Learn to Play the G Major Chord on Ukulele
In this lesson we’ll look at how to play the G Major chord on ukulele. The G chord is a bit tricky for beginners, but it’s integral to so many songs on ukulele. If you have already learned the C chord and F chord on ukulele, the G chord is a must-learn next chord.
We’ll walk through not only how to play a simple version of the chord but also how to play it in different positions around the neck. Then we’ll also look at the closely related G7th chord. G7th chords are often used in songs in the key of C Major. More on that below. Let’s dig in!
How to play an easy G Major Chord
The G chord is more challenging than other beginner chords because it requires three fingers. So to start, let’s practice just using two.
Place your first finger on the second fret of the third string and your second finger on the second fret of the first string. This is called a “G6” chord. It is closely related to the G Major chord, but sounds a little different because of the open E on the second string.
Once you get comfortable with that shape, it’s time to add the third finger. Keep your first and second fingers in place and now place your third finger on the third fret of the second string. Strum through all four strings with the flesh of your thumb.
Notes of the Easy G Major chord on ukulele
The notes of the G Major chord are G-B-D. The easy G chord we just played has those same notes, but they’re a bit mixed up. That’s no problem. It’s still a G Major chord. Those notes are G-D-G-B.
Now let’s look at some other ways we can play the G chord both in first or open position and across the neck.
Other G Major Chords on Ukulele
Below are three common ways to play a G chord on ukulele.
The first is our easy version. Make sure you can play the G6 chord before adding the third finger.
The second chord requires a bit more stretch between your fingers, but is still pretty easy. This one is up at the fifth fret.
And then the third chord requires a little barre chord, which is where one finger frets multiple strings on one fret at the same time.
Stepping things up
Once you have those three G chords down, we can add in some more challenging chords. Basically we will add one more finger to some of the above chords, so no open strings.
Dominant seventh chords
Finally, let’s look at what are called dominant seventh chords. Because C Major is one of the easiest chords to play on the ukulele, we play a lot of songs in that key. And some of the most common chords you’ll find in the key of C are C Major, F Major, and G Major.
But instead of just playing a G Major chord, we’ll often play what is called the G Dominant Seventh chord instead. The reason is that the dominant seventh chord resolves very naturally back to the home key. And the dominant (here G7) almost always comes before the home key (in this case C Major).
Give it a try. Play the easy open G chord above, and then play a C Major chord.
Now try the same thing, but substituting one of the G7 chords below before the C chord.
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We hope this introduction to the G chord on ukulele has helped you get more familiar with this essential ukulele chord. But this is just the tip of the iceberg! Go here to learn easy three-finger chords you can move all over the fingerboard.
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