10 Easy Ukulele Songs by The Beatles

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Note: This is a guest post by Eduardo of MusicianAuthority.com.

What happens when you combine one of the most heartwarming instruments in the world and one of the most influential bands ever?

Today, we are talking about playing songs by The Beatles on the ukulele!

I’ve put together a list of 10 Beatles easy ukulele songs for beginners and provided a few tips for learning and playing them.

Let me tell you, putting this kind of list is no easy task! There are so many great hits by The Beatles to choose from but today we’ll list 10 that are quite unforgettable.

Be sure to have your ukulele ready while going through this article. If you don’t have a ukulele, you can take a look at some recommended options here.

I’ve also picked out some wonderful Beatles ukulele covers from YouTube to go along with the article. I think all of them are worth listening to, both as a way to learn the songs more easily and to get inspired to play more ukulele!

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How to Play the Calypso Strum on Ukulele

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When you’ve learned your first chords on ukulele, it’s time to start strumming!

With strumming, it’s all about keeping a steady, consistent rhythm.

To help ourselves keep a steady rhythm, in this lesson, you count out loud to a count of four: 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on, and you learn to strum on the most popular strumming patterns – the calypso strum.

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Learn to Play Your First Four Ukulele Chords For Beginners

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You’re tuned up and ready to play!

It’s time to learn your first ukulele chords.

You might be surprised to know that with just these few ukulele chords you can play hundreds of songs on the ukulele.

These ukulele chords for beginners are where every ukulele player should begin.

Watch the video to discover these chords.

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The Story of Ukulele Tricks and How It All Started

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If you would have told me eight years ago that over 10,000 amazing ukulele players would be learning along with me I would have never believed you.

In 2010, I had just graduated from college after studying music and theology.

I knew I loved music but I wasn’t sure what was next.

During a music internship in college, I was given a ukulele as a parting gift. I was thrilled because I grew up playing ukulele since I was six years old when my grandfather taught me how to play I’ve Been Working On the Railroad.

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Uncovering Connections Between Musical Notes, Ukulele Frets and Piano Keys

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Note: Today I introduce you to our guest Neil from Sublimemelody who brings us a simple and clear visual guide to understanding the relationship between the notes of the music staff, ukulele fretboard and piano keys.

Is it easier for a ukulele player to learn piano notes or a pianist to learn ukulele notes?

And how are the notes of the ukulele fretboard related to the notes of the piano?

In this lesson, you discover:

  • The relationship between musical notes and the notes of the ukulele fretboard
  • The relationship between musical notes and the notes of the piano
  • The relationship between the notes of the ukulele fretboard and the notes of the piano

Let’s dive in.

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Why I Don’t Worry About Bad Habits Learning Ukulele and You Shouldn’t Either

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A musician should only sound like what they do, and no two musicians sound the same. It’s an individual-feel thing, you know?

– Dave Grohl, from the band “Foo Fighters”

Thwhack!

Imagine getting smacked with a ruler every time you hit a wrong note or made a mistake.

No, this didn’t happen to me, but my father and aunt would tell me about their strict piano teacher growing up.

“She was a mean old bird,” my dad would say.

I grew up in a musical family, and by musical, I mean every holiday and family get-together was spent around the piano with ukuleles or guitars in hand playing folk songs, hymns, or carols.

Fortunately, my family members decided to take a different approach when it came to me learning. The philosophy was there are instruments sitting around, so why not pick one up and start playing!

By the time I was six, I would play duets on the piano with my mom or strum the chords to I’ve Been Working On the Railroad on ukulele.

Thank God I had no one to take out a ruler and give me a nice “thwhack” if I made a mistake.

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Master the Bb Chord on Ukulele With These 3 Easy Steps

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One of the most challenging chords to master for beginner ukulele players is the Bb major chord (said “B flat”).

Bb Ukulele Chord Diagram

To play a Bb chord, position your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the top g-string, middle finger on the 2nd fret of the C-string, and use the index finger to barre or press down on both bottom two strings at the 1st fret.

With notes on all four strings and a challenging barre position, the Bb chord can be problematic, especially if you have arthritis, but it’s a chord you need to know how to play because it gives you the opportunity to learn a whole bunch of new songs in the key of F, Bb, and more.

I’ve written on playing a Bb chord on ukulele before, but in this video lesson, let’s go a bit more into depth and get three tips and tricks for how to confidently play the Bb chord, and after the video at the bottom of this post, get a fantastic bonus tip from a fellow student for how she tackles the Bb chord with arthritic fingers.

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How to Play Ukulele: The Ultimate Guide to Learn to Play Ukulele Today

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Yes, ukulele is for everyone!

No matter how old or young you are, and even if you’ve never played music before in your life, you can learn how to play ukulele… today!

I’m about to show you how easy it is to play your first song on ukulele with step-by-step, easy-to-follow online ukulele lessons.

For some of you, this will be the first time you make music in your entire life.

Learning to play ukulele starts with the right foundation which is exactly what you do starting in this lesson right now.

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Learn to Pick and Play “Danny Boy”

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With Saint Patrick’s Day right around the corner, there’s no better time to learn to pick the chords of the famous Irish ballad Danny Boy.

You use a delicate pinch picking pattern to express this song. The pinch pattern creates a rich sound with harmony to provide underlying support for the singing.

Get the ukulele chords, fingerpicking pattern and ukulele tab for this intermediate-level song in the sheet music below.

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Let Me Call You Sweetheart: Ukulele Chords & Play-Along Video

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If you’re the kind of person to learn ukulele to impress that special someone, then Let Me Call You Sweetheart is a song you need to have in your repertoire (skip ahead to the chords). It’s a guaranteed heart-melter.

Let Me Call You Sweetheart was originally published in 1910 with music by Leo Friedman and words by Beth Slater Whitson. Since then, it’s been performed and recorded by artists like Bing Crosby, Joni James, Patti Page, Slim Whitman, and more. The song is also notable amongst Barbershop-style a cappella groups.

In a waltz-y, light rhythm, this song is a sweet-sounding piece with frequent chord changes throughout.

To play this song…

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