Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World Ukulele Chords
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How to play What a Wonderful World on Ukulele (Step-by-step)
Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World on ukulele requires 11 chords and 18 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.
What a Wonderful World uses these transitions most often: A7 → D (7), Em7 → D (5), and F#m → Em7 (4). 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 D - F#m chord transition.
1. D → F#m chord transition
Here's how to move from D to F#m:
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from C string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Keep ring finger on E string fret 2.
This transition appears in the section, played 3 times.
2. F#m → G chord transition
Here's how to move from F#m to G:
- Slide your index finger on C string from fret 1 to fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 2 to fret 3.
This transition appears in the section, played 3 times.
3. F#m → Em7 chord transition
To move from F#m to Em7:
- While playing F#m, lift your ring finger from E string fret 2.
- Slide your index finger on C string from fret 1 to fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
This transition appears in the section, played 4 times.
4. Em7 → D chord transition
To move from Em7 to D:
- Lift your index finger from C string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to C string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on E string fret 2.
This transition appears in the section, played 5 times.
5. D → F#7 chord transition
Here's how to move from D to F#7:
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from C string fret 2 to G string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 4.
- Place pinky on A string fret 4.
This transition appears in the section, played 3 times.
6. F#7 → Bm chord transition
To move from F#7 to Bm:
- While playing F#7, first lift your middle finger and pinky.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from C string fret 4 to G string fret 4.
This transition appears in the section, played 3 times.
7. Bm → Bb chord transition
Here's how to move from Bm to Bb:
- Lift your index finger from C string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your ring finger on G string from fret 4 to fret 3.
- Place middle finger on C string fret 2.
This transition appears in the section, played 3 times.
8. Bb → A7 chord transition
Switching from Bb to A7:
- While playing Bb, first lift your middle finger and ring finger.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on C string fret 1.
This transition appears in the section, played 3 times.
9. A7 → D chord transition
Switching from A7 to D:
- Lift your index finger from C string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Place middle finger on C string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on E string fret 2.
This transition appears in the section, played 7 times.
10. D → Gmaj7 chord transition
Here's how to move from D to Gmaj7:
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from C string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
This transition appears in the section.
11. Gmaj7 → A7 chord transition
Here's how to move from Gmaj7 to A7:
- While playing Gmaj7, first lift your middle finger and ring finger.
- Slide your index finger on C string from fret 2 to fret 1.
This transition appears in the section.
12. D → G chord transition
To move from D to G:
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from C string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 2 to fret 3.
This transition appears in the section.
13. D → Bm chord transition
Here's how to move from D to Bm:
- While playing D, lift your middle finger from C string fret 2.
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from E string fret 2 to G string fret 4.
This transition appears in the section.
14. Bm → F#m chord transition
To move from Bm to F#m:
- Slide your index finger on C string from fret 2 to fret 1.
- Slide your ring finger from G string fret 4 to E string fret 2.
- Place middle finger on G string fret 2.
This transition appears in the section, played 2 times.
15. Em7 → F# chord transition
Here's how to move from Em7 to F#:
- Slide your index finger on C string from fret 2 to fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on G string fret 3.
This transition appears in the section.
16. Em7 → A7 chord transition
Here's how to move from Em7 to A7:
- While playing Em7, lift your middle finger from A string fret 2.
- Slide your index finger on C string from fret 2 to fret 1.
This transition appears in the section, played 2 times.
17. D → B7 chord transition
Here's how to move from D to B7:
- While playing D, lift your ring finger from E string fret 2.
- Keep index finger on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger on C string from fret 2 to fret 3.
This transition appears in the section.
18. B7 → Em7 chord transition
Switching from B7 to Em7:
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from C string fret 3 to A string fret 2.
This transition appears in the section.
What a Wonderful World chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in What a Wonderful World.
- What a Wonderful World includes 55 chord transitions, 18 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
- What a Wonderful World contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
- These transition patterns show how What a Wonderful World connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After D, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are G (28%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
- D → G: 28%
- D → Bm: 5%
After A7, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are D (41%), D7 (18%), and Dm (13%).- A7 → D: 41%
- A7 → Em7: 1%