The Easiest Song to Play on the Ukulele

What is the easiest song to play on the ukulele? Our vote is “Coconut” (better known as “Lime In The Coconut”) by Harry Nilsson, 1972. It’s played with just one finger using just a ‘C7’ chord. Best of all, it’s the perfect song to play to children, as once they hear it they’ll love it!

We’ll first learn the only chord we need, then how to strum the song.

• Reference the above diagram. You’re looking at the neck of the ukulele as if it’s hanging upright. The number (1) represents the finger number to use. If you are unsure of how to read it, the image below, of a ‘C7’ chord being played, should help:
  

  A demonstration of a “C7” chord

• To play a ‘C7’ chord, place your first (index) finger on the bottom (“A”) string, in the first fret. To need less pushing force, slide your finger right behind the first fret bar as indicated in the image above.
• The three strings above it should be ‘open’, so make sure none of your other fingers or thumb are not muting them.
• When playing the chord, strum all 4 strings.

Here’s a video to the song:

To play along:

1. If you’re a new player, use simple down strums.
2. Raise your strumming hand to the top of the ukulele body.
3. If you can, tap your feet to the rhythm of the song.
4. Let your hand fall and strum the strings with the back (nail) if your index finger while gently ‘flicking’ it.
5. Repeat! The entire song is played with the ‘C7’ chord!
6. Try to sing along while keeping a steady strum to the beat of the song (most beginners make the mistake of strumming to the words; you want to strum to the beat and sing independently; this takes some practice).

There you have it! Congratulations on playing your first song! If you’d like help learning more, we’re here! NHTunes offers online ukulele lessons which will get you playing fast! We try to make online ukulele lessons an equal experience to that of in-house lessons, minus the travel time! Our qualified instructors will walk you through the basics, and will have you playing songs in no time! Our half-hour private online ukulele lessons are just $29.50 – and there is NO sign-up or registration fee.

Schedule a single lesson below with our online scheduler!