[Enjoy the Ukulele Even More!] 3 Easy Songs with Simple Chords!

Hello, Conservario here.
I often get asked, "What songs should I try practicing first?"
For that question, I usually recommend songs that have simple chords and they’re songs that everyone knows.
While it’s fine to start with songs you like, it can be frustrating if they’re too difficult, so it’s a good idea to start with something simple.
Here are three songs I recommend that are perfect for beginners.

■ “Stand By Me”

Composed by Ben E. King.
This is a famous song that’s loved across generations and countries.
Even if you don’t immediately recognize the title, you’ll recognize it as soon as you hear it.
This is a wonderful song and the chord progression is very simple, making it a great choice as a first song.
The chord progression is as follows:
(C → C → Am → Am → F → G7 → C → C)
This progression repeats throughout the song.
From start to finish, the chord progression is the same throughout the song.
If you’re used to more complex J-Pop songs, this might feel quite simple, but songs like this were common in this era.
Because it’s simple, though, there are things to watch out for.
A simple chord progression can easily cause you to lose track of where you are in the song.
For example, when the C chord repeats twice, it’s easy to rush to the next chord or let the C chord go on for too long if you’re not paying attention.
Make sure to be mindful of how many times you play each chord and how long you hold it.
I recommend practicing the strokes along with the actual recording (which has guitar and bass).

■ “Country Road” (originally Take Me Home, Country Roads)

Composed by John Denver.
This song is just as famous as "Stand By Me".
In Japan, this song is well-known because it was featured in the soundtrack of the Studio Ghibli film, Mimi wo Sumaseba (Whisper of the Heart).
This is a great song and it only has four chords.
The chord progression for the chorus is as follows:
(C → G7 → Am → F → C → G7 → F → C)
There are A and B sections too, but they only use the same four chords in a different order, so once you’ve mastered the chorus, you’ll be able to play the verses easily.
These four chords are all very common ones, and memorizing them will be helpful for many other songs. The key here is to change chords quickly.
Not just in this song, but in any famous, well-known song, people will easily notice if the chords are off or too slow.
So, always be aware of the next chord and plan to switch as smoothly and quickly as possible.

■ “Let It Be”

Composed by Paul McCartney.
Known as “The Gods of Music”, this song was by the world famous Beatles.
I actually debated whether to introduce “Hey Jude” or “Let It Be”, but I ultimately chose “Let It Be” because it’s easier to play.
The chord progression is as follows:
(C → G7 → Am → F → C → G7 → F → C)
While there are slight variations in the chord progression throughout the song, the main progression is the same as above.
By the way, does this progression look familiar?
It’s actually the same as “Take Me Home, Country Road”!
The key is different, but the chord progression is exactly the same.
This shows that many great songs share common chord progressions that people love.
Even though the chords are the same, changing the melody or arrangement can make the song sound completely different, which is one of the fascinating things about music.
Practice while feeling the differences between the two songs.
The original recording has piano, but you can achieve a similar vibe on ukulele by using the same strumming technique.

■ To summarize

I’ve shared three easy songs that are great for beginners.
The four chords you’ll frequently encounter in these songs—C, G7, Am, and F—are essential to learn first.
With just these four chords, you’ll be able to play not only the three songs I introduced here but many others as well.
It’s important to learn chords and chord progressions alongside the songs you play, rather than just trying to memorize each chord individually.
This is because chords exist to be played in songs.
Occasionally, some people try to memorize chords by looking at chord books or images of many chords.
While this method isn’t a complete waste of time, it’s often a longer, more roundabout way to learn.
The reason is that it treats commonly used chords and rarely used ones the same, which doesn’t always lead to efficient learning.
When you learn chords with songs, you can see which chords appear often and you get a better understanding of them.
So, practice various songs and try to learn the chords at the same time.
One tip for memorizing chords is to find similarities between them.
For example, if you lift your index finger while playing the F chord, you’ll get Am.
This is just one example, but it’s interesting how by adding or removing a finger, you can create a completely different chord on the ukulele.
Once you develop the habit of thinking about the commonalities between chords, you’ll be able to learn many chords more quickly.
I hope this was helpful!
Thank you for reading until the end.

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