Did you know there are often several different ways to play the same ukulele chord?
Yes! It’s true.
In fact, you can search for many of these ukulele chord variations in the Ukulele Tricks Chord Library.
A perfect example of this is the easy-to-play Hawaiian D7 ukulele chord versus the more difficult standard D7 barre chord.
When you play a different variation of a ukulele chord, like the D7 chord above, it’s still the same chord because it has the same notes contained in the chord; but those notes are often rearranged in a different order or in a different octave.
Some variations are easier to play than others.
And some variations create a different timbre or texture to the chord (bright vs. mellow).
But some variations are more preferable than others in certain circumstances.
In this lesson, let’s compare the Hawaiian D7 ukulele chord and the D7 barre chord and figure out which one is the best to use.
How to Play the Easy Hawaiian D7 Ukulele Chord
To play the Hawaiian D7 ukulele chord, place the index finger on the 2nd fret of the top g-string and the middle finger on the 2nd fret of the E-string. Let the other two strings ring open.
As many new ukulele players find, this is the easiest way to play a D7 chord on ukulele.
From the top g-string to the bottom A-string, this chord has the following notes which are found in a D7 chord (D-F#-A-C):
A-C-F#-A
Keep those notes in mind because you’ll use this knowledge to compare with the standard D7 barre chord.
How to Play the Standard D7 Barre Ukulele Chord
To play the standard D7 barre ukulele chord, take the index finger and barre or press down on all four strings at the 2nd fret. Place the middle finger on the 3rd fret of the bottom A-string.
This version of D7 is harder to play but is well worth the practice (you’ll see why in a minute).
From the top g-string to the bottom A-string, this chord has the following notes which are found in a D7 chord (D-F#-A-C):
A-D-F#-C
Now, let’s compare these two chords and figure out which one is better to use.
Why the Standard D7 Barre Ukulele Chord is the Better Chord to Play
You’re playing a song and you come across a D7 chord.
Which chord variation do you play?
I always recommend to beginner students in the Strumming Tricks online lesson course to stick with the standard D7 barre ukulele chord. Yes, even though it’s harder to play.
But why?
If you remember, the easier-to-play Hawaiian D7 chord has the following notes in the chord:
A-C-F#-A
What do you notice about that arrangement of notes?
I notice two things:
- The Hawaiian D7 chord does not have all the notes in a D7 chord. This variation is missing the root note of the chord – a D note!
- The “seventh” note of the D7 chord is placed as the lowest note in the chord. Notice how the “seventh” note, or the “C” note, is played on the open C-string, making it the lowest note that rings out in the chord.
Because the Hawaiian D7 chord is missing the root note of the chord and because the seventh note is the lowest note in the chord, this variation is not always suitable for most songs.
The easier-to-play Hawaiian D7 chord variation is best used in songs played in the key of C major.
This is because of that low open C-string note that rings out through the chord. In songs where the key is in C, meaning the root note or “home base” is a C note, this Hawaiian D7 variation has a pleasing sound and works great.
But where things get a little “wonky” is when you try to apply the Hawaiian D7 variation to songs that are not in the key of C. For example, if you played the Hawaiian D7 variation in a song like Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane the chord can sound “off” and like it doesn’t fit with the song.
This is why I always recommend beginners to go the extra mile and learn how to play that standard D7 barre chord.
Yes, it’s more challenging to learn and to play, but you can be sure whenever you come across a D7 chord in a song that it will always work and sound amazing.
If you struggle with barre chords like D7, you definitely want to watch this video lesson about playing the Bb barre chord on ukulele.
One Last Note About the Hawaiian D7 Chord
If you’re more advanced and familiar with music theory, you might be tracking along and thinking:
“Wait a minute! The Hawaiian D7 chord is actually an F# diminished chord!”
You are right.
This position contains the notes F#-A-C which are the three notes in an F# diminished triad.
This is yet another reason why the standard D7 barre chord should be your chord of choice for the majority of songs you play.
Hi Brett,
I appreciate your point from the theory side of things. If you’re going by the book, standard D7 is the only real choice. But from an application “sounds good” perspective, I respectfully disagree with your claim that 2223 is better.
You mention the b7 as being the lowest note in the Hawaiian D7. This can certainly goof with the tonality if your ear is expecting it a different way, but in my experience, your brain creates the illusion of that missing D note the majority of the time. A D9 chord (2423) works on the same illusion principle and nobody ever misses the D! Even if you’re playing a D9 voicing that puts the b7 as the lowest note, it still sounds like a D9.
If given the choice between high (standard D7) or low (Hawaiian D7) b7 notes on my D7, I feel the b7 note as the highest is more offensive. Since the human ear hears the highest note in a chord most prominently, that bluesy sound REALLY sticks out. This is fine if you’re playing the blues, but for anything else that might appreciate a gentler voicing, it’s pretty twangy on the ears. I never play the blues so maybe I’m biased. But I’ve also never found another application where I want that note up top – UNLESS I need it to play the melody.
I’m seriously disinclined to say that anything in music is better than any other thing. But that said, I use the Hawaiian D7 almost exclusively in any key I please. It’s never given me trouble.
Thanks for starting the discussion. This will be interesting for people.
Aloha, Brad
Hey, Brad!
Thanks for your awesome comment. I like hearing how you approach this chord.
The ukulele is an interesting instrument because with just four strings when you venture into more complex chords like 7 chords it becomes harder to utilize all notes in the chord in multiple positions across the fretboard, and in the case of 9 chords, you can’t play all five notes in the chord because there are just four strings, which means you have to make the tough choice of leaving out certain notes. As you mentioned, when played in the context of a chord progression, the human ear does a wonderful job of adapting and “filling in” the missing notes (like in the case of a D9 chord).
That’s so interesting to me you find the seventh note placed as the highest note in the chord as least preferable, but I respect that! You might be on to something about styles. I do tend to play a lot more blues and country on the ukulele where this works and sounds like it fits in the style. In this style, when I’ve used the Hawaiian D7, it bothers my ears to no end. Funny how that works and how individual it can be! I like what you’re saying about your chord voicing preference here because you’re getting to the heart of how personal and stylistic preference informs your playing. This is the kind of thinking I hope for my students, so they can make the decision about which chord they prefer.
I definitely agree with you that in music it’s rare to say one thing is better than another thing, especially when it’s getting to style. If anything, your comment motivates me to find new ways to incorporate the Hawaiian D7 into my own playing!
Thanks for the discussion and sharing your thought process on how you approach this chord!
Brett, Wow! Thanks to you and Brad Bordessa for this discussion. I respect and admire both of your teachings as I learn. Good food for thought as I continue my quest for good sounds from my Uke.
Thanks, Ken!
Great Stuff! Brett, you and Brad are both absolutely right. Sometimes it’s in the best interest of the performance to play an easier version of a chord to make our playing more effortless, and often it’s OK to change the chord in order to make it playable! I sometimes do this (actually change to a “different chord”) in a song when the called-for chord has a shape that is just too hard to get every time. And you are right about the ear hearing things a little different in the context. We only have 4 strings to use and have to make the best of them. And yes, this all plays into a person’s individual style. (BTW, if you are singing over your strumming, that will probably be what the listener hears, so sing well!). John, Delaware, Ohio.
Thanks for your comment, John!
I have struggled to move to D7 over the last 3 years of learning to play the uke. All my friends do the Hawaiian D7 but I was initially taught to barre all 3 strings and ring finger on 1 string. I have small arthritic hands and find it so difficult to use 4 fingers and get a clear sound, probably for only 2 strums! Seems your advice is I can I get away with just using 2 strings as long as song is in C major.
I will try it!
Really appreciate the discourse on this topic
Thank you