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House of the Rising Sun Ukulele Lesson & Chords
I play this in A Minor (same as original)
These are the House of the Rising Sun ukulele chords I use to recreate that iconic riff
Looking for House of the Rising Sun ukulele chords?
Am - C - D - F - E7 - Edom7
How to play House of the Rising Sun on Ukulele (chords, rhythm & feel)
Next Steps — start playing now
✔ Watch the demo
✔ Follow the Lyric & Chord Sheet
✔ Play along with the Backing Track
⚠️ Important: To recreate that iconic riff on the record you need to play it in A Minor (same as original). Use the correct chords and Claw Hand technique to pick and strum like Animals' guitarist Hilton Valentine on the original record.
Once you've got this, you can try Every Breath You Take ukulele lesson (same style technique)
The chords are easy — but very few make it sound like the record
— Play it Like the Record
Standard ukulele chords — as shown in the lesson
No #1 hit in 1964 for The Animals in the UK, US and Canada
Key: Am
same as original record
Techniques:
Claw Hand strum/pick
Ukulele Chords:
Am - C - D - F - E7 - Edom7
Q: What key is House of the Rising Sun in on ukulele?
A: Best played in A Minor (same as the original record).
Q: What chords are used in House of the Rising Sun on ukulele?
A: Am - C - D - F - E7 - Edom7 — All simple chords but the feel comes from playing it in the right key (A Minor) and using the correct techique to get that rhythm and feel
Q: Why doesn't House of the Rising Sun sound right on my Ukulele?
A: To really sound like the original record, your ukulele setup is critical — including a Low G string and a tenor ukulele.
👉 See the Getting Started guide to set up your ukulele for this playing style.
House of the Riasing Sun FAQ
Learning
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