Reggae on ukulele

Reggae on ukulele: the strumming patterns “chnk on 2 and 4” and “Jawaiian one-drop”, in 4/4, and the progressions major vamp (I–IV) and minor vamp (vi–V), each with audio on its own page. This is where the ukulele truly belongs: the Hawaiian vamp, a short back-and-forth of chords, is its native language, and its airy strum sits perfectly in folk sing-alongs, easygoing reggae and gentle country.

Born in Jamaica, reggae breathes on the offbeat: the accent falls between the strong beats, creating that relaxed, hypnotic sway. Here you'll explore the major vamp and the minor vamp — a vamp, in other words, is a short pair of chords repeating in a loop, sounding open or moodier depending on the mode.

Grooves

Progressions

My Chords & Scales: Build the genre's repertoire: saving chords and scales to the Notebook is part of Pro · try it in Chord and Fret

Updated October 20, 2026