Hallelujah Chords for Ukulele

Hallelujah, written by Leonard Cohan is a must know classic. The song originally became popular back in 1984 and regained it’s claim to fame when it was featured in the film Shrek in 2001. Jeff Buckley created one of the most acclaimed versions of this song in 19​94 for the album Grace. We’re going to walk you through the Hallelujah chords and fingerstyle so you can rock out with your uke at home!

Before we rush into things, familiarize yourself with the following five chords: Am, C, Em, F, & G. ​

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​Now that you know the chords, let’s start off with the intro:

If you need help learning how to use guitar and ukulele tabs, read this article!

               C                           Am

Now I’ve heard there was a secret chord

        C                               Am

That David played, and it pleased the Lord

       F              G                                C        G

But you don’t really care for music, do you?

Pre-Chorus

   C

It goes like this

       F                G

The fourth, the fifth

       Am                 F

The minor fall, the major lift

       G                  Em                Am

The baffled king composing Hallelujah

​

Chorus

       F​

Hallelujah

     Am

Hallelujah

       F​

Hallelujah

 C-G-C-C

Hallelujah

​

         ​C                                      Am

Your faith was strong but you needed proof

       C                        Am

You saw her bathing on the roof

       C                        Am

Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you

       C                   F           G

She tied you to a kitchen chair

       Am                                       F

She broke your throne, and she cut your hair

       G                             Em         Am

And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

​

​Chorus

​

       C                    Am​

You say I took the name in vain

C                  Am​

I don’t even know the name

      F                 G                        C        G

But if I did, well really, what’s it to you?

              C ​

There’s a blaze of light

    F      G​

In every word

    Am               F​

It doesn’t matter which you heard

​      G              E               F

The holy or the broken Hallelujah

​

​Chorus

​

  C                   Am​

I did my best, it wasn’t much

   C                      Am​

I couldn’t feel, so I tried to touch

      F                     G                  C           G​

I’ve told the truth, I didn’t come to fool you

       C                   F         G​

And even though it all went wrong

     Am                  F

I’ll stand before the Lord of Song

        G                  E                    F​

With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

​Chorus

​

Watch Richard Hefner‘s video on the fingerstyle of Hallelujah for additional fingerstyling!​