Billie Eilish Songs on Ukulele

Grammy Award-winning artist Billie Eilish has made a major impact on the music world in a short time. She began writing and performing her own original music at the age of 11. Before the age of 17, she’s had four songs appear in the Billboard Top 20, won five Grammys (including Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “Bad Guy”), and was the youngest artist ever to be nominated in six major categories for the prestigious music award.

As an artist, Billie Eilish’s often moody, introspective lyrics serve as a sharp counterbalance to her plucky, cheerful ukulele style. Melding indie-tinted pop with haunting vocals, Billie Eilish has carved out a style all her own. Her 2016 song, “Ocean Eyes” put her on the map, having released it on Soundcloud. Shortly after, the song was re-released on Interscope records.

In this exclusive Fender Play artist collection, you’ll learn six easy Billie Eilish songs on ukulele that are suitable for beginners to play, including:

• “&burn” • “Ocean Eyes” • “watch” • “my strange addiction” • “six feet under” • “when the party’s over”

A multi-faceted singer, songwriter, and musician, Billie Eilish also plays guitar. Once you master these six songs on ukulele, check the Billie Eilish song collection for ukulele on Fender Play. Sign up for a free trial of Fender Play to unlock lessons to learn to play these Billie Eilish songs on ukulele, plus even more chords, skills, and songs.

How to Learn Billie Eilish Songs on Ukulele

Take some time to learn some of the most common ukulele chords Billie Eilish uses in her songs. Familiarizing yourself with these chords beforehand can help you more smoothly transition between them and focus more on strum patterns and rhythm when playing these Billie Eilish songs on the ukulele:

• C

• D

• Dm • Em

• F • G • G#m • A • Am

• Bm

"&burn" Ukulele Chords

Billie Eilish’s song “&burn” is actually a reimagined version of another of her songs in this collection, “watch.” The song features rapper Vince Staples making a vocal cameo on this pared-down version that focuses on the all-encompassing feeling of missing an ex lover.

There are also some there are some subtle differences when playing “&burn” on the ukulele versus “watch.” For instance, Billie Eilish only uses four chords instead of the six that appear on “watch.” Despite dialing down the number of chords, the slimmer selection of chords give this song an even more melancholy and intense feel.

Difficulty: Easy • Am Chord • Dm Chord • F Chord • G Chord

Learn “&burn on Fender Play in the Billie Eilish Ukulele collection.

In the Billie Eilish Episode of Fender Play LIVE, Jensen Trani calls “&burn” the “perfect starter song.” Learn the chords in this clip from the episode:

"Ocean Eyes" Ukulele Chords

The song that started it all for Billie Eilish, “Ocean Eyes,” was initially released on SoundCloud in late 2015 when she was just a young teen.The song was written by her brother, Finneas O’Connell, as a song for her dance teacher to choreograph a piece to. Her brother initially wrote it for his band, but felt it would sound better with Billie’s voice. In order to make the song accessible for her dance teacher to hear, the brother-sister duo put it on SoundCloud and it went viral.

The song’s sparse instrumentation gives Billie Eilish’s voice a playground to shine. However, the bright tone of simple ukulele chords can enhance the dreamy feel of the song. To play “Ocean Eyes” on ukulele, you only need to know four basic chords that are easy for beginners to learn.

Difficulty: Easy • C Chord • D Chord • Em Chord • G Chord

Learn “Ocean Eyes” by Billie Eilish on ukulele here.

Jenson Trani teaches the chords and unique rhythm of “Ocean Eyes” in this clip from Fender Play LIVE:

"my strange addiction" Ukulele Chords

Danceable and upbeat with a sexy-meets-ethereal touch thanks to Billie Eilish’s vocals, “my strange addiction” is just what its title implies. The song’s interesting and playful beat stands as a strong counterpart to the lyrics that touch on obsessive love.

To play Billie Eilish’s “my strange addiction” on ukulele, you’ll only know how to play (and deconstruct) the G#m chord. To replicate the song’s distinctive intro, you’ll want to incorporate ukulele techniques such as backbeat strumming.

Difficulty: Easy • G#m Chord

In this Fender Play LIVE clip, Jensen Trani and Eugene Edwards teach the main riff, chords and strumming pattern used in “my strange addiction” on Fender Play LIVE.

Learn “my strange addiction” on Fender Play.

"when the party’s over" Ukulele Chords

Billie Eilish’s song “when the party’s over” has been featured on several TV shows -- and with good reason. Her vocals swing between a lilting whisper and soaring, impassioned bursts, evoking an emotional and dramatic feel that heightens moments of tension.

The stripped-down style of “when the party’s over” makes it ideal for beginner ukulele players (and seasoned players alike) to learn. Composed of just five chords, the slow tempo of “when the party’s over” encourages players and listeners to strive for precision, making each chord count and showing the power music has to touch your emotions.

Difficulty: Easy • F Chord • Am Chord • C Chord • Dm Chord • G Chord

Learn “when the party’s over” in the Billie Eilish Ukulele Collection on Fender Play.

Jensen teaches the chords and strumming pattern used in “when the party’s over” in this Fender Play LIVE clip:

"watch" Ukulele Chords

The wistful sound of a piano kicks off “watch” by Billie Eilish, a song about the pain of missing an ex and swinging between romanticizing the past and coming to grips with the reality of the relationship. Ukulele lends itself perfectly to this song, standing in for the tender piano chords.

To play “watch” on ukulele, you’ll need to know six ukulele chords. The song is played in the key of C in standard tuning, making this an easy song for beginner ukulele players.

Difficulty: Easy • C Chord • F Chord • Am Chord • G Chord • Dm Chord • Em Chord

"six feet under" Ukulele Chords

On “six feet under,” Billie Eilish sings about losing yourself within a relationship, the fragility of a relationship, and its ultimate end. The song is played on ukulele using just three chords -- two minor chords (Bm and Em) and one major chord (A), giving it a slightly somber feel.

Difficulty: Easy • Bm Chord • A Chord • Em Chord

Check out Billie Eilish Fender Play Ukulele Lessons

Learning to play the ukulele takes time, practice, and patience. Try your hand at playing these Billie Eilish hit songs in the Billie Eilish Collections for ukulele and guitar.

The Billie Eilish Signature Ukulele

In this Fender Play LIVE clip, Jensen Trani talks about Fender’s new signature model designed in partnership with Billie Eilish.

Check out the Billie Eilish Signature Ukulele on the Fender Shop.

Learn Billie Eilish’s biggest hits in the full episode of Fender Play LIVE here.