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Paul Simon - Kodachrome Ukulele Chords

ChordsD, G, Em, A7, D7, A, B7, E7, Am, C, Bm
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

Before you play, tune your ukulele and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

  • Ukulele D chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-2-0Ukulele D chord diagram
  • Ukulele G chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-3-2Ukulele G chord diagram
  • Ukulele Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-4-3-2Ukulele Em chord diagram
  • Ukulele A7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-1-0-0Ukulele A7 chord diagram
  • Ukulele D7 chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-2-3 Barre at fret 2.Ukulele D7 chord diagram
  • Ukulele A chord diagram Fingering: 2-1-0-0Ukulele A chord diagram
  • Ukulele B7 chord diagram Fingering: 2-3-2-2 Barre at fret 2.Ukulele B7 chord diagram
  • Ukulele E7 chord diagram Fingering: 1-2-0-2Ukulele E7 chord diagram
  • Ukulele Am chord diagram Fingering: 2-0-0-0Ukulele Am chord diagram
  • Ukulele C chord diagram Fingering: 0-0-0-3Ukulele C chord diagram
  • Ukulele Bm chord diagram Fingering: 4-2-2-2 Barre at fret 2.Ukulele Bm chord diagram


[D] [G] [Em] [A7] [D] [Em] [A7]
When I think [D]back
on all the [D7]crap I learned in [G]high school
[Em]It’s a wonder
[A7]I can think at [D]all [Em] [A7]
And though my [D]lack of edu[D7]cation
hasn’t [G]hurt me none
[Em]I can read the [A]writing on the [D]wall [D7]


Koda[G]chr[B7]o[E7]me
You [E7]give us those [Am]nice bright [D]colors
You give us the [G]greens of [C]summers
Makes you [A]think all the [D]world’s a sunny [G]day, [B7]oh [E7]yeah!
[E7]I got a [Am]Nikon [D]camera
I love to take a [G]photo[C]graph
So Mama, don’t [A]take my [D]Kodachrome a[G]way [G] [Bm] [Em] [A] [A7]


If you took [D]all the girls I [D7]knew
when I was [G]single
And [Em]brought them all to[A7]gether for one [D]night [Em] [A7]
I know they’d [D]never match
my [D7]sweet imagi[G]nation
[Em]And everything looks [A]worse in [A7]black and [D]white [D7]


Koda[G]chr[B7]o[E7]me
You [E7]give us those [Am]nice bright [D]colors
You give us the [G]greens of [C]summers
Makes you [A]think all the [D]world’s a sunny [G]day, [B7]oh [E7]yeah!
[E7]I got a [Am]Nikon [D]camera
I love to take a [G]photo[C]graph
So Mama, don’t [A]take my [D]Kodachrome a[G]way [G] [Bm] [Em]


Mama, don’t [G]take my [Bm]Kodachrome a[Em]way
Mama, don’t [G]take my [Bm]Kodachrome a[Em]way
Mama, don’t [G]take my [Bm]Kodachrome a[Em]way


[G]Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome
[Bm]Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome
[Em]Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome (away)


[G]Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome
([Bm]Leave your boy so far from home)
[Em]Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome (away)


[G]Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome [Bm]whew
[Em]Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome (away)
[G] [Bm] [Em]

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AlbumThere Goes Rhymin' Simon
Year1973
KeyD

How to play Kodachrome on Ukulele (Step-by-step)

Paul Simon - Kodachrome on ukulele requires 11 chords and 18 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.

Kodachrome uses these transitions most often: Bm → Em (9), D → G (9), and G → Bm (9). 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 D - G chord transition.

1. D → G chord transition

To move from D to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from C string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 2 to fret 3.
D to G

2. G → Em chord transition

To move from G to Em;

  1. Lift your index finger from C string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on C string fret 4.
G to Em

3. Em → A7 chord transition

To move from Em to A7;

  1. While playing Em, first lift your middle finger and ring finger.
  2. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 1.
Em to A7

4. A7 → D chord transition

To move from A7 to D;

  1. Lift your index finger from C string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Place middle finger on C string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on E string fret 2.
A7 to D

5. D → Em chord transition

To move from D to Em;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from C string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 4.

6. D → D7 chord transition

To move from D to D7;

  1. While playing D, lift your middle finger from C string fret 2.
  2. Keep index finger on G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.

7. D7 → G chord transition

To move from D7 to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
  2. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to E string fret 3.
  3. Place middle finger on A string fret 2.

8. Em → A chord transition

To move from Em to A;

  1. While playing Em, lift your ring finger from C string fret 4.
  2. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to G string fret 2.

9. A → D chord transition

To move from A to D;

  1. Lift your index finger from C string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to C string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on E string fret 2.

10. G → B7 chord transition

To move from G to B7;

  1. While playing G, lift your ring finger from E string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from C string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
  3. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to C string fret 3.

11. B7 → E7 chord transition

To move from B7 to E7;

  1. Slide your index finger on G string from fret 2 to fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger on C string from fret 3 to fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on A string fret 2.

12. E7 → Am chord transition

To move from E7 to Am;

  1. While playing E7, first lift your index finger and ring finger.
  2. Lift your middle finger from C string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.

13. Am → D chord transition

To move from Am to D;

  1. Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
  2. Place index finger on G string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on E string fret 2.

14. G → C chord transition

To move from G to C;

  1. While playing G, first lift your index finger and middle finger.
  2. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.

15. C → A chord transition

To move from C to A;

  1. While playing C, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
  2. Place index finger on C string fret 1.
  3. Place middle finger on G string fret 2.

16. G → Bm chord transition

To move from G to Bm;

  1. While playing G, lift your middle finger from A string fret 2.
  2. Keep index finger on C string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 4.

17. Bm → Em chord transition

To move from Bm to Em;

  1. Lift your index finger from C string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your ring finger from G string fret 4 to C string fret 4.
  3. Place middle finger on E string fret 3.

18. A → A7 chord transition

To move from A to A7;

  1. While playing A, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Keep index finger on C string fret 1.

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Kodachrome.

  • Kodachrome includes 102 chord transitions, 18 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
  • Kodachrome contains 4 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
  • These transition patterns show how Kodachrome connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After G, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
    • G → C: 25%
    • G → Em: 9%
    After D, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → G: 29%
    • D → Em: 17%