Ian & Sylvia - Summer Wages 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 G chord diagram
Ukulele F#m | G♭m chord diagram
Ukulele D chord diagram
Ukulele Bm chord diagram
Ukulele A7 chord diagram
Ukulele D7 chord diagram
[Opening]
[A] [G] [F#m]
[A]Never [D]hit seventeen when you [G]play against the dealer
For you [D]know that the [Bm]odds won’t ride with [A7]you
Never [D]leave your woman alone
When your [G]friends are out to steal her
Years are [D]gambled and [Bm]lost like summer [A7]wa[D]ges
[section 2]
And we’ll keep rollin’ on till we [G]get to Vancouver
And the [D]woman that I [Bm]love is living [A7]there
Its been [D]six long months and [G]more since I’ve seen her
She may be [D]gambled and [G]gone like summer [A7]wa[D]ges
[chorus]
In [A7]all the beer taverns all [G]down along [D]Hastings
The dreams of the [F#m]season are all [G]spilled out on the [D]floor
All the [A7]big stands of timber just [G]waitin’ for [D]fallin’
And the [D7]hookers standing [Bm]watchfully [G]waiting by the [A7]door
[section 3]
So I’ll [D]work on them tugboats in my [G]slippery city shoes
Which I [D]swore I would [Bm]never do [A7]again
Through the [D]gray fog bound straights
Where the [G]cedars stand watchin’
I’ll be [D]far off and [Bm]gone like summer [A7]wa[D]ges
[chorus]
In [A7]all the beer taverns all [G]down along [D]Hastings
The dreams of the [F#m]season are all [G]spilled out on the [D]floor
All the [A7]big stands of timber just [G]waitin’ for [D]fallin’
And the [D7]hookers standing [Bm]watchfully [G]waiting by the [A7]door
[section 4]
[A]Never [D]hit seventeen when you [G]play against the dealer
For you [D]know that the [Bm]odds won’t ride with [A7]you
Never [D]leave your woman alone
When your [G]friends are out to steal her
Years are [D]gambled and [Bm]lost like summer [A7]wa[D]ges
[Closing]
Years are [D]gambled and [Bm]lost like summer [A7]wa[D]ges
How to play Summer Wages on Ukulele (Step-by-step)
Ian & Sylvia - Summer Wages on ukulele requires 7 chords and 14 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.
Summer Wages uses these transitions most often: G → D (14), A7 → D (10), and D → G (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 A - G chord transition.
1. A → G chord transition
To move from A to G;
- Slide your index finger on C string from fret 1 to fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on E string fret 3.
2. G → F#m chord transition
To move from G to F#m;
- Slide your index finger on C string from fret 2 to fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 3 to fret 2.
3. F#m → A chord transition
To move from F#m to A;
- While playing F#m, lift your ring finger from E string fret 2.
- Keep index finger on C string fret 1.
- Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
4. A → D chord transition
To move from A 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.
- Place ring finger on E string fret 2.
5. D → G chord transition
To move from D to G;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from C string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 2 to fret 3.
6. D → Bm chord transition
To move from D to Bm;
- While playing D, lift your middle finger from C string fret 2.
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from E string fret 2 to G string fret 4.
7. Bm → A7 chord transition
To move from Bm to A7;
- While playing Bm, lift your ring finger from G string fret 4.
- Slide your index finger on C string from fret 2 to fret 1.
8. A7 → D chord transition
To move from A7 to D;
- Lift your index finger from C string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Place middle finger on C string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on E string fret 2.
9. G → A7 chord transition
To move from G to A7;
- While playing G, first lift your middle finger and ring finger.
- Slide your index finger on C string from fret 2 to fret 1.
10. D → F#m chord transition
To move from D to F#m;
- 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.
- Keep ring finger on E string fret 2.
11. D → D7 chord transition
To move from D to D7;
- While playing D, lift your middle finger from C string fret 2.
- Keep index finger on G string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.
12. D7 → Bm chord transition
To move from D7 to Bm;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on C string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to G string fret 4.
13. Bm → G chord transition
To move from Bm to G;
- Keep index finger on C string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from G string fret 4 and place it on E string fret 3.
- Place middle finger on A string fret 2.
14. A7 → A chord transition
To move from A7 to A;
- Keep index finger on C string fret 1.
- Place middle finger on G string fret 2.
Summer Wages chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Summer Wages.
- Summer Wages includes 76 chord transitions, 14 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
- Summer Wages contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Ukulelearn.
- These transition patterns show how Summer Wages connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After D, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
- D → G: 29%
- D → Bm: 5%
After G, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).- G → D: 24%
- G → A7: 1%