Molly Malone Ukulele Tutorial

by | Apr 29, 2018 | Video lessons

MUSIC SHEETS FOR MOLLY MALONE UKULELE TUTORIAL

Let’s start the Molly Malone ukulele tutorial by downloading the music sheets. You can download the lyrics and chords sheet and strum along with the video tutorial. Or get the tab sheet and play a solo melody.

We have the lyrics and chords sheet here. The lyrics to this famous Molly Malone song are interesting. These tell the story of a pretty girl who sells fish and seafood in Dublin from her wheelbarrow.

Molly Malone song lyrics with chords

For the tab melody sheet, download it here.

Molly Malone ukulele tutorial: music sheet and chords

 

MOLLY MALONE UKULELE TUTORIAL

Get ready to play another easy ukulele song with our Molly Malone ukulele tutorial. Strumming pattern for the verses is easy with an all-down flow. For the chorus, Jenny does a fingerpicking style which you can follow on the video. Jenny also plays part of the song as solo melody. You have tab sheet and of course the Molly Malone ukulele tutorial video. So you’ll be able to learn a solo melody for this folk tune too. For the chords, the song uses just five: C, A minor, D minor, G and E minor.

SONG HISTORY

Although Molly Malone is mostly recognized as an Irish folk song, there is no definite evidence that it is of Irish origin. According to the song, Molly Malone was a fishmonger, just like her mother and father before her. She sold her yield of raw “cockles and mussels” from a wheelbarrow. She carted the wheelbarrow through the “broad and narrow” streets of Dublin. The last verse of the song reveals the young girl Molly died of fever but her ghost and cart lingered to haunt the city.

MYSTERIOUS MOLLY MALONE

No historical records however have been found that the Molly Malone depicted on the song is based on a real person. In 2010, historians discovered a song referring to a “sweet Molly Malone.” The song was included in a book of songs called Apollo’s Medley printed in the late 18th century in Doncaster, England. The Molly Malone referred to in this song, however, does not appear to be the same Molly Malone who was a fishmonger in the popular tune. The lyrics on the Apollo’s Medley version refers to a Molly Malone that the writer yearns to share a bed with. This discovery nevertheless contributed to the speculation that Molly Malone was a fishmonger as well as a prostitute.

MOLLY MALONE STATUE

The Molly Malone song, sometimes also referred to as Cockles and Mussels, is also considered as the unofficial anthem of Dublin. In 1988, the Jury’s Hotel Group presented a bronze statue portraying the mysterious Molly Malone to the city of Dublin. The chairman of the Dublin City Council at that time, Ben Briscoe,  unveiled the statue in one of Dublin’s principal streets, Grafton Street, during the 1988 Millennium celebrations.

There is one widely spread claim that a real person named Mary Malone lived in the 17th century. She died on June 13, 1699. Considering this, the Dublin Millennium Commission declared June 13 as Molly Malone Day.  Mary is a known derivation of the name Molly.

Bronze statue of Molly Malone, Dublin, pushing a wheelbarrow of baskets.

TOURIST ATTRACTION

Jeanne Rynhart sculpted the famous statue which shows Molly in a revealing, low-cut dress considered as the norm in the 17th century. The statue is visited by many tourists and is one of the most familiar monuments in Dublin. From its original place in Grafton Street, the city moved the statue to Suffolk Street in 2014 temporarily while expansion of the Luas rail system was underway.

“Molly Malone” is one of the songs in our book 21 Easy Ukulele Folk Songs!

Do you want to sound convincing on folk songs? You know basic chords and strumming patterns. And you’re interested in folk music. You’d like to take it to the next level.

Get your copy now!

MOLLY MALONE THE DUBLINERS

The Dubliners made this song famous. Here is a video of them singing this song.

 

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  1. Teach a Rest Position

Create a standard position players use whenever they are listening:

  • Place the ukulele flat against the body.
  • Rest the strumming hand gently on the strings.
  • Keep both hands still.
  • Look toward the leader.

Call it “rest position” and demonstrate it at the group’s first meeting. Use the same phrase consistently: “Ukuleles in rest position, please.”

This physically mutes the strings and gives everyone a clear visual signal that playing has stopped.

  1. Use One Attention Signal

Choose a signal that can be seen or heard across the room. Possibilities include:

  • Raising one hand
  • Playing a short, distinctive chord
  • Saying, “Rest position”

Explain the signal before rehearsal begins: “When you see my hand raised, finish the chord you are playing, mute your strings, and look up.”

Avoid competing with the group by repeatedly talking over the instruments. Give the signal, pause, and wait until everyone is ready.

  1. Set a Clear “No Noodling” Expectation

Many players noodle because they are excited, nervous, practicing a difficult chord, or unaware that it is distracting. Address the behavior without embarrassing anyone.

Try saying:

“Between songs, please mute your strings so everyone can hear the instructions. We’ll always give you a moment to check chords before we begin.”

Then build short, intentional practice windows into the session:

  • “Take 20 seconds to find the opening chord.”
  • “Quietly check the change from C to G7.”
  • “Let’s try that strum together once.”

Players are more likely to stop playing at random when they know when practice is welcome.

  1. Amplify the Leader, Not the Entire Room

In larger groups, a small microphone, portable speaker, or amplified ukulele can save the leader’s voice and make directions easier to follow. Amplification should provide clarity—not to overpower the players.

Test the equipment before the session, position the speaker where everyone can hear it, and keep spoken instructions short. A microphone cannot replace an attention routine, but it makes a good routine much more effective.

  1. Create Predictable Transitions

Noodling often fills uncertainty. Tell players exactly what is happening next:

    1. “Finish the final chord.”
    2. “Rest position.”
    3. “Turn to page 14.”
    4. “Find a C chord.”
    5. “Watch for my count-in.”

Use a visible or audible count-in before every song. Once players learn that nothing begins until the leader counts them in, spontaneous starts become less common.

6. Operate iPads for music.

Many ukulele groups read off iPads, and everyone buys the same app. forScore is one of the common ones, but don’t get anything until the group leader tells you which one they use. From there, the leader or the singer/songwriter shares the music by AirDrop, so everyone is reading off the same page. Corrections land with the whole group at once, and nobody is working from an outdated copy.

 

A Simple Group Agreement

At the beginning of a session, say:

“To help everyone hear and learn, we use rest position whenever someone is speaking. When I raise my hand, please mute your strings and look up. You’ll have time to check chords before each song, and we’ll always start together on the count-in.”

The goal is not silence for its own sake. It is to create a group in which instructions are brief, rehearsals move smoothly, and everyone gets more time to make music together.

 

Here’s a list of etiquette expectations from ukulele group members to make the group learning more effective and fruitful for everyone. 

Download PDF

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