Everyone loves Bob Marley. You’ll love him even more with these easy ukulele chords for “One Love”.
This hit song is a great piece for beginners and those looking for an intro to the reggae style. “One Love/People Get Ready” was first released on Bob’s fantastic album, Exodus.
Keyboard Intro
A |-------7---7----------5---5----| E |-------------------------------| C |-------7---7----------5---5----| G |-------------------------------| A |--8-----------7--------5--3--------5--3-----5-------| E |----------------------------------------------------| C |--9-----------7--------5--4--------5--4-----5-------| G |----------------------------------------------------| A |--7-----------5--------3--------------|| E |--------------------------------------|| C |--7-----------5--------4--------------|| G |--------------------------------------||
To play the tab, you’ll have to use a finger pinch with your right hand. Usually a pinch is a crab claw attack that picks down with the thumb and up with the index finger at the same time. In this part, you’d pick with your thumb on the C-string and with your index on the A-string.
This style of two-note double-stops is called 6th harmony. It can be used to harmonize any melody or lead. I created a whole video lesson course called 6th Sense that explores this sound. It includes two hours of instruction on how to learn and implement these harmonies.
Learn how to play double-stop harmony leads and how to incorporate them into fills and melodies.
Other Notes
The ukulele chords for One Love are very simple, but the reggae strum is a challenge if you haven’t spent time with it before.
You always play on the 2 & 4 – leave a space on the 1! This is where the rest of the band and usually the melody goes! If you play the strum feeling it on the 1 & 3, you’re not doing it right. 2 & 4, 2 & 4… Check out the link above for a whole lesson on this strumming style.
Here’s some inspiration for the rhythms and stylings of reggae. Not quite this song, but the guy is crazy!
This version is in the key of C, but the original recording is in Bb so if you want to play along using the tab you need to tune your ukulele down a whole step to F Bb D G or shift the chords.