The baritone ukulele is tuned differently from soprano, concert, and tenor ukuleles — and that’s actually great news if you play guitar. Baritone uke uses DGBE tuning, which is identical to the top four strings of a guitar. This guide covers every chord you need.
Baritone vs Standard Ukulele Tuning
Standard ukulele (soprano/concert/tenor): GCEA
Baritone ukulele: DGBE
This means chord shapes that work on the top four strings of a guitar work directly on baritone ukulele. If you already play guitar, you already know baritone uke chords!
Essential Major Chords
C Major
Ring finger on the 3rd fret of the A string (1st string). All other strings open. The simplest chord.
D Major
Index on 2nd fret, 3rd string. Ring on 3rd fret, 2nd string. Middle on 2nd fret, 1st string. The classic triangle shape.
E Major
Index on 1st fret, 3rd string. Middle on 2nd fret, 4th string. Ring on 2nd fret, 2nd string.
G Major
Ring finger on 3rd fret, 1st string. Middle on 2nd fret, 4th string. All others open. Index on the 4th string optional.
A Major
Index on 2nd fret, 2nd string. Middle on 2nd fret, 3rd string. Ring on 2nd fret, 1st string. A simple barre across three strings.
F Major
Index on 1st fret, 2nd string. Middle on 2nd fret, 3rd string. This is a partial barre chord.
Essential Minor Chords
Am
Index on 1st fret, 2nd string. Middle on 2nd fret, 3rd string. Open 1st and 4th strings.
Dm
Index on 1st fret, 1st string. Middle on 2nd fret, 3rd string. Ring on 3rd fret, 2nd string.
Em
Middle on 2nd fret, 4th string. All other strings open. The easiest minor chord.
Bm
Barre all strings at the 2nd fret. Add ring finger on the 4th fret, 3rd string and pinky on the 4th fret, 2nd string.
7th Chords
G7
Index on 1st fret, 1st string. All other strings open. Essential for blues and jazz.
D7
Index on 1st fret, 2nd string. Middle on 2nd fret, 3rd string. Ring on 2nd fret, 1st string.
A7
Index on 2nd fret, 2nd string. Open everything else. Clean and simple.
E7
Index on 1st fret, 3rd string. Middle on 2nd fret, 4th string. Open 1st and 2nd strings.
Common Chord Progressions
Key of G: G – C – D – G
The most natural key for baritone uke. All simple open chords.
Key of D: D – G – A – D
Another easy key with no barre chords needed.
Key of C: C – Am – F – G
The pop progression. F requires a small barre but is manageable.
Tips for Baritone Ukulele Players
If you play guitar
Ignore the bottom two strings of your guitar knowledge. Every chord shape you know for strings 1-4 works directly on baritone uke.
If you play standard ukulele
The chord shapes are completely different. A “C” shape on soprano uke plays an “F” on baritone. You’ll need to relearn chord shapes, but the fingering patterns from guitar resources work perfectly.
Use a capo
A capo on the 5th fret of a baritone uke gives you GCEA tuning — the same as a standard uke. This lets you play along with standard uke chord charts.
Best strings
Baritone uke uses thicker strings than standard uke. Nylon or fluorocarbon strings are standard. Some players prefer wound 3rd and 4th strings for better intonation.