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With or Without You Ukulele Lesson & Chords

I play this in G Major (original track D Major)
These are the With or Without You ukulele chords I use to recreate that iconic riff

Looking for With or Without You ukulele chords?

G - Gadd9 - Em11 - C5

How to play With or Without You on Ukulele (chords, rhythm & feel)

Next Steps — start playing now

✔ Watch the technique videos

✔ Follow the Lyric & Chord Sheet

✔ Play along with the Backing Track

⚠️ Important: To recreate that iconic U2 riff on the record you need to play it in G Major (original key is D Major). Use the correct chords and Chef's Kiss, Palm Muting and Thumb Over techniques to recreate the original guitar feel.

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

Simple but unusual ukulele chords — as shown in the lesson

Lyric Sheet

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Practice the Song with the Lyric Sheet

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Playing Demo

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Greg on Uke and Vocals. U2 on bass & drums. Bono can't sing in G !!!

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Technique Focus

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Micro Lesson 1

Micro Lesson 2

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Chords & Basic Riff

8 x Playing Styles

1987 single release from U2's Joshua Tree album. Punchy rock rhythm

Key: G
Original track is in D

Techniques:
Chef's Kiss strumming
Claw Hand picking
3-Nail Strike downstrokes
Palm Muting

Chord Loop:
G, Gadd9, Em11, C5

Play Along Backing Track

3 minutes of drum'n'bass - No vocals, no guitars

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Q: What key is With or Without You in on ukulele?
A: Best played in G Major (original record is in D Major).

Q: What chords are used in With or Without You on ukulele?
A: G - Gadd9 - Em11 - C5. The chords are slightly unusal yet simple. The feel comes from playing it in the right key (G Major) and using the correct techiques to get that rhythm and feel

Q: Why doesn't With or Without You 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.

With or Without You FAQ

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