The Army Song Ukulele Tutorial for Beginners

by | Nov 5, 2018 | Video lessons

With Veterans Day approaching, we thought we’d bring you The Army Song ukulele tutorial for beginners. Although we’ve intended to feature The Army Song, also known as The Caisson Song, for Veterans Day, the song would also be great for Fourth of July or just any day. Because a soldier wrote the song, the words resonate with military men especially those in the field artillery.

THE ARMY SONG UKULELE TUTORIAL

So before getting into more detail with the history of the song, let’s proceed to Jenny’s The Army Song ukulele tutorial below. First of all, you will need seven chords. But they’re pretty straightforward as Jenny shows in the lesson video. The chords are C, G7, F, Am, D7, G and E7. Also, the strumming pattern is D-DUD-DU (D-down strum, U-up strum).

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A SOLDIER’S SONG

As a lieutenant of the 5th Field Artillery unit stationed in the Philippines in 1908, Edmund Gruber composed a song for the field artillery, which will later be known as The Caisson Song aka The Army Song and even sometimes The Caissons Go Rolling Along. While in a gathering with his fellow lieutenants, Gruber started playing the melody and the group helped complete the lyrics for the song. The song gained popularity and became the anthem of all U.S. Field Artillery regiments.

Gruber continued his military service and was promoted many times until he became Brigadier General in 1940. By the way, let’s not forget one interesting trivia about the soldier composer of The Army Song. Gruber is actually a descendant of Franz Gruber, the composer of Silent Night. Incidentally, we have an easy Silent Night ukulele tutorial that you might also want to check out.

SONG POPULARITY EXPANDS

Additionally, John Philip Sousa created a marching song in 1917 based from Gruber’s The Caisson Song. Sousa took this opportunity at the bequest of Army officers at that time. The song which was later entitled The Field Artillery Song was a hit. However, there’s some controversy regarding royalties as Sousa appeared to not have been informed that the basis for his marching composition was made by Gruber.

THE HUNT FOR THE U.S. ARMY OFFICIAL SONG

Silhouetted soldiers stand before a US Air Force plane at sunset.

Although the U.S. Army had been trying to find an official song for quite some time, they have not adopted one yet in 1948 while the other military branches all have their own. Consequently, they launched a contest to find a song but the winning compositions did not gain much popularity.

In 1952, the U.S. Army requested the music industry to submit compositions for the Army’s official song. This request resulted to more than 800 submissions, with one song called The Army’s Always There being the top pick. However, the song did not become the official song as it sounded very similar to another popular song at the time.

Finally, Harold W. Arberg, modified the lyrics of Gruber’s original version to apply to the whole U.S. Army, not only the field artillery units. The resulting song, The Army Goes Rolling Along, was then dedicated on Veterans Day in 1956.

HAPPY STRUMMING!

In conclusion, Jenny will conduct a ukulele lesson about The Army Song on an upcoming Facebook Live session. Join us on Facebook to check the schedule. If you aren’t able to join the live session, check the recording on the videos section.

 

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.

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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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