“Stolen Dance” is a song by German pop duo Milky Chance. It was released in 2012 and became a viral hit on YouTube (it presently has well over half a billion streams).
After becoming a hit in more traditional mediums like radio, It then topped many hit parade lists, reaching number one in countries like Austria, France, Belgium, Hungary, Switzerland, and more. It is an easy song to play on the ukulele, with a simple chord progression, form, and strumming pattern.
This song will help you get better at playing the instrument and is another step in your journey of learning the uke.
Roadie Coach
Before we get into how to play Stolen Dance, we have a tool for your to make the most of your time with the ukulele.
Roadie Coach is a partner that easily attaches to your ukulele and can help you organize your practice and track your progress on the instrument. Coach works together with a comprehensive app that features many songs, a chord dictionary, and many other resources to help you get good at the uke fast. Additionally, it also has a high-quality recorder that will come in handy when offering personalized feedback to help you get better at the ukulele.
Without further ado, here is how to play “Stolen Dance” on the ukulele.
Strumming pattern
Let’s start with the strumming pattern. This is the easiest part when it comes to learning “Stolen Dance” on the ukulele. In the guitar version (the original), the thumb plays the bass notes on the beat while the index finger plays on the upbeats. Since the ukulele only has four strings, we will strum downwards while the instrument is muted and strum upwards unmuted. Therefore, chords will only sound on the upbeats (with the upwards strum). It is a very simple motion. Lift your left hand slightly to produce that downwards muted sound and then press the chords properly to produce the chord on the upward strum. In other words, you will be plucking downward muted, and then towards your head with sound. The entire song uses the same strumming pattern.
Make sure you can play this part well before moving on to the rest of the song. After all, strumming patterns are an essential component of being able to play the uke well.
Chords and harmony
Remember that harmony is composed of chords. In other words, the harmony of the song is the chord progression.
The good news: “Stolen Dance” only has five chords. The not-so-good news: they’re not the easiest chords on ukulele. These chords are Gm, F, D#, Bb and D. The order in which they are played varies depending on the section, but there are no added chords. That makes it very simple. The only challenge is playing them. I know that may sound a bit discouraging to some of you. But let’s try to see the glass half-full: “Stolen Dance” is a great chance to learn some challenging chords on the ukulele, in a simple and fun way.
Verse
“Stolen Dance” has the most common time signature ever: 4/4 (that is pronounced “four four”). The first two chords of the verse (Gm and F) last half as long as the last three (D#, Bb, D). In more technical terms, that means that Gm and F play for half a measure (or two beats) while D#, Bb, and D play for a full measure (or four beats). To complete the verse, play the entire chord sequence four times. On the fourth time around, add another measure to the last chord D to complete the verse.
Chorus
The chorus is the most important part of the song. Here is where the message is typically summarized. This is important info in case you ever want to attempt to write your own songs.
The chorus harmony on Stolen Dance is D#, Bb, D, Gm, F. Same chords as the verse but in a different order. Here, the first three chords (D#, Bb, D) will play for one measure (or four beats) and the last ones (Gm, F) for just half measure (two beats). Then just repeat the following verses and choruses with these instructions.
“Stolen Dance” is a catchy song that fits perfectly with the ukulele. The vibe of the song also fits perfectly with the feel of the uke, making it a great pairing. Once you are comfortable playing “Stolen Dance”, check out some other cool songs to play on the ukulele.
Once you learn Stolen Dance, you can move on to other ukelele songs. Remember that with each one you will be presented with new techniques which will make you a better player.
If Stolen Dance was too easy and you are now looking for a challenge, try these more difficult ukulele songs. As always remember to go slow at first and have fun!
