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3 Easy Ukulele Songs Any Beginner Can Play (The Beatles Edition)

by Brett McQueen

What’s amazing about learning to play ukulele is that there are easy ukulele songs you can start playing today… even if you’re brand new!

The Beatles wrote some of the most timeless tunes ever, and guess what?

A bunch of them work beautifully on the uke with just four simple chords.

Grab your ukulele, tune up, and let’s dive in.

3 Easy Ukulele Songs Any Beginner Can Play (The Beatles Edition) Video

Watch the video to learn and play along with me.

What You Need to Know to Play These 3 Easy Ukulele Songs

The good news is you just need to know 4 beginner ukulele chords and 1 simple strumming pattern to play these 3 Beatles’ songs.

Let’s learn those now.

4 Beginner Ukulele Chords

To play these songs, you just need to know 4 chords: C, Am, F, and G.

To play a C major chord on ukulele, place your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the bottom A-string and let the top three strings ring open.

To play an Am chord on ukulele, place your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the top g-string and let the bottom three strings ring open.

To play an F chord on ukulele, place your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the top g-string, index finger on the 1st fret of the E-string, and let the other two strings ring open.

To play a G chord on ukulele, place your index finger on the 2nd fret of the C-string, ring finger on the 3rd fret of the E-string, middle finger on the 2nd fret of the bottom A-string, and let the top g-string ring open.

1 Simple Strumming Pattern

Each of these 3 easy ukulele songs by The Beatles are strummed using a single, easy down-up, down-up, down-up, down-up strumming pattern.

That’s right!

Just one rock-steady strumming pattern can be used to play all kinds of songs like the ones you learn today.

3 Easy Ukulele Songs Beatles Edition Strumming Pattern

You’ll want to give this pattern some practice over a C chord while counting out loud to make sure it’s nice and steady.

With just these four chords and strumming pattern, you’re now ready to strum and play the main chorus of all 3 songs!

Easy Ukulele Song #1: Hey Jude

Hey Jude Album Cover

Paul McCartney wrote Hey Jude in 1968 to comfort John Lennon’s young son Julian during his parents’ divorce. Originally starting as “Hey Jules,” it became a massive uplifting anthem. At over 7 minutes long (with that famous “na-na-na” fade-out), it’s one of the longest #1 hits ever!

The most recognizable “na-na-na” part is the focus of today’s lesson.

Learn this and you’re playing The Beatles!

Hey Jude Rhythm Chart

Easy Ukulele Song #1: Hey Jude by The Beatles

The above rhythm chart shows you the exact strumming pattern (that you just learned above!) and exactly when to change chords for the “na-na-na” section of Hey Jude.

Hey Jude Lyric Chord Chart

G
        
F
           
C
                
G

Na na na na na na na na na na na, hey Jude
G
        
F
           
C
                
G

Na na na na na na na na na na na, hey Jude

Get the full chord chart here.

Easy Ukulele Song #2: Let It Be

Let It Be Album Cover

Inspired by a dream Paul had about his late mother Mary (who passed when he was young), Let It Be was one of the last songs the Beatles worked on together. Recorded amid band tensions in 1969, it became a comforting #1 hit in 1970… almost like a gentle farewell as the group was breaking up.

With just four chords, it’s a nice and easy song to learn and practice on your ukulele!

Let It Be Rhythm Chart

Easy Ukulele Song #2: Let It Be by The Beatles

The trick to this song is the chords switch every two beats.

That means for the first measure you strum the Am chord while counting 1 and, 2 and and then switch to the G chord while counting 3 and, 4 and. You do the same thing for the second measure to switch from F to C and maintain the same idea of changing chords every two beats for the remaining measures.

Be sure to listen to the video to hear how this sounds!

And remember, practice the chord progression at a slow tempo before trying to sing.

You got this!

Let It Be Lyric Chord Chart

       
Am
         
G
          
F
          
C

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
C
                
G
              
F
       
C

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Get the full chord chart here.

Easy Ukulele Song #3: I Want To Hold Your Hand

I Want To Hold Your Hand Album Cover

This 1963 smash was the Beatles’ breakthrough in America — their first US #1 and the spark that ignited Beatlemania worldwide. Written by John and Paul in a basement, it was rush-released in the US after DJs got hold of an import copy. Over a million advance orders in the UK alone!

While the tempo is a little faster than the other songs, it’s still an easy ukulele song to learn with straightforward beginner chords and that same simple strumming pattern.

I Want To Hold Your Hand Rhythm Chart

Easy Ukulele Song #3: I Want To Hold Your Hand by The Beatles

I Want To Hold Your Hand Lyric Chord Chart

F
         
G
         
C
    
Am

  I wanna hold your ha – and
F
         
G
         
C

  I wanna hold your hand

Get the full chord chart here.

It’s Your Turn

Now it’s your turn to play these 3 easy ukulele songs from The Beatles.

You don’t need to know every chord to play really fun songs on ukulele.

Just a few chords and a consistent strumming pattern will take you extremely far!

If you want to add more strumming patterns to your repertoire, then, I invite you to join me in the Strumming Tricks online video lesson course that I teach. Here is where you learn the skills and techniques to be able to look up any song online and be able to play it. If that sounds like fun to you, then join me today.

Join Strumming Tricks Today

Not sure where to go next? Grab the free ukulele lesson book.

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