Alec Benjamin - I Built A Friend Ukulele Chords
Before you play, tune your ukulele and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Ukulele A chord diagram
Ukulele F#m | G♭m chord diagram
Ukulele D chord diagram
Ukulele E7 chord diagram
[Opening]
I built a [A]friend, with three pieces of plastic and a [F#m]pen,
I made him on the table in the [D]den,
I gave him my old cellphone for a [A]head, for a [E7]head.
And we [A]spent holidays in my house, and we [F#m]left presents in the stocking,
And we [D]bought bolts and things and strings and a new [A]watch, that’s what he [E7]got.
[chorus]
[D]And we had so much fun together, [A]we knew we’d be [E7]friends forever.
[D]And we had so much fun together, [A]we had so much [E7]fun.
[section 2]
Then I [A]left for college in September, and we [F#m]wept cause we can’t be together
So I [D]kept pictures to remember my old [A]friend, my old [E7]friend.
Then I [A]met this girl at graduation, and [F#m]forget my oldest creation
And I [D]guess I’ll see him next vacation, send my [A]best, I send my [E7]best
[chorus]
[D]And we had so much fun together, [A]we knew we’d be [E7]friends forever.
[D]And we had so much fun together, [A]we had so much [E7]fun.
[section 3]
I came [A]home to find him on the table with a [F#m]note
Scribbled out in pencil and he [D]wrote
That he just wasn’t stable all [A]alone, all [E7]alone.
Next to [A]him, an empty glass of water that he [F#m]spilled
All over the body that I [D]built,
It fizzled and it popped and then it [A]killed, and then it [E7]killed.
[Closing]
[D]And we had so much fun together, [A]we thought we’d [E7]be friends forever.
[D]And we had so much fun together, [A]we had so much [E7]fun.
I built a [A]friend.
How to play I Built A Friend on Ukulele (Step-by-step)
Alec Benjamin - I Built A Friend on ukulele requires 4 chords and 5 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↑-↓-↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.
I Built A Friend uses these transitions most often: A → E7 (12), D → A (12), and A → F#m (6). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with A - F#m chord transition.
1. A → F#m chord transition
To move from A to F#m;
- Keep index finger on C string fret 1.
- Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on E string fret 2.
2. F#m → D chord transition
To move from F#m to D;
- Lift your index finger from C string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to C string fret 2.
- Keep ring finger on E string fret 2.
3. D → A chord transition
To move from D to A;
- While playing D, lift your ring finger from E string fret 2.
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from C string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
4. A → E7 chord transition
To move from A to E7;
- Lift your index finger from C string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to C string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on A string fret 2.
5. E7 → D chord transition
To move from E7 to D;
- Slide your index finger on G string from fret 1 to fret 2.
- Keep middle finger on C string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from A string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
I Built A Friend chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in I Built A Friend.
- I Built A Friend includes 48 chord transitions, 5 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
- I Built A Friend contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
- These transition patterns show how I Built A Friend connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After A, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are D (29%), G (13%), and E (12%).
- A → F#m: 6%
- A → E7: 4%
After D, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).- D → A: 17%