Joni Mitchell - River Ukulele Chords
Before you play, tune your ukulele and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Ukulele C chord diagram
Ukulele Am chord diagram
Ukulele G chord diagram
Ukulele F chord diagram
Ukulele Dm chord diagram
[chorus]
[C] [Am] [C] [Am] [C] [Am] [G]
It’s [F]coming on [C]Christmas
They’re [F]cutting down [C]trees
They’re [F]putting up [C]reindeer
And singing songs of [F]joy and [C]peace
Oh, I [Am]wish I had a river I could [G]skate away on
[Opening]
But [F]it don’t [C]snow here
It [F]stays pretty [C]green
I’m going to [F]make a lot of [C]money
Then I’m going to quit this [F]crazy [C]scene
Oh, I [Am]wish I had a river I could [G]skate away on
[section 2]
I [F]wish I had a river so [G]long
I would [C]teach my feet to [F]fly [Am] [Dm]wooh
I [C]wish I had a [F]river I could [G]skate away [C]on
[C]I made my [G]baby [C]cry
[section 3]
He [F]tried hard to [C]help me
You know, he [F]put me at [C]ease
And he [F]loved me so [C]naughty
Made me [F]weak in the [C]knees
Oh, I [Am]wish I had a river I could [G]skate away on
[section 4]
I’m [F]so hard to [C]handle
I’m [F]selfish and I’m [C]sad
Now I’ve [F]gone and lost the [C]best baby
That [F]I ever [C]had
Oh, I [Am]wish I had a river I could [G]skate away on
[Closing]
I [F]wish I had a river so [G]long
I would [C]teach my feet to [F]fly [Am] [Dm]wooh
I [C]wish I had a [F]river I could [G]skate away [C]on
[C]I made my [G]baby say good[C]bye
[chorus]
It’s [F]coming on [C]Christmas
They’re [F]cutting down [C]trees
They’re [F]putting up [C]reindeer
And singing songs of [F]joy and [C]peace
Oh, I [Am]wish I had a river I could [G]skate away on
[outro]
[C] [Am] [C] [Am] [C] [Am] [Am]
How to play River on Ukulele (Step-by-step)
Joni Mitchell - River on ukulele requires 5 chords and 8 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.
River uses these transitions most often: C → F (21), F → C (20), and C → Am (11). 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 C - Am chord transition.
1. C → Am chord transition
To move from C to Am;
- While playing C, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
- Place middle finger on G string fret 2.
2. Am → G chord transition
To move from Am to G;
- Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Place index finger on C string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on E string fret 3.
3. G → F chord transition
To move from G to F;
- While playing G, lift your ring finger from E string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from C string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
4. F → C chord transition
To move from F to C;
- While playing F, first lift your index finger and middle finger.
- Place ring finger on A string fret 3.
5. G → C chord transition
To move from G to C;
- While playing G, first lift your index finger and middle finger.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
6. F → Am chord transition
To move from F to Am;
- While playing F, lift your index finger from E string fret 1.
- Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
7. Am → Dm chord transition
To move from Am to Dm;
- Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
- Place index finger on E string fret 1.
- Place ring finger on C string fret 2.
8. Dm → C chord transition
To move from Dm to C;
- While playing Dm, first lift your index finger and middle finger.
- Lift your ring finger from C string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.
River chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in River.
- River includes 86 chord transitions, 8 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
- River contains 5 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
- These transition patterns show how River connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After C, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
- C → G: 35%
- C → F: 16%
After F, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).- F → C: 40%
- F → G: 21%