In this video
Learn to play 'Three Little Birds' by Bob Marley on Ukulele. We'll use the chords A major, D major, and E major plus a common strumming pattern with a swing feel, which will enable us to play this full song.
Here's how to play Three Little Birds by Bob Marley, a simple three chord song on Ukulele!
Here we'll use the chords A major, D major, and E major plus a common strumming pattern with a swing feel, which will enable us to play this full song. The video includes a full song demo - so be sure to play along!
Before we start, take a look here at how we can tune the Ukulele! Here are the notes below:
String 4 - G
String 3 - C
String 2 - E
String 1 - A
Chords - Fretboard finger positions
Second finger - 2nd fret - String 4
First finger - 1st fret - String 3
All fingers for a D chord are on the 2nd fret
Second finger - String 4
Third finger - String 3
Fourth finger - String 2
For the E chord in this song, we have a choice as to what voicing (shape) we put it in place.
The E7 is particularly favourable if we are still practicing the tricky barre chords or the full E major shape is a challenging change at the moment.
Strumming tips
Using a pick or the first finger, the main strumming pattern for this song has an off beat rhythm:
We play on the 'and'...
1 - and - 2 - and - 3 and - 4 - and
Or, after the rest/mute...
Rest - Strum - Rest - Strum - Rest - Strum - Rest - Strum
When we strum, we quickly mute afterwards to get our playing sounding like an off beat rhythm.
We now have a nice gap created with the on beats to move our hands to the next chord shape!
Chord changing tips
Learning to change chords smoothly takes time. It is always a good idea to keep the chord making hand relaxed and loose to avoid having too much tension in the fingers.
Try hold the shape of the chord loosely over the strings and press the chord down with only the pressure that is needed to sound the chord out but also what feels comfortable for you.
Chord playing tips
Use our finger tips, with fingers curling over to help us fret our chords and sound out the individual notes
Place our fingers on the side of the fret closest to us
Strum slightly in front of the sound hole, towards the headstock for a softer and more comfortable playing style
Need more help than this video provides? Check out Andy's comprehensive online Ukulele Course here!
Course Outline
Chords, Rhythm and Scales for Ukulele