In this month’s Ukulele Play-Along, Aldrine does a cover of a classic – “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye on ukulele! Click PLAY and if you need a little help learning to play this song on your ukulele, start with STEP 1 below:
STEP 1 – Chords
First, try out the 2 main chords you need to play this song:
Emaj7(4446), C#m7(4444)
Practice switching between the two by adding and removing the 6th fret on the A string. As with most bar chords, be sure to position your thumb on the back side of the neck, pointing towards the headstock for better leverage.
For the rest of the verse and chorus, you’ll need to learn the next 3 chords (F#m, B, and B9#5). The last chord (Am11) will be used for the instrumental break in the middle of the song and during the outro.
F#m(2120), B(4322), B9#5(2334), Am11(2435)
Familiarize yourself with these chords and learn how to switch between them. The B to B9#5 switch is the fastest change in the whole song, so be sure to get that motion down solid. For more instruction on how to hold the chords and switch between them, check out the video below:
Once you get comfortable holding each of these chords and switching easily between them, move on to Step 2.