Skip to song content
Ukulelearn homepage
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?We analyzed 14,015 chord transitions and ranked the 100 most repeated ones. Even the first 10 will transform your practice routine. The top transition appears in 23% of all songs.

Órla Fallon - The Water Is Wide Ukulele Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on the ukulele and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsF, Bb, Dm, C, Am, C7
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

Before you play, tune your ukulele and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

[chorus]
[F] [Bb] [F]
[F]The water is wide, [Bb]I cannot [F]cross over
[F]And neither [Dm]have [Bb]I wings to [C]fly
[C]Build me a [Am]boat that can carry [Dm]two
[Bb]And both shall [C7]row [C]my love and [F]I

[Opening]
[F]There is a ship [Bb]and she sails the [F]sea
[F]She’s loaded [Dm]deep, [Bb]as deep can [C]be
[C]But not so [Am]deep as the love I’m [Dm]in
[Bb]And I know not [C7]if [C]I sink or [F]swim

[section 2]
[F]I leant my back [Bb]against an [F]oak
[F]Thinking it [Dm]was [Bb]a trusty [C]tree
[C]But first it [Am]bent and then it [Dm]broke
[Bb]Just as my [C7]love [C]proved false to [F]me

[Closing]
[F]O love is handsome [Bb]and love is [F]fine
[F]The brightest [Dm]jewel [Bb]when first it is [C]new
[C]But love grows [Am]old and waxes [Dm]cold
[Bb]And fades a[C7]way [C]like the morning [F]dew

[chorus]
[F]The water is wide, [Bb]I cannot [F]cross over
[F]And neither [Dm]have [Bb]I wings to [C]fly
[C]Build me a [Am]boat that can carry [Dm]two
[Bb]And both shall [C7]row, [C]my love [C7]and [F]I

SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on the ukulele.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master ukulele today with the 100 most repeated chord transitions from 14,015 analyzed.
ArtistÓrla Fallon
AlbumThe Water Is Wide
GenresCeltic
Year2005
KeyF
DifficultyEasy

How to play The Water Is Wide on Ukulele (Step-by-step)

Órla Fallon - The Water Is Wide on ukulele requires 6 chords and 10 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.

The Water Is Wide uses these transitions most often: Dm → Bb (10), Bb → F (6), and F → Bb (6). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with F - Bb chord transition.

1. F → Bb chord transition

Ukulele F chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-1-0Ukulele F chord diagram
Ukulele A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Ukulele A# | B♭ chord diagram

To move from F to Bb;

  1. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  2. Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on G string fret 3.
F to Bb

2. F → Dm chord transition

Ukulele F chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-1-0Ukulele F chord diagram
Ukulele Dm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-1-0Ukulele Dm chord diagram

To move from F to Dm;

  1. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on C string fret 2.
F to Dm

3. Dm → Bb chord transition

Ukulele Dm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-1-0Ukulele Dm chord diagram
Ukulele A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Ukulele A# | B♭ chord diagram

To move from Dm to Bb;

  1. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  2. Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from C string fret 2 to G string fret 3.
Dm to Bb

4. Bb → C chord transition

Ukulele A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Ukulele A# | B♭ chord diagram
Ukulele C chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-3Ukulele C chord diagram

To move from Bb to C;

  1. While playing Bb, first lift your index finger and middle finger.
  2. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
Bb to C

5. C → Am chord transition

To move from C to Am;

  1. While playing C, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
  2. Place middle finger on G string fret 2.

6. Am → Dm chord transition

To move from Am to Dm;

  1. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
  2. Place index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Place ring finger on C string fret 2.

7. Bb → C7 chord transition

To move from Bb to C7;

  1. While playing Bb, first lift your middle finger and ring finger.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.

8. C7 → C chord transition

To move from C7 to C;

  1. While playing C7, lift your index finger from A string fret 1.
  2. Place ring finger on A string fret 3.

9. C → F chord transition

To move from C to F;

  1. While playing C, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
  2. Place index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Place middle finger on G string fret 2.

10. C7 → F chord transition

To move from C7 to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Place middle finger on G string fret 2.

The Water Is Wide chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in The Water Is Wide.

  • The Water Is Wide includes 58 chord transitions, 10 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
  • The Water Is Wide contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
  • These transition patterns show how The Water Is Wide connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After F, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
    • F → Dm: 5%
    • F → Bb: 5%
    After Bb, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are F (34%), C (20%), and Dm (9%).
    • Bb → F: 34%
    • Bb → C: 20%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains extracted from real songs. See which songs use each chain, learn the finger transitions, and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.