‘Billionaire’ by Travie McCoy featuring Bruno Mars adapts cleanly to ukulele because its groove, simple chords, and memorable melody are already compact and singable.
Why ‘Billionaire’ works so well as a ukulele cover
The song sits on a steady pop-reggae pulse with a moderate tempo near 86 BPM, which keeps strumming relaxed and timing forgiving.
A repetitive four-chord cycle and short melody lines mean you can play full-sounding parts with just basic chords and a few single-note fills.
Listeners instantly recognize the hook because Bruno Mars sings a clear, hummable phrase; matching that on ukulele makes covers crowd-friendly.
The original harmonic layout lives comfortably in common vocal ranges; transposing a step up or down with a capo keeps the ukulele shapes simple for strumming or light fingerpicking.
Quick-reference chord chart and printable tab summary for Billionaire
Core chords used in most ukulele arrangements: C, Am, F, G (alternatively G7). These cover verse, pre-chorus, and chorus in the basic arrangement.
Suggested capo positions: no capo for original C-friendly keys; capo 1 or 2 to raise by a half or whole step for higher vocal ranges.
Approximate tempo to play along: ≈ 86 BPM (use a metronome and set a comfortable vocal tempo +/- 4 BPM).
One-line cheat-sheet progression (verse/chorus): C — Am — F — G (repeat).
Short printable intro-tab snippet (ukulele tuning A–E–C–G, top to bottom):
A|–3—3–0–0–2–2–0–|
E|————————|
C|————————|
G|————————|
Recommendation: export the chord chart and the single-line tab into a one-page PDF for rehearsals; label capo, BPM, and the cheat progression at the top.
Signature intro riff and lead fills with tablature
Play the intro riff cleanly on the A string to mimic the vocal hook; short phrases repeat and fit between vocal lines.
Intro riff (simple, counts shown as 1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&):
A|–3—3-3-0—0-0-2—2-2-0—|
E|—————————–|
C|—————————–|
G|—————————–|
Timing hint: play the first two 3s as a dotted-eighth + sixteenth feel (slightly long then quick), then two steady eighths on the open A and fretted 2.
Add a hammer-on on the second fret to get a more vocal-like inflection: play 0h2 on the A string on the sustained beat instead of plain 2.
Place this riff at the very start, then use it as a short tag between verse and chorus to tie sections together.
Verse and pre-chorus ukulele tabs: rhythm, chord voicings, and voice-leading
Use open-position shapes for smooth vocal support: C (0003), Am (2000), F (2010), G (0232). These minimize finger travel.
Alternate voicings to keep the top note moving: substitute Am with Am7 (0000) for a gentler transition to F without big finger shifts.
Short melodic fill under the verse (one-bar):
A|–0—2—0——–|
E|——————-|
C|——————-|
G|——————-|
Voice-leading trick: move only the finger that must change when going C→Am→F→G; keeping two fingers planted reduces noise and speeds up changes.
Verse tab breakdown (measure-by-measure cues)
Measure 1: play two downstrokes on 1 and 3, light upstroke on the & of 2 to keep the reggae offbeat feel.
Measure 2: add a muted slap on the & of 4 to mark the end of the bar; use the flesh of the thumb on the lower strings for a percussive click.
Measure 3: insert the short melodic fill on beats 3-& to lead into the next chord change.
Measure 4: hold the chord on beat 1 and strum lighter on beats 2 and 4 to give space for the vocal line.
Pre-chorus tab tips (smooth lift into chorus)
Use a suspended chord to lift: replace F with Fsus2 (0010) or Fadd9 (2013) for a float that resolves to G on the chorus downbeat.
Add a two-note ascending fill in the bar before the chorus to signal the lift: A string 0→2 and C string 0→2 played as eighths.
Keep dynamics low on the pre-chorus; a quiet build makes the chorus hit harder.
Chorus and hook arrangement: big sounds on a small instrument
To make the chorus sound larger, play fuller strums on beats 1 and 3 and add a light upstroke ghost on the & of 2 and & of 4; accent the downbeat of each bar.
Chord voicings for a fuller tonality: use Cmaj7 (0002) as an option instead of plain C for a airier chorus texture.
Double the vocal hook with a single-note high-register riff on the A string frets 5→7 to lift the melody; play it softly under the vocal.
Bridge and rap/stanza handling: accommodating spoken verses and dynamic change
During Travie McCoy’s rap, simplify to muted strums on beats 2 and 4 or switch to single bass-note plucks on beats 1 and 3 to keep space for vocals.
Bridge chord example (two-bar pattern): Am — F — C — G played with sparse quarter-note plucks to create contrast.
Transition back to chorus: tighten the strum pattern and add one open A-string eighth-note run before the chorus downbeat to cue the return.
Strumming patterns and rhythm variations for the pop-reggae feel
Basic down-up pattern (clean practice): 1-&-2-&-3-&-4-& = D – u – D – u – D – u – D – u; keep upstrokes light and even.
Syncopated pop-reggae pattern (counts = 1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&): play D (1), mute on &, soft up on 2&, accent D on 3, up on & of 3, mute on 4, up on &.
Palm-muted groove: rest the palm lightly near the bridge on downstrokes to shorten sustain and emphasize the backbeat on beats 2 and 4.
Practice drills: loop two-bar segments at 60% tempo, then increase 3 BPM every successful run of five clean reps until you hit target BPM.
Fingerstyle and ukulele fingerpicking tab for a mellow cover
Basic fingerstyle pattern (thumb=G/C, index=E, middle=A): play root on the C string (thumb) on beat 1, pluck A string (index) on the & of 1, E string (middle) on beat 2, repeat.
Fingerstyle tab for C → Am → F → G (one bar each):
C: G|——–| C|–0—–| E|—-0—| A|0—3—|
Am: G|——–| C|–0—–| E|—-0—| A|2—0—|
F: G|——–| C|–0—–| E|—-1—| A|0—0—|
G: G|——–| C|–0—–| E|—-0—| A|2—3—|
Combine thumb bass with index/middle melody to simulate a fuller band sound on a single ukulele.
Simplified beginner version: 3-chord cheat and easy strumming
Three-chord cheat: play C — F — G and use Am as an optional passing chord; this covers almost all sections for a singalong-friendly version.
Easy strum pattern: D — mute — D U — U (counts: 1 — & — 2-&-4-&); keep the motion slow and steady while switching chords.
Practice timeline: 7 days of focused practice — Day 1 learn chord shapes, Day 2 smooth changes, Day 3 basic strum, Day 4 intro riff, Day 5 integrate vocals, Day 6 run-throughs, Day 7 record a take.
Capo, transposition and vocal-friendly keys
Capo suggestions: capo 1 raises C to C#; capo 2 raises to D. Use capo instead of complex chord shapes to keep fingering simple for singers with higher range.
Transposition quick guide: to move the arrangement from C to G, lower by a perfect fourth; play shapes as if in G while thinking the original chord relationships remain the same.
Common practical examples: capo 1 for slightly brighter timbre, capo 2 for male singers who prefer a higher key without new chord shapes.
Tips for clean chord changes, tempo control, and common mistakes to avoid
Common errors: buzzing from poor finger pressure, dead strings from partial fretting, and rushing chord changes during strums; fix each with targeted slow practice.
Drill: practice chord change slowly without strumming for ten reps, then add a single downstroke on arrival; repeat until the change is clean five times in a row.
Tempo control drill: use a metronome set 10 BPM below target, play two bars perfectly, bump up 2 BPM, and repeat until target BPM is reached.
Recording and live cover tips: arranging, mic placement, and backing tracks
Arrangement tips: alternate between full strums and sparse fingerpicked bars to create perceived dynamics in a solo performance.
Mic placement for phone recording: place the phone 30–45 cm from the ukulele, slightly above the soundhole and angled toward the player’s mouth to balance instrument and vocals.
Backing tracks: use licensed karaoke or instrumental versions from reputable sellers, and click-track with a metronome when recording to keep sync tight.
Legal, copyright and where to find reliable tabs and sheet music
User-uploaded tabs are often free but can be inaccurate; official sheet music or licensed tabs guarantee correct arrangements and proper royalties to songwriters.
Reputable sources: Musicnotes, Hal Leonard, and publisher-licensed stores provide official lead sheets and printable parts for purchase.
Quick verification: check publisher credits on the page and compare the first page of chords/melody to a known recording to confirm accuracy before using a tab in a recording.
Practice roadmap: five sessions to play and perform Billionaire confidently
Session 1 (30–40 min): learn chord shapes C, Am, F, G and slow transitions; goal = five consecutive clean chord changes without strumming mistakes.
Session 2 (30–40 min): learn the intro riff and the one-line tab; goal = play riff in time for four repeats at 80% tempo.
Session 3 (40–50 min): integrate verse and chorus with strumming patterns; goal = perform verse→chorus loop twice without stopping.
Session 4 (40–50 min): add fills, pre-chorus lift, and bridge handling; goal = clean dynamics and at least one smooth rap/bridge transition.
Session 5 (50–60 min): run full song with vocals and record three takes; goal = one performance-ready take within target tempo.
Frequently asked player questions and quick answers
Which chords are in ‘Billionaire’ on ukulele? Core chords: C, Am, F, G. Substitutions: Am7, Cmaj7, Fsus2 for color.
Do I need a capo? Not strictly. Use a capo to match the singer’s range; capo 1 or 2 are common quick options.
How fast should I play it? Aim for about 86 BPM; slow slightly if you sing and need more breath space, or push to 90 for more energy.
Where’s the official tab? Purchase licensed sheet music from Musicnotes or Hal Leonard for verified tabs and lead sheets.
Any quick troubleshooting for bad sounds? Tune before every session, press fingers close to frets, and lower action or change strings if buzzing persists.
