The song “Can’t Help Falling In Love” has become a staple on ukulele. It is one of those special songs that seems to have a life of their own, and popular in different eras.
This classic was originally recorded by Elvis Presley for the album Blue Hawaii. It has been recorded by a number of music stars such as Bob Dylan, Tom Smothers and UB40.
“Can’t Help Falling in Love” was written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore and George David Weiss, and is now a standard song for ukulele players around the globe. It features a beautiful melody with a nice set of chord changes and romantic lyrics. This combination has proven to be timeless. Here is how to play “I Can’t Help Falling In Love on Ukulele”.
Harmony
The harmony in “Can’t Help Falling in Love” features seven chords and almost all of these chords are very simple. They are C, Em, Am, F, G, B7 and A7. The first four chords feature triads and the last ones are dominant seventh chords. That means this song is easy. If you are fairly new to the ukulele, think of this as simple chords with small challenges. If you have played the uke before, these chords should not present any problems, and if they do, just remember: you can overcome anything with practice.
How to play the chords
Let’s start with the first chord, C. Just place your third finger on the first string third fret. It does not get any easier than this! Moving on to Em, place your first finger on the second fret of the first string, the second finger on the third fret of the second string and third finger on the fourth fret of the third string. For Am simply place your second finger on the second fret fourth string. Keep your Am position and just add the first finger to the first fret second string, and now you have F. For G major, place your second finger on the second fret first string, third finger on the third fret of the second string and the first finger on the second fret of the third string. Next, place your first finger on the first fret fourth string for A7. And finally, for B7 bar the second fret with your first string and place your second finger on the second fret fourth string.
Strum pattern and form
The strum pattern is simple and remains the same throughout the song. It is down, down, up, down, up. The form of the song is also simple. We start with the verse which features the chords in this order: C, Em, Am, Am, F, C, G, G. Then the second line goes to F, G, Am, F, C, G, C. We then move on to the chorus where the chords are: Em and B7 (repeated twice) to A7,A7 F, G. “Can’t Help Falling in Love” features a simple verse-chorus structure (form) that is relatively easy to follow. Make sure you listen to the song a few times before you attempt to play it.
Since You’re Here…
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It is fascinating how such a simple song can transcend generations and style. Learning how to play “Can’t Help Falling In Love” on ukulele will help you dominate other songs faster. If you have been playing for a while and are looking for a challenge, check out these alternate tuning ukulele songs. Also, make sure you download the Roadie Coach app, (available on iOS and Android) as it is a great resource for all things ukulele and will speed up your learning process and make it more fun. If there are any other songs you’d like to learn on the uke, feel free to write us a comment below.
