In this, the third part of the series on beginner ukulele chords, we’ll be taking a look at the G chord. This chord fits very well with the two chords we have looked at already in this series (C and F).
There are a huge number of songs that can be played with these three chords from blues songs like Crossroads by Robert Johnson, to punk classics such as The Clash’s Should I Stay or Should I Go to modern indie songs such as Noah and the Whale’s Five Years Time.
Playing G
The G chord is another step up in difficulty as it uses three fingers. First, put your third finger on the E string at fret 3. Then your second finger at fret 2 of the A string. And your first finger goes on fret 2 of the C string. You don’t need to fret the G string at all.
One problem beginners often have is that the E string sounds muffled. This is because the string is being prevented from ringing by one of their other fingers (most likely the ring finger is gently touching the string).
You want to arc your fingers higher above the fretboard to prevent this from happening.
In order to create this, shift your hand so that the tip of your thumb is against the middle of the fretboard. This will give you a better hand position making it easier to change chords as well as giving the chords a clearer sound.
When To Play A G Chord
The G chord fits great with the C and F chords we’ve looked at already. It can quite often be found after these chords towards the end of the progression.
This is because it is a ‘high tension chord’ which will build a climax in your progression which will create a sound which is eager to return to the root chord (in this case C).
Now that we have gone through a selection of major chords, we’ll be moving on to the minor chords for the next part of our look at beginner ukulele chords.