Baritone Ukulele Chord Chart: Major, Minor and Seventh Chords in DGBE
A standard baritone ukulele is tuned D3 G3 B3 E4, so its chord chart must use DGBE shapes rather than ordinary GCEA labels. The same four frets can produce a different chord on another tuning.
The chart below lists four-string voicings and their sounded notes. Some use an inversion, so the lowest note is not always the chord root.
Read the four-number code
Numbers run from the D string through G, B and E: string 4 to string 1. Zero means open and another number means a fret.
They are fret locations, not finger numbers. A code of 2 0 1 0 produces E3 G3 C4 E4, a C-major voicing with E in the bass.
A slash spelling can make that bass explicit: C/E. The table’s shorter chord labels identify the chord quality while the note column reveals the actual voicing.
Major, minor and dominant-seventh chart
| Chord | D–G–B–E frets | Sounded notes, low to high |
|---|---|---|
| G | 0 0 0 3 | D3 G3 B3 G4 |
| A | 2 2 2 0 | E3 A3 C♯4 E4 |
| B | 4 4 4 2 | F♯3 B3 D♯4 F♯4 |
| C | 2 0 1 0 | E3 G3 C4 E4 |
| D | 0 2 3 2 | D3 A3 D4 F♯4 |
| E | 2 1 0 0 | E3 G♯3 B3 E4 |
| F | 3 2 1 1 | F3 A3 C4 F4 |
| Am | 2 2 1 0 | E3 A3 C4 E4 |
| Bm | 4 4 3 2 | F♯3 B3 D4 F♯4 |
| Cm | 5 5 4 3 | G3 C4 E♭4 G4 |
| Dm | 0 2 3 1 | D3 A3 D4 F4 |
| Em | 2 0 0 0 | E3 G3 B3 E4 |
| Fm | 3 1 1 1 | F3 A♭3 C4 F4 |
| Gm | 0 3 3 3 | D3 B♭3 D4 G4 |
| G7 | 0 0 0 1 | D3 G3 B3 F4 |
| A7 | 2 2 2 3 | E3 A3 C♯4 G4 |
| B7 | 1 2 0 2 | D♯3 A3 B3 F♯4 |
| C7 | 2 3 1 3 | E3 B♭3 C4 G4 |
| D7 | 0 2 1 2 | D3 A3 C4 F♯4 |
| E7 | 0 1 0 0 | D3 G♯3 B3 E4 |
| F7 | 1 2 1 1 | E♭3 A3 C4 F4 |
Every row includes the defining chord tones. A different chart may offer another valid inversion or a deliberately incomplete shell, but it should identify that choice clearly.
Check the tuning before blaming the shape
Standard baritone DGBE matches the upper four strings of a standard guitar in the same sounding octaves. That can help guitar players transfer appropriate four-string shapes.
Ordinary high-G ukulele GCEA is a different setup. Its open C-major shape 0 0 0 3 becomes a G-major voicing on DGBE, not C major.
The ukulele tuning guide separates baritone, high-G and low-G arrangements. Verify the actual strings and instrument before changing tuning.
Why open strings are not a C-major chord
Open DGBE sounds D, G, B and E. Those pitch classes can be understood as an E-minor-seventh collection with D in the bass; they do not form C major.
A chart that labels 0 0 0 0 as C under DGBE is therefore using the wrong notes or tuning assumption. Checking sounded notes is a simple way to catch such errors.
Likewise, borrowing only the last four frets of a six-string guitar chord can remove an essential root or third. Verify the remaining notes rather than assuming every truncated shape stays complete.
Major and minor depend on the third
Compare D major 0 2 3 2 with D minor 0 2 3 1. The top note moves from F♯ to F, changing the third while preserving D and A.
This small change explains the quality more clearly than memorising two unrelated hand pictures. Use the same reasoning to inspect other major/minor pairs.
Em 2 0 0 0 sounds E G B E, while E major 2 1 0 0 changes G to G♯. Name the notes so the relationship becomes portable.
Dominant sevenths need their actual notes
A dominant seventh contains root, major third, fifth and lowered seventh. G7 0 0 0 1 sounds D G B F, which supplies all four pitch classes in an inversion.
Do not confuse a plain seventh symbol with maj7. Gmaj7 would require F♯ instead of F; the two chords serve different harmonic purposes.
Some arrangements intentionally omit a tone, but a basic chart should distinguish a shell from a complete four-tone voicing.
Learn a small progression
Try C, Am, Dm and G7 using the listed shapes. Place one chord, check each string and move slowly to the next.
Choose suitable fingers and release unnecessary effort. A clean two-chord change is more useful than forcing the whole sequence at an unmanageable tempo.
Then add a simple rhythm. If the change becomes late, separate the movement from the strumming pattern and restore them gradually.
Barres, muted strings and alternatives
Some shapes use a finger across several strings. A barre is a technique choice, not a demand to squeeze harder regardless of comfort.
Different voicings can reduce a difficult span or fit the surrounding melody. A chart is one set of possibilities rather than a list of the only valid shapes.
If a required note will not sound clearly, investigate position, instrument setup and suitable guidance. Do not continue through persistent pain to complete a diagram.
Capos and transposition
A capo changes sounding pitch while familiar relative shapes may remain useful. State whether a chord name describes the shape or the actual sound.
Moving a fretted shape also needs care when open strings are involved. Open notes do not move simply because another finger slides higher.
The guitar-note guide explains the shared upper-string pitch map, but keep its six-string direction separate from this four-string code.
Check chords one string at a time
A monophonic pitch detector cannot independently validate every note of a strummed chord. Isolate strings when comparing their targets.
The intonation guide also explains why centred open strings do not settle every fretted-note issue.
The major and minor scale guide explains the chord-tone relationships used in the shapes. A steady practice pulse helps turn a correct static fingering into a controlled change between chords.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a regular ukulele chart?
Only when its tuning and chord labels match your instrument. GCEA shapes produce different chord names on standard DGBE.
Do guitar shapes transfer?
The upper four strings share DGBE, but check that the chosen four-string voicing retains the intended chord tones.
Why does a G chord start with D?
A chord can be inverted. The note column shows the bass, while the chord name identifies its overall pitch-class relationship.
Is one shape the only correct version?
No. Different inversions, registers and omissions can be musically useful when clearly identified.
Reference basis: standard baritone tuning and independently calculated fret/chord note sets. Shapes are examples rather than individual fingering prescriptions.