Ukulele Key Of G Major

In this lesson, we are looking at all the chords in the key of G Major.

Lesson aims -

• Learn the chords that belong to G Major

• Understand the music theory involved in keys

Exercise 1 - Chord Number System

For this exercise, we are focussing on the home chord, which is chord 1, through to chord 6. The first chord is a G major. After that, the musical letters of the chords follow the alphabet - G, A, B, C, D and E.

• 1, 4 and 5 chords are major.

• 2, 3 and 6 chords are minor.

When looking at the chords of a key (diatonic chords) look out for roman numerals as these are often used for chords number systems and to avoid confusion with other numbers.

Exercise 2 - Chord Progressions

We have looked at one of the most common progressions in previous lessons, which uses the 1, 5, 6, 4 chords of any key.

It is very familiar sounding and many songs use it but occasionally, there are substituted chords or added chords that break the progression and stick out quite obviously. In song writing, we would break the progression or 'rule' to achieve a certain sound or vibe and ultimately make our songs stand out and sound more interesting.

As long as we have a solid understanding of the foundation of our chords, we can break away and then return to add flavour to our songs but maintain the musical qualities that keep it listenable for the listener.