and Am as Em. Low-G tuning doesn't change the shapes or the chord names.
What chord should I learn after C, Am, F and G?
After C, Am, F and G, A7 and G7 are two natural next chords. A7 takes one finger, your index on the C string at the 1st fret, written 0100, with no barre. G7 shares a spot with F, the index finger on the E string at the 1st fret, so when you change from F to G7 your index finger stays down.
What do the O and X mean on a ukulele chord chart?
On a ukulele chord chart, an O above a string means you play it open, and an X means you don't play it. The dots show where your fingers go. Some charts print a finger number inside each dot and others print it below the diagram, so details vary a little between charts. None of the four beginner chords, C, Am, F and G, has an X.
What does a number beside a chord diagram mean?
A fret number beside a chord diagram means the diagram starts further up the neck. With no number, the top line of the diagram is the nut and the shape begins at the first fret. The number tells you the fret where the drawing starts. None of the four beginner shapes needs one, and charts vary slightly in how they show it.
Can I play A minor with a different finger?
You can play A minor with a different finger, but the middle finger is the standard. It sits on the G string at the 2nd fret, the same spot it holds in F, so changing from Am to F only needs your index finger. Some players use the index finger for Am instead when they're moving to G.