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Mastering Ukulele Chords

V. T. Migliore

The notes that comprise a ukulele chord follow simple formulas. Knowing how
these chords are created opens the door for the intermediate ukulele player to
become a master at variations and different voicings for chords.
The charts that follow will help you visualize the notes that make up each chord
and how choosing notes from different locations on the fret board will expand your
repertoire.
As an example, the C-major chord is made up of the notes C, E, and G. If you look
at the ukulele fret board (Figure 1), you can see that the C chord most beginners
learn is actually the notes G, C, E, and C. All the components of the C chord are
present, but not necessarily in the order you would expect. This is called an
inversion. In fact, most of the chords that beginners learn use inversions. They are
generally easier to play, as they occur at the top of the fret board and often employ
the open strings. Thats the case for the commonly played C chord on the ukulele.

Figure 1 shows the ukulele fret board with C-chord notes names darkened. The
chart grays out all the notes that are not in the chord. Then, the left-most squares
show different arrangements of the C, E, and G notes and the fingering for each.
For musical purists, the ideal chord is one where the root note, C, is the lowest in
frequency, followed by the 3-note, or E, and finally the 5-note, which is G (green
squares). This 1-3-5 note combination in ascending frequency makes up what we
call the root chord position. This ideal is not quite practical in most cases of chord
construction, so the inversions are much more common. In general, they sound
quite similar to the ideal root chord. Another popular C-chord is shown on the
right, frets 3, 4, and 5.
 C Major R 3 5

C-E-G Fingering
G C E A O O O O
G# / A C# / D F A# / B 1
A D F# / G B 2
A# / B D# / E G C 3 1 3 1 1
B E G# / A C# / D 4 G C E C 4 2
C F A D 5 5 3
C# / D F# / G A# / B D# / E 6 C E G C
D G B E 7 1 2 7 X 1 2
D# / E G# / A C F 8 3 8 3
E A C# / D F# / G 9 4 X G C E
F A# / B D G 10 E G C E 10 X 1
F# / G B D# / E G# / A 11 11
G C E A 12 12 2 3
G# / A C# / D F A# / B 13 X C E G
A D F# / Gb B 14
A# / B D# / E G C 15 1 1
B E G# / A C# / D 16 2
C F A D 17 3
C# / D F# / G A# / B D# / E 18 C E G C
D G B E 19

Figure 1. Fret board with C-major notes emphasized and alternate finger positions
shown to the right. Blue highlights: C-chord most beginners use. Green highlights:
root position chord.
The 1-3-5 major chord structure is easily visualized on the piano, Figure 2, where
you can see that every other white key, starting from C, is pressed to make the C-
major chord. Things get complicated when you add half tones, the sharps and flats.
The relationship to the component notes, the interval between tones, however,
stays the same. This is represented by the 1-3-5 formula.

Figure 2. Illustration of the 1-3-5 formula for C-major.

A minor chord, similarly, follows a formula where the 3rd is flattened, so C-E-G
becomes C-E- G. Another example is A-major, A-C#E, where the center note C#,
gets flattened to a C. A-minor then is comprised of the notes A-C-E.
This structural pattern for all chords allows us to make up a chart showing which
notes comprise each chord. The formulas for common chords appear in Figures
3A, 3B, and 3C:

1 3 5 1 b3 5 1 3 5 b7 1 3 5 7
MAJOR MINOR 7-th Major 7-th
A C# E A C E A C# E G A C# E G#
A Db E A C E A Db E G A Db E Ab
A# D F A# C# F A# D F G# A# D F A
Bb D F Bb Db F Bb D F Ab Bb D F A
B D# F# B D F# B D# F# A B D# F# A#
B Eb Gb B D Gb B Eb Gb A B Eb Gb Bb
C E G C D# G C E G A# C E G B
C E G C Eb G C E G Bb C E G B
C# F G# C# E G# C# F G# B C# F G# C
Db F Ab Db E Ab Db F Ab B Db F Ab C
D F# A D F A D F# A C D F# A C#
D Gb A D F A D Gb A C D Gb A Db
D# G A# D# F# A# D# G A# C# D# G A# D
Eb G Bb Eb Gb Bb Eb G Bb Db Eb G Bb D
E G# B E G B E G# B D E G# B D#
E Ab B E G B E Ab B D E Ab B Eb
F A C F G# C F A C D# F A C E
F A C F Ab C F A C Eb F A C E
F# A# C# F# A C# F# A# C# E F# A# C# F
Gb Bb Db Gb A Db Gb Bb Db E Gb Bb Db F
G B D G A# D G B D F G B D F#
G B D G Bb D G B D F G B D Gb
G# C D# G# B D# G# C D# F# G# C D# G
Ab C Eb Ab B Eb Ab C Eb Gb Ab C Eb G

Figure 3A. Formula for major, minor, 7th, and major-7th chords.
 1 b3 5 b7 1 3 #5 1 b3 b5 1 b3 b5 6
Minor 7-th Augmented Diminished Diminished 7th
A C E G A C# F A C D# A C D# F#
A C E G A Db F A C Eb A C Eb Gb
A# C# F G# A# D F# A# C# E A# C# E G
Bb Db F Ab Bb D Gb Bb Db E Bb Db E G
B D F# A B D# G B D F B D F G#
B D Gb A B Eb G B D F B D F Ab
C D# G A# C E G# C D# F# C D# F# A
C Eb G Bb C E Ab C Eb Gb C Eb Gb A
C# E G# B C# F A C# E G C# E G A#
Db E Ab B Db F A Db E G Db E G Bb
D F A C D F# A# D F G# D F G# B
D F A C D Gb Bb D F Ab D F Ab B
D# F# A# C# D# G B D# F# A D# F# A C
Eb Gb Bb Db Eb G B Eb Gb A Eb Gb A C
E G B D E G# C E G A# E G A# C#
E G B D E Ab C E G Bb E G Bb Db
F G# C D# F A C# F G# B F G# B D
F Ab C Eb F A Db F Ab B F Ab B D
F# A C# E F# A# D F# A C F# A C D#
Gb A Db E Gb Bb D Gb A C Gb A C Eb
G A# D F G B D# G A# C# G A# C# E
G Bb D F G B Eb G Bb Db G Bb Db E
G# B D# F# G# C E G# B D G# B D F
Ab B Eb Gb Ab C E Ab B D Ab B D F

Figure 3B. Formula for minor-7th, augmented, diminished, and diminished-7th

chords.
 1 2 5 1 4 5 1 3 5 6
Sus2 Sus4 Sixth
A B E A D E A C# E F#
A B E A D E A Db E Gb
A# C F A# D# F A# D F G
Bb C F Bb Eb F Bb D F G
B C# F# B E F# B D# F# G#
B Db Gb B E Gb B Eb Gb Ab
C D G C F G C E G A
C D G C F G C E G A
C# D# G# C# F# G# C# F G# A#
Db Eb Ab Db Gb Ab Db F Ab Bb
D E A D G A D F# A B
D E A D G A D Gb A B
D# F A# D# G# A# D# G A# C
Eb F Bb Eb Ab Bb Eb G Bb C
E F# B E A B E G# B C#
E Gb B E A B E Ab B Db
F G C F A# C F A C D
F G C F Bb C F A C D
F# G# C# F# B C# F# A# C# D#
Gb Ab Db Gb B Db Gb Bb Db Eb
G A D G C D G B D E
G A D G C D G B D E
G# A# D# G# C# D# G# C D# F
Ab Bb Eb Ab Db Eb Ab C Eb F

Figure 3C. Formula for sus-2, sus-4 and sixth chords.

There are other chords in the musical universe, but those shown in these figures are
the most common for ukulele players.
In order to visualize each chord, follow these steps.
1. Start with the full fret board with labeled notes (Figure 4).
2. White out all the notes that do NOT belong in the chord.
3. Scan the notes that are in-play, so to speak, and try to visualize finger
positions that will work to form the chord.
4. Make a separate table showing the finger positions and the notes they play.

That, of course entails a lot of work! Most ukulele players are content to use chord
chart references instead. Unfortunately, chord summary charts cannot detail every
possible combination of note sequences that are available to form a chord. Some
players have longer fingers that can stretch over several frets, making more
alternatives available.
You can use the technique illustrated in Figure 1 to make a graphic representation
of any chord you want. That, however, requires months of detailed engineering. I
have done much of this work myself and formed it into a book referenced at the
end. Most chord shapes and finger positions are covered for the most common
chords in this 250-page book, entitled Ukulele Fretboard Friend. Good luck and
happy strumming!
 Ukulele Finger
Fretboard Fret Positions
G C E A O G C E A
G# / A C# / D F A# / B 1
A D F# / G B 2
A# / B D# / E G C 3
B E G# / A C# / D 4
C F A D 5
C# / D F# / G A# / B D# / E 6
D G B E 7
D# / E G# / A C F 8
E A C# / D F# / G 9
F A# / B D G 10
F# / G B D# / E G# / A 11
G C E A 12
G# / A C# / D F A# / B 13
A D F# / Gb B 14
A# / B D# / E G C 15
B E G# / A C# / D 16
C F A D 17
C# / D F# / G A# / B D# / E 18
D G B E 19

Figure 4. Worksheet for creating finger positions for chords.

~ ~ ~

Reference:
Ukulele Fretboard Friend by V.T. Migliore
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1974308529/ref=sr_1_7
Contact: BlossomHillBooks@aol.com