See where the rhythm lands
Dots and patterns show where the movement sits in the bar.
Built for beginners
Rhythm help for
ukulele beginners
Songs, patterns, and chord movement shown in a way that is easier to follow. Watch it. Hear it. Follow it.
“Made by a beginner, and shared for other beginners.”
dotBeat Animator
Follow the dots in time. Bigger dots = longer notes. That's all you need to follow along.
How dotBeat Helps
A quick overview of what you can follow here beyond a plain chord sheet.
No music theory required
The pages are written for beginners, without assuming much background.
Built-in playback
You can listen, slow things down, and follow along at your own pace.
Made by a fellow learner
The site grew out of the same questions many beginners run into.
Songs to get you started
If you're not sure where to begin, start here.
Start here
Oh! Susanna
A familiar 4/4 singalong with more space between strums — a friendlier first step when you're just finding your rhythm.
Scarborough Fair
A calm three-beat folk ballad that's easy to follow once you feel the waltz pulse.
Amazing Grace
A gentle, familiar melody that still works beautifully once you're ready for a slower three-beat feel.
The story behind dotBeat
Built by a beginner,
for beginners.
for beginners.
I'm Shelley. I'm nearly 70 and started learning ukulele two months ago. My biggest frustration was downloading chord sheets for songs I'd never heard — I had no idea what rhythm to play or how fast to strum.
Most tutorial videos either went too fast or demonstrated the song without actually breaking it down. So I built dotBeat for myself, and then wondered if other beginners felt the same way.
If you're new to ukulele, a little older, and just want to understand what you're playing — this was made for you.
"
Omg THANK YOU for sharing it! Exactly what I needed!
— Meredith, ukulele group member
"
This is a fabulous tool! Beginner and advanced, this is great! I'm going to share with my group.
— Jackie, ukulele player
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Never mind beginners — I know I'll also find your website very helpful. Super impressed!
— Norma, QBUB group leader
How was your experience?
A quick rating or comment helps me understand what is useful and what still needs work.