The chord chart below gives a complete, playable arrangement of what a wonderful world ukulele chords in the key of C, with clear diagrams, measure counts, and practical tips so you can learn the song fast and sound good.
Full verse/chorus progression in C (bars and durations)
Tempo: ~72 BPM (ballad feel). Tuning: standard GCEA. Use C as the base key for easy shapes and vocal-friendly capo moves described later.
Intro (4 bars): | C | Cmaj7 | Am | Am7 |
Verse (each bar is one 4/4 measure):
| C (2 bars) | Em (1 bar) | F (1 bar) | C (2 bars) | Em (1 bar) | F (1 bar) |
Pre-chorus / Turnaround (4 bars): | Dm | G7 | C | A7 |
Chorus (each line 4 bars): | F | Em | Dm | C | F | Em | Dm | G7 | C (hold 2 bars) |
Common substitutions: swap G7 for G in casual versions; use Dm or Dm7 as a softer bridge; Em works as a passing chord to F; A7 can lead back to Dm or directly to Dm/G7 turnaround.
Chord diagrams and fingerings (G C E A string order)
Read diagrams as G C E A and fret numbers; 0 = open, X = mute. Fingering: 1 = index, 2 = middle, 3 = ring, 4 = pinky.
C — 0003 — place 3rd finger on A-string 3rd fret. Keep other strings open. Tip: curl fingers so the thumb doesn’t touch the top string.
Em — 0432 — 4th fret G, 3rd fret C, 2nd fret E; or easier: 0402 (G0 C4 E0 A2) for a softer Em sound. Tip: press firmly with fingertips and roll slightly toward palm to avoid buzzing.
F — 2010 — index on E1, middle on G2. Press the E-string down fully; lift ring finger to avoid accidental muting of A-string.
Dm — 2210 — index on E1 (same as F), middle on C2, ring on G2 for full Dm; or 2213 variant for fuller voicing. Keep fingers close to frets to avoid dead notes.
G7 — 0212 — index on C2, middle on A1, ring on E2. Use a small arch in fingers so G-string rings open.
Am — 2000 — index on G2, other strings open. Simple and clean; relax the hand to avoid squeezing.
A7 — 0100 — index on E1, others open. A quick A7 gives a dominant push back to Dm or C.
Section-by-section chord map (Verse, Bridge, Chorus)
Verse layout (lyric block length = 8 measures):
| C | C | Em | F | C | C | Em | F |
Bridge (short voice-leading bars and a turnaround):
| Dm | G7 | C | A7 | — repeat once then back to Verse or Chorus.
Chorus (highlight repeating patterns):
| F | Em | Dm | C | F | Em | Dm | G7 | C (hold 2 bars) |
Tip: the verse repeats the same 8-bar pattern twice in most arrangements; learn the 8-bar loop and you’ve covered 80% of the song.
Beginner-friendly four-chord version (absolute beginner)
Use only C, F, G for the whole song. This keeps left-hand moves minimal and gets you singing quickly.
Simplified progression (one-bar changes): | C | C | F | C | C | C | F | C | — replace Em with C or Am if you want minor color.
Single-finger variants: C (0003), F (2010), G (0232) or G simple (0002 using index on A2). The simple G uses only one finger on the A string.
Down-strum pattern: count “1 2 3 4” — strum once per beat for the first session. Move to “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &” with simple down on each count for added motion.
Trade-offs: fewer harmonic colors but immediate playability and steady accompaniment for singers.
Strumming patterns and rhythm options to capture the song’s gentle swing
Basic down-strum (for beginners): Count 1-2-3-4. Strum down each count. Use light wrist motion and keep volume even.
Syncopated swing (mellow groove): Count “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &” and play: D – d u – u d (D=down strong, d=down soft, u=up). Emphasize beats 1 and 3 slightly.
Mellow island strum (softer texture): Pattern = D D U U D U with emphasis on the first down. Keep strokes loose so strings ring slightly.
Straight vs swung eighths: swing = pair the first eighth longer than the second (think triplet feel: long-short). Straight = even halves. Use swing for a relaxed Louis Armstrong feel; use straight for a cleaner pop interpretation.
Practice drill: set metronome to 60 BPM, play basic down-strum 8 bars, switch to syncopated 8 bars, then island strum 8 bars. Repeat and increase tempo by 4 BPM every 3 successful loops.
Fingerpicking and arpeggio arrangements
Thumb-lead roll (pattern numbers reference strings G-C-E-A): Thumb hits 3 (C string) on beat 1, then index E, middle A, index E. Notation example: 3 – 2 – 1 – 2 over one bar.
Travis-style alternating bass: alternate G (string 4) and C (string 3) with thumb, while picking E and A with fingers: Bass (G) on beat 1, chord fingers on beats 2 & 3, Bass (C) on beat 4.
Short tablature intro (one-bar example for C):
G|—–0—–|
C|–0—–0–|
E|—-0——|
A|3———-|
Voice-leading tip: aim to keep the top-string melody notes slightly louder than the accompaniment; that brings out the tune without extra volume.
Combine light fingerpicking with soft vocals: use thumb for bass and fingers for melody notes; use a fleshier attack for a warmer tone.
Jazzier voicings and chord extensions
Compact jazz shapes that fit the same finger span:
Cmaj7 — 0002 (gentle add of major7). Swap into any C bar for a lift.
Am7 — 0000 (open and natural). Use instead of plain Am for a softer color.
Fmaj7 — 0005 or 2210 with 0 as an open top for a mellow change. Try 2413 as an optional stretch if comfortable.
G7alt — 0212 (standard) or 0201 for a lighter dominant. Add9 voicings: Cadd9 = 0203 works well on ukulele.
Passing chords and voice-leading: use A7 between C and Dm to create a smooth chromatic rise; insert Em as a passing chord from C to F to make the turn less abrupt.
Lyric sheet with chord placement (printable layout)
Place chords exactly above words for sight-playing. Example first verse snippet with chords above lyrics:
C Em F C
I see trees of green, red roses too
C Em F C
I see them bloom for me and you
Formatting tips for print: use 14–18pt font, 1.5 line spacing, and left-align chords above lyrics; export as PDF from a word processor and choose “fit to page” for mobile reading.
Copyright note: use licensed lyric services or public-domain sources; avoid copying full copyrighted lyrics without permission for redistribution.
Capo and transposition guide
Use capo to match singer range without changing chord shapes. Capo mapping from C shapes:
Capo 0 = C, Capo 2 = D, Capo 5 = F, Capo 7 = G, Capo 9 = A.
Pros of capo: keep simple shapes, consistent left-hand fingering; cons: limited open-string resonance at high capo positions and potential intonation change.
Simple singer-fit method: play a verse with shapes and sing along; move capo up one fret and try again until the highest chorus notes feel comfortable. Stop where the singer can hit chorus top notes without strain.
Common problems and troubleshooting
Top six beginner mistakes: 1) late chord changes, 2) fingers touching adjacent strings, 3) not arching fingers, 4) poor thumb placement, 5) inconsistent strum volume, 6) rushing during turnarounds.
Fast corrective drills: chord-change loops (4 bars per chord, increase speed by 5 BPM every 2 minutes), metronome staccato switching (mute between chords to reset), and single-string ringing check (pluck each string after forming chord).
Quick fixes for live gigs: use cheat chords (switch Dm to Am or A7 to A), simplify bridges to repeated C-F patterns, and cover a missed note by pausing briefly and returning on a held chord.
Performance arrangement ideas
Solo uke + voice: keep dynamics small, use fingerpicking for verses and island strum for chorus to build energy.
Two-uke harmony: Uke 1 comps with chords; Uke 2 plays counter-melody or fingerpicked fills. Capo one uke differently (e.g., capo 2) for a natural harmonized pitch.
Loop pedal backing: record a soft chord loop, layer a bassline and a higher-pitched arpeggio; keep loop sections short to avoid clutter.
Backing track suggestions: tempo 68–76 BPM, instrumentation: brushes on snare, upright bass or warm electric bass, light piano. Drop dynamics on bridges and lift for final chorus.
Practice roadmap: learn the song in 7 days
Day 1 — Chords and shapes: 30 minutes on chord forms C, F, G, Am, Em, Dm, G7.
Day 2 — Basic progression: 30 minutes looping the 8-bar verse at 60 BPM; focus on clean transitions.
Day 3 — Strumming: 30 minutes switching among the three strum patterns; metronome practice.
Day 4 — Full play-through: sing and play with simple strum; note trouble spots and isolate them.
Day 5 — Fingerpicking: 30 minutes on thumb-lead and Travis patterns; apply to intro and verse.
Day 6 — Jazz colors and voicings: 30 minutes swapping in Cmaj7, Am7, Fmaj7 for color; experiment with passing chords.
Day 7 — Run and polish: perform full song twice at target tempo; record one take and note timing or chord slips to fix.
Next-level resources and what to learn after this song
Recommended resource types: step-by-step video lessons showing left-hand close-ups, downloadable chord sheets with printable lyric-chord layouts, MP3 backing tracks at multiple tempos, and slow-down tab players for tricky licks.
Vet resources by checking tempo accuracy, clear chord diagrams, and instructor demonstrations at full speed and slow speed.
Six next songs to build complementary skills: “Autumn Leaves” (jazz voicings), “Over the Rainbow” (melodic fingerpicking), “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” medley (arrangement practice), “Blue Moon” (barre and voicings), “La Vie en Rose” (mellow jazz comping), and “Fly Me to the Moon” (swing and seventh chords).
Quick reference: printable chord cheat sheet
Essential chord set for this arrangement: C, Em, F, Dm, G7, Am, A7. Keep a one-page sheet with diagrams, the verse 8-bar loop, and two strum patterns for quick stage reference.
Final tip: focus first on rhythm and song shape, not speed. Clean, steady playing wins more than fast, sloppy runs.
