Let’s play along to this easy ukulele tutorial for “My Favorite Things” from the musical and film “The Sound of Music”!

We’ll need nine chords for “My Favorite Things” ukulele tutorial. And these are: Em, Cmaj7, Am, D7, G, C, B7, A and A7.

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UKULELE TUTORIAL FOR MY FAVORITE THINGS – TRICKY CHORD CHANGES

Normally, the B7 chord is made by using a barre on the second fret and pressing your middle finger on the third fret of string 2. For this song, Jenny uses another version that is easier for a B7 to Em transition. If you compare the chord shapes for Em and the B7 chord barre version, you’ll see how this progression can make changing chords challenging.

So Jenny uses the alternative B7. First, she places the index finger on the E-string second fret. Then she puts the middle finger on the C-string third fret. Finally, she places the ring finger on the G-string fourth fret. This alternative B7 chord shape has finger positions just one string above those for Em chord.

There’s another chord progression at the end that you’ll need to practice. This is the part when you need to change chords from G to C fast a couple of times.

As for the strumming pattern, Jenny follows a D-DU-D (D-down, U-up) repetition.

TUNE FROM THE SOUND OF MUSIC

The renowned musical writing team of Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote the Broadway musical “The Sound of Music” which included the song “My Favorite Things.” Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II collaborated and released several hit musical shows starting from “Oklahoma!” in 1943. “The Sound of Music” which got a  great reception on Broadway in 1959 and was the last musical that the duo worked on. Hammerstein died due to stomach cancer several months after “The Sound of Music” opened.

20^th Century Fox released a film adaptation of “The Sound of Music” in 1965 which held the highest-grossing film distinction from 1966 to 1971. In addition, both the musical and the film received numerous accolades including Tony Awards “Best Musical” and the Academy Awards “Best Picture”.

Mary Martin was the first actress to sing “My Favorite Things”. She played the female lead character Maria in the original musical production. Maria sings the song in a scene with Mother Abbess at the Nonnberg Abbey where she was a postulant. However, Julie Andrews, who acted as Maria in the film adaptation, sings the song in a scene with the children during a storm.

In addition to “My Favorite Things,” several songs from “The Sound of Music” became popular and are still performed today. Some examples are “Do-Re-Mi,” “So Long, Farewell,” and “Edelweiss.” Check out our ukulele tutorial for “Edelweiss” here.