Our list of the 10 best online ukulele songs takes a look at some of the best ukulele-friendly songs that you can learn to play either during practice or just in your leisure time.
Ukuleles are some of the best musical instruments that can be used to light up the mood of any place. The different chords communicate multiple feelings through the vibrant and rich tunes that they release.
However, you still need to improve your skills if you want to play this instrument the right way. To do this, you’ll need some ukulele-friendly music to get you started.
For that reason, we’ve assembled 10 best online ukulele songs that you can listen to and easily learn to play along. The list is diverse, featuring both new and older ukulele-made songs to get you right on the tempo.
That said, let’s have a look at the songs now.
10. Hello – Adele
The song ‘Hello’ by Adele is one of the most famous and successful songs in this century. Probably because of Adele’s vocal prowess and her overall presence in the music world. But besides all that, the song ‘Hello’ sounds even better when played on a ukulele.
Because of the singer’s voice abilities, the song has both power and momentum at the same time. Therefore, playing it on a ukulele becomes easier as it utilizes a straightforward strumming pattern.
However, the variance in strumming is completely subjective to your liking. That’s because there are players who love to play faster, while others would rather go for a slower strumming for a more powerful ballad.
Whichever you choose, this song will surely sound amazing when you play it on your ukulele.
9. Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen
In the memory of the late Leonard Cohen, ‘Hallelujah’ is another great online ukulele song that you can learn to play. As you may know, Cohen was a renowned musician and this song was one of his top records, and still lives on after him.
It is a sad ballad, meaning that it can easily be played on a ukulele. However, playing this song does need you to have some skill set. That’s because you’ll need to clearly observe your rhythm and accentuating patterns when playing this piece.
If not, you might find yourself going high where you need to stay low and vice versa. But if you are new to this don’t worry because that’s a skill you gain overtime.
8. Hey, Soul Sister – Train
As a happy song, ‘Hey, Soul Sister’ by Train is one of the best songs that you can choose to play on a ukulele. It is especially ideal for the beginners because you won’t find another song with basic strumming patterns like on this song.
That’s not all, the progression on this song is easy to play along to and the chords even easier to follow. But because it’s a happy song, this ‘Hey, Soul Sister’ tune by the Train does require you to hit high notes to closely imitate the real song.
And if vocals aren’t your thing, attempting to play it might be a tough enough experience. But just like your uke playing skills, we believe you can also work and improve your vocals (that is if you aren’t there yet).
Besides that, we think that this is a great song to play on your ukulele, which is why it’s in our 10 best online ukulele songs list.
7. Blank Space – Taylor Swift
For the younger audience interested in playing the ukulele, ‘Blank Space’ by Taylor Swift is a befitting ukulele song to learn playing. It’s popular, easy to play, and also features a catchy rhythm.
You can go with the standard ukulele strumming when playing ‘Blank Space’ like most people have, or infuse your creativity using a slower bluer ballad. The same will also apply on how you decide to sing the song when striking the chords.
But regardless of the style, ‘Blank Space’ by Taylor Swift is an amazing song to play on your ukulele. And one thing you’ll love about it when playing is its simple playability nature.
6. Riptide – Vance Joy
If you like playing modern songs, then ‘Riptide’ by Vance Joy is an awesome tune to play on your uke. It’s a pretty straightforward song with easy to follow chords and chord progression.
And although it’s a modern song, the strumming pattern of ‘Riptide’ does possess that classic Spanish guitar aesthetic. Now this is where you’ll find the song a bit challenging to play, as you go from one chord to the other.
However, this entirely depends on your level of skill for using this instrument. If you are just starting out or a novice, ensure that you take things slowly because the momentum picks up eventually.
That’s not all, singing along while playing the chords might also be a challenge if your vocals aren’t that great. But don’t get discouraged, the best efforts from both your voice and playing skills can help you achieve better results.
ALSO READ: 10 Best Ukuleles for Beginners
5. All of Me – John Legend
This is another famous tune in our list of the 10 best online ukulele songs. ‘All of Me’ by John Legend is by far the artist’s most successful hits in the prime of his career. And the vocals, chords, and emotions, among other things comprehensively contributed to this song’s success.
Although we’ve included ‘All of Me’ in this list, note that it isn’t a simple or straightforward tune to play on a ukulele. This is especially if you are a beginner.
Nevertheless, it’s something you can still master with interest and consistent practicing efforts. Here is a tip – the key to properly playing this song on a ukulele is to arpeggiate the verse.
Besides that, you need to ensure the chord progression is always on point with adequate practice sessions. But the energy boost when playing this song on a ukulele comes after arpeggiating the patterns to a standard strumming pattern, right after playing the chorus.
Below is a play along tutorial video, see if you can follow accurately.
4. Can’t Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley
This is a classic song but certainly one of the best ones to play on your ukulele. It’s both fun and challenging to attempt. But the best part is that there are more than enough ways to play ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ by Elvis Presley.
You can either add subtle details to the song when playing or just play a basic chord progression. Either way, the diverse nature of playability that this song exhibits is enough reason to play it on your ukulele.
The best way to start though is starting off with a simple strumming pattern and the chords. And once you get the chords right together with the strumming patterns, you can now attempt to hit a similar strumming pattern to the original version of the song.
3. Trouble – Never Shout Never
If you are a beginner looking for the 10 best online ukulele songs, then ‘Trouble’ by Never Shout Never is an easier song to play. This song features simple strumming patterns and chords that you can easily learn and master.
However, the challenge here comes when you decide to sing and play it on your uke at the same time. That’s because the changes in verses, and tempo in singing easily go against the song’s rhythm.
But like other songs we’ve looked at in this list, this too becomes fun and more exciting to play once you get the hang of it. The best way to master ‘Trouble’ by Never Shout Never is mostly the same with mastering other songs in the list as well.
Start slow and work your way up properly before deciding to attempt the full strumming pattern of the original version. That way, you’ll be more creative and effectively learn to play the song.
2. I’m Yours – Jason Mraz
‘I’m Yours’ by Jason Mraz is a modern piece that’s both easy to learn and play along to on your ukulele. The song sounds pretty good on a uke and its simplicity means you don’t have to be a uke professional to play it rightly.
From our observation, the artist Jason Mraz kept this piece mostly basic as it was moulded by mainstream standards. The strumming pattern used on the song is also simple to follow, meaning you have every chance to enhance your creativity skills by playing this song.
Check out the video tutorial below and see if you can learn how to play ‘I’m Yours’ by Mraz on your ukulele.
1. Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
Topping our list is ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, another late but legendary singer. This song is a masterpiece and a true definition of the artist’s capabilities in both singing and playing the ukulele.
Yes, Israel used a ukulele as the primary instrument among other additions and the results are simply captivating. Therefore, this is by far the ultimate entry song when learning how to play a ukulele.
That’s why it has topped our 10 best online ukulele songs that you can learn playing. ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ features basic and easy to follow or learn strumming patterns. For that reason and many more, the song is used by multiple instructors when teaching their students to play the ukulele.
Singing along to the tune is also pretty straightforward, and doesn’t require you to have the best vocals. That said, this is our best online ukulele song and any level of player can create something beautiful from this piece.
Conclusion
As you’ve seen, the 10 best online ukulele songs list is filled with some of the best masterpieces from before and the current era. There’s something for everyone and you can certainly improve your playing skills with these songs.
However, remember that mastering the art of playing accurately and to the tune takes time and a lot of practice. So, don’t give up on the journey as this won’t help at all.
Find a song that interests you first and improve on your strengths, while fairly working on your weaknesses. You’ll surely realize good results after all the hard work.
