Singin’ in the Rain Ukulele Tutorial with Melody Tab

by | Aug 13, 2019 | Video lessons

With this week’s easy “Singin’ in the Rain” ukulele tutorial, let’s learn an iconic song that’s also the title of a popular 1952 film. As with previous video tutorials, it includes ukulele chords and lyrics. Additionally, Jenny does a more extensive melody tab tutorial on this video. For beginners, learning to play a song on the ukulele is best when there are lesser number of chords. “Singin’ in the Rain” ukulele tutorial requires only four chords.

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Singin’ in the Rain Ukulele Tutorial

The four chords we need for “Singin’ in the Rain” ukulele tutorial are: C, Am, C#dim, G7. Despite the long and seemingly difficult name of the third chord (C#dim), it’s just an open two-finger chord.

We’ll follow a D-DU-D-DU (D-down, U-up) strumming pattern. Jenny also adds some chunking that you might want to try to spice up the strumming. Check the video to see how Jenny does the chunking using the heel of her hand.  Also, Jenny plays a melody tab on the middle of the song during the instrumental part. Plus, she gives some expanded lesson on how to play the tab at the end of video so be sure to watch until the end to check that out.

 

​Singin’ in the Rain – Song History

Although “Singin’ in the Rain” is mostly associated with the 1952 film of the same title, the song was actually published more than two decades earlier. American lyricist and producer Arthur Freed, inspired by a man dancing while drenched in a downpour of rain, wrote the song in the 1920’s. In 1929, Freed included the song as part of a musical film called “The Hollywood Revue of 1929”. Ignacio Herb Brown collaborated with Freed and composed the music for the song. Cliff Edwards, a popular musician and actor in the 1920’s who is also known as Ukulele Ike, performed “Singin’ in the Rain” for this musical. Other notable artists also performed the song in the 1930’s and 1940’s such as Annette Hanshaw, Jimmy Durante and Judy Garland.

The popularity of the song “Singin’ in the Rain” reached new heights the following decade. In the 1950’s, Freed, who by then was a producer at MGM, wanted to create a musical featuring his songs, in particular “Singin’ in the Rain.” The end result is the movie named after the song which starred Gene Kelly. In probably the most memorable scene of the film, Kelly happily sings and dances to the tune of “Singin’ in the Rain” while literally drenched from the pouring rain. The unfortunate Kelly was sick and running a fever while filming the scene. And the rest they say is history. The American Film Institute voted “Singin’ in the Rain” number 3 in their “100 Years… 100 Songs” list. The list ranked the top 100 songs in American cinema of the 20th century.

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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. 

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