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Ukulele Serenade
中文

F · GCEA

Frere Jacques

Four bars, two chords, and the only round in this book. Also the only song here that works with two, three or four people all singing at once.

By The Uke DeskPublished 9 Oct 2026

Tuning: GCEA  ·  Capo: none  ·  Tempo: 104 bpm  ·  Metre: 4/4  ·  Level: beginner

F chord frameBb chord frameC7 chord frameF7 chord frame

Words and music: Traditional French round, in print since the 18th century. Public domain.

The sheet

Frere Jacques — lyric sheet with chord names
Verse
F F Frère Jacques, Frère Jacques,
C7 C7 Dormez-vous? Dormez-vous?
F F Sonnez les matines, sonnez les matines,
C7 C7 FDing dang dong, ding dang dong.
F F Are you sleeping, are you sleeping,
C7 C7 Brother John, brother John?
F F Morning bells are ringing, morning bells are ringing,
C7 C7 FDing dang dong, ding dang dong.
StrumStrum pattern D-DU-UDUD-DU-UDU4/4 · 104 bpm

How a round actually works

Each voice starts the same eight bars, entering two bars after the one before it. That means when you are on line three, the next voice is on line two and the first voice is starting over. The harmony works only if everybody keeps strict time — a round punishes any rubato harder than any other form.

  • Entry points: voice 1 on bar 1, voice 2 on bar 3, voice 3 on bar 5, voice 4 on bar 7.
  • The chords on this sheet are the harmony for a single voice. In a round, ignore them, or have one ukulele play them and everybody else sing free.
  • End together on the final F. Agree on this before you start.

F and Bb with a way out

The tune is in F, which means F (2010), Bb (3211) and C7 (0001). Bb is the barre chord that slows beginners down. Three ways to cope:

  1. Play Bb as 3211 and accept a buzz until your index finger strengthens.
  2. Substitute Bb with Gm (0231), which has no barre and shares two notes.
  3. Transpose the whole round to C (C, F, G7) and lose the barre entirely.

The French words

"Frère Jacques" means Brother James; "dormez-vous" means are you sleeping; "sonnez les matines" means ring the morning bells. The song is about a monk who has overslept and missed matins. The English words on this sheet are the standard English singing version, not a literal translation.

Questions that come up

Can two people do this round?

Yes, and two is easiest because the entries are only two bars apart and you can hear the other voice clearly. Three or four works in a room with a hard floor.

Do I strum the whole time in a round?

If you are the only instrument, no — strum for two bars then drop out for two so the voices can be heard. Playing continuously in a round buries the effect.