When you are just beginning on the ukulele, it’s important to have simple songs to play that fit the chords you know. Two chord ukulele songs are the perfect place to get started playing.
These songs only use two chords and are transposed to be played with the easiest ukulele chord pair: F and C7.
In order to play any of the songs below, all you need are two ukulele chords:
F
C7
Be sure to use your index finger for the 1st fret in the F chord so you can easily hop it down to C7 – and back.
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When you see the same chord shown twice in a row – for instance, at the end of a line, then the beginning of the next line – just continue playing the same chord.
Itsy Bitsy Spider
F C7 F The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout F C7 F Down came the rain and washed the spider out F C7 F Out came the sun and dried up all the rain F C7 F and the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again
Be sure to think ahead to the next chord so your fingers can be ready for the movement. Waiting until the last minute to mentally and physically prepare will get you into trouble!
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
F Row, row, row your boat F Gently down the stream F merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily C7 F Life is but a dream
If you have trouble getting to F in time, just leave your finger off the top string of your ukulele for a one-finger, “F-ish” chord.
Mary Had a Little Lamb
F Mary had a little lamb, C7 F Little lamb, little lamb, F Mary had a little lamb, C7 F Its fleece was white as snow F Everywhere that Mary went, C7 F Mary went, Mary went, F Everywhere that Mary went C7 F The lamb was sure to go F It followed her to school one day C7 F School one day, school one day F It followed her to school one day C7 F Which was against the rules
When moving from C7 to F, hop your index finger up to the 2nd string before trying to place the middle finger.
The Wheels on the Bus
F The wheels on the bus go round and round, C7 F Round and round, round and round F The wheels on the bus go round and round, C7 F All through the town F The money on the bus goes clink, clink, clink, C7 F clink, clink, clink, clink, clink, clink F The money on the bus goes clink, clink, clink, C7 F All through the town F The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish, C7 F Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish F The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish, C7 F All through the town F The driver on the bus goes "Move on back!" C7 F "Move on back!" "Move on back!" F The driver on the bus goes "Move on back!" C7 F All through the town F The people on the bus go up and down, C7 F up and down, up and down F The people on the bus go up and down, C7 F All through the town
Wheels on the Bus is available in my Single String Songbook
It’s more important to play simple songs well on your uke than to play “cool” songs poorly. Work with these until you’re really comfortable before moving onto more hip, but challenging songs.
London Bridge
F C7 F London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down F C7 F London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady F C7 F Build it up with iron and steel, iron and steel, iron and steel, F C7 F Build it up with iron and steel, my fair lady.
Three Blind Mice is much faster than the other songs with chord changes happening on almost every beat. You can think of the whole song as F C7 F F repeated over and over, with one strum per chord except the last F, which gets two strums in a row.
Three Blind Mice
F C7 F Three blind mice F C7 F Three blind mice F C7 F See how they run F C7 F See how they run F C7 F They all ran after the farmer's wife F C7 F Who cut off their tails with a carving knife F C7 F Have you ever seen such a sight in your life F C7 F As three blind mice?
In a song like Buffalo Gals with a repeating chorus, I like to only write it once (marked with “Chorus:”) and reference it with “Chorus>” to keep the sheet shorter. When you see “Chorus>”, jump back to the section following “Chorus:”
Buffalo Gals
F As I was walking down the street, C7 F Down the street, down the street, F A pretty little gal I chanced to meet, C7 F Oh, she was so fair. Chorus: F Buffalo Gals, won't you come out tonight, C7 F Come out tonight, come out tonight. F Buffalo Gals, won't you come out tonight C7 F And dance by the light of the moon. F I stopped her and we had a talk, C7 F Had a talk, had a talk, F Her feet took up the whole sidewalk C7 F And left no room for me. Chorus> F I asked her if she'd have a dance, C7 F Have a dance, have a dance, F I thought that I might have a chance C7 F To shake a foot with her. Chorus> F I danced with a gal with a hole in her stockin', C7 F And her heel kept a-knockin', and her toes kept a-rockin' F I danced with a gal with a hole in her stockin' C7 F And we danced by the light of the moon. Chorus>
Instead of trying to do a complicated strum, stick with something simple like a thumb downstrum on the beat.
Do Your Ears Hang Low?
F Do your ears hang low? F Do they wobble to and fro? F Can you tie them in a knot? C7 Can you tie them in a bow? F Can you throw them o’er your shoulder F Like a continental soldier? F C7 F Do your ears hang low?
To keep the time it can help to get a part of your body moving with the music. Tapping your foot is common, but you can also bob your head or shake your hips.
He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
F He's got the whole world in His hands C7 He's got the whole world in His hands F He's got the whole world in His hands C7 F He's got the whole world in His hands
Many of these songs like He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands and Hokey Pokey have additional words. The music is exactly the same and the chords don’t change, so if you want to sing more of the song, you can look up more lyrics.
Hokey Pokey
F You put your right foot in You put your right foot out You put your right foot in C7 And you shake it all about You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around F That's what it's all about!
To get all the songs in one spot, download my free printable songbook that contains all these songs in an easy-to-read format.