Peter, Paul and Mary - Lemon Tree 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 G7 chord diagram
Ukulele F chord diagram
Ukulele C7 chord diagram
[Opening]
When [C]I was [G7]just a [C]lad of ten, my father [G7]said to [C]me,
“Come here and [G7]take a [C]lesson from the [G7]lovely lemon [C]tree.”
“Don’t [F]put your [C7]faith in [F]love, my boy,” my father [C7]said to [F]me,
“I fear you’ll [C7]find that [F]love is like the lovely [C7]lemon [F]tree.”
[chorus]
Lemon [C]tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is [G7]sweet,
But the fruit of the lemon is impossible to [C]eat.
Lemon [C]tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is [G7]sweet,
But the fruit of the lemon is impossible to [C]eat.
[section 2]
One [C]day be[G7]neath the [C]lemon tree, my love and [G7]I did [C]lie,
A girl so [G7]sweet that [C]when she smiled, the stars rose [G7]in the [C]sky.
We [F]passed that [C7]summer [F]lost in love, beneath the [C7]lemon [F]tree,
The music [C7]of her [F]laughter hid my father’s [C7]words from [F]me.
[chorus]
Lemon [C]tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is [G7]sweet,
But the fruit of the lemon is impossible to [C]eat.
Lemon [C]tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is [G7]sweet,
But the fruit of the lemon is impossible to [C]eat.
[Closing]
One [C]day she [G7]left with[C]out a word, she took a[G7]way the [C]sun.
And in the [G7]dark she [C]left behind, I knew what [G7]she had [C]done.
She [F]left me [C7]for a[F]nother, it’s a common [C7]tale but [F]true,
A sadder [C7]man, but [F]wiser now, I sing these [C7]words to [F]you.
[chorus]
Lemon [C]tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is [G7]sweet,
But the fruit of the lemon is impossible to [C]eat.
Lemon [C]tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is [G7]sweet,
But the fruit of the lemon is impossible to [C]eat.
How to play Lemon Tree on Ukulele (Step-by-step)
Peter, Paul and Mary - Lemon Tree on ukulele requires 4 chords and 3 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.
Lemon Tree uses these transitions most often: C → G7 (18), G7 → C (18), and C7 → F (12). 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 - G7 chord transition.
1. C → G7 chord transition
To move from C to G7;
- Slide your ring finger on A string from fret 3 to fret 2.
- Place index finger on E string fret 1.
- Place middle finger on C string fret 2.
2. C → F chord transition
To move from C to F;
- While playing C, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
- Place index finger on E string fret 1.
- Place middle finger on G string fret 2.
3. F → C7 chord transition
To move from F to C7;
- While playing F, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
Lemon Tree chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Lemon Tree.
- Lemon Tree includes 66 chord transitions, 3 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
- Lemon Tree contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
- These transition patterns show how Lemon Tree 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 → F: 16%
- C → G7: 2%
After G7, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (69%), C7 (5%), and F (5%).- G7 → C: 69%