Ukulele chords

The ukulele is a kind of guitar brought from the Hawaiian Islands. Its sound resembles a bird's song and is great for jazz and folk compositions. A 4-string instrument looks like a toy guitar, but the principle of sounding on it is different from playing a regular guitar. The bottom thickest string of a ukulele is not the lowest note. The short neck allows you to quickly tune the instrument to the desired tuning. Sometimes there are 6- and 8-string devices when all strings are doubled or only the first and third.

Knowing the chords and being able to read them is essential for anyone who wants to play a popular song. The melody is composed of a combination of chords. A chord is a sequential or simultaneous sounding of 3 or more sounds.

There are a great many of them, but it is not necessary to memorize all of them. You need to learn to understand and read them quickly: both in literal and digital form. And then you can play the melody, having only the letters. There are several recording options, but they are similar and intuitive for people familiar with musical notation.

The chord grid looks like a fretboard facing you. Vertical lines represent strings and horizontal lines represent frets. If you count from left to right, then the strings go from bottom to top. In the diagrams, filled circles indicate the places where the strings are clamped. Sometimes the numbers of the fingers are written on the grid, with which you need to hold the fret. They are indicated either at the bottom of the grid, or directly in circles. The numbers of the fingers start from the index finger to the little finger. But it is not necessary to follow them - these are recommendations, you can clamp a chord in different ways.

Other signs are often found on the diagrams:

• "O" - an open string that does not need to be clamped in a given chord;
• "NS" - squeeze the string to be muffled completely.

The classical notation for the ukulele is GCEA (Sol-Do-Mi-La). These notes can be played on open strings. For the rest, it is necessary to clamp some elastic threads at certain frets. Latin notation of notes and chords are recorded. They are in minor and major. Minor characters are indicated by a small Latin m, and major ones are not indicated in any way. Sometimes there is a # sign in the recording, it means a sharp. Flat chords are usually not mentioned. Major chords are 3 or more sounds played at the same time, where the notes differ by an integer number of tones or frets. And in minor 2 notes must have a difference of 1.5 tones. Major chords are considered cheerful and cheerful, while minor ones are sad and lyrical.

There are records of chords in numbers in a row, for example Am-0221. This stands for the Am (A minor) chord. And the numbers indicate at which fret you need to press the string. This digital notation is good to use when you need to quickly record a new chord, so as not to draw a diagram.

It happens that on the diagram, the strings are shown horizontally, and the frets - vertically. That is, the fingering completely repeats the neck of the ukulele. At the initial level, it may be more convenient for someone to use this kind of images. Such schemes are called tablatures. They are read from left to right. Numbers are written on the strings here, they indicate in which fret the given string should be clamped. The distance between the numbers indicates how long the note (chord) should sound. Tablatures are similar to the stave, only numbers are written on them instead of notes. This was invented for those who do not know and do not want to learn musical notation. As a rule, they are understood only by guitarists and are written by them.

Letters beside the numbers indicate:

• h - hammer on, a kind of legato, when the fingers of the left hand hit a certain string at the right fret, clamping the chord with the other fingers, the right hand does not participate;
• p - pull of, another kind of legato, in which the string breaks with the finger of the left hand while other notes are played;
• b - a pull-up (band), when the string is pulled with the left hand while playing a chord;
• / and \ - slides (glissando), the direction is indicated by a slash;
• X - vibrato (string trembling).

It is very difficult to carry out all these techniques, it is problematic for beginners to master them right away. This has been developed over the years and is used by professional musicians. Techniques give a familiar melody an unusual, original sound.

Letters and signs are more often used in complex compositions; for beginners, you can always pick up simple tablatures without special designations. It will be difficult for people without musical education to master all the braces, vibrato and other techniques for playing the ukulele and guitar.

You can learn how to read chords and tablatures yourself from books or video tutorials on popular Internet channels. Or you can take 3-4 lessons from a professional. It will help you learn how to hold the instrument correctly and explain the logical chord alignment.

Starting a new business is always difficult, but you need to show diligence and desire, then everything will work out. If you've played the guitar before, mastering the ukulele is easy. But for beginners, especially those completely unfamiliar with musical literacy, it will be much more difficult. But don't be scared and stop after the first setbacks. It's actually quite simple and you will soon be able to play the first tunes.

To play a chord, hold down the strings (one or more) at specific frets with the fingers of your left hand (if you are right-handed), and with the fingers of your right hand, slide over the strings. First, you can practice pinching them one at a time with different fingers, while listening to the sound of the instrument. When your fingers are quite mobile and you are able to clamp several strings at the same time, you can move on to mastering the chords.

It is much easier to play them on a ukulele than on a regular guitar, because there are only 4 strings. Some can be pinched with just one finger. The main chords for beginners are: C, D, F, E, G, Cm, Fm, Bm, Em, Dm, B, Gm, Am, E7, B7, G7, D7, Bb. They are easy to memorize, and having mastered them, you can move on to more complex ones. Minor sounds are indicated by small Latin letters, and the mode can be determined by the numbers. F is F, B is C, D is D. All fingerings can be easily found on the Internet.

As an example, let's analyze one of the main chords - G (G major). The fingering (chart) will have 3 dots (which means you need to play 3 notes together) on the first, second and third strings (vertical lines) on the second and third frets. String 4 remains open (no need to press down). Judging by the diagram, you need to hold down the third string with your index finger (note E at the second fret), with your middle finger - the first string at the second fret (note G) and, finally, with your ring finger - the second string at the third fret (note C).

The F (F) chord in Major is even easier to play. You need to hold the second string with your index finger at the first fret, and the fourth string at the next fret with your ring finger.

The three main chords (popularly also called "thieves") are D minor (Dm), A minor (Am) and E major (E). They need to be mastered first. This will be the first step to playing your ukulele competently.

E-major (E) is similar in sound to the E note. The fourth string is clamped at the first fret, the second at the second, and the third at the fourth. In D minor (Dm), the second string is clamped at the first fret, and the first and third at the second. A minor is the easiest to play, for this you need to hold down the first string at the second fret.

Some resourceful beginners mark the points where they need to clamp the strings with different colors and paint their nails on the left hand in the corresponding color. This method is considered to be quite effective in mastering the basics of musical literacy.

For convenience, first learn all major chords (their names consist of one capital Latin letter). Play through all the chords in order until a pleasant harmonious melody sounds without unnecessary vibrations. Now do the same with the minor ones (they have a small latin letter m in their names).

At first it may seem like it is very difficult. But after spending a little time (about an hour a day), the fingers themselves will begin to quickly find the desired notes. To memorize the base and get used to the ukulele, it is recommended to play all the chords in a row in any order you like. When your fingers get comfortable, you can move on to small scales. Remember to use both major and minor. On the Internet you can find notation and lettering of such scales.

First, learn to play with your fingertips, then switch to the pinch method. And when you have completely mastered the chords, then you can start playing with brute force and strike.

You can play slowly at first, but still get the chords right. After mastering the technique, increase the rhythm. Use a metronome if necessary.

The hardest part will be learning to rearrange your fingers at the same time and not touch other strings.If parts of the limb are incorrectly positioned (when the finger touches an adjacent string), rattling sounds will appear. Take your time when placing your fingers - it is better to immediately master the correct technique. When rearranging the fingers of your left hand, remember to pluck the strings with your right hand. At the same time, do not go astray. The first time you can count to 4, 6 or 8, then it will be easier for you. The right hand quickly comes to automatism when moving, then it will be possible to fully concentrate on the left hand to play chords.

After mastering 7-10 chords and the technique of playing the ukulele in general, you can begin to learn simple songs, children or folk songs. It is recommended to start with the well-known "Grasshopper" or "Dog Waltz". "Grasshopper was sitting in the grass" is played on one string and only 4 chords are used. With enough perseverance, learning this song will not be difficult. Many popular pop songs consist of 4-6 chords, you can find them on the vastness of the omniscient Internet or buy a book in a music store.

After mastering the basic simple chords and technique of playing the ukulele, you can move on to more complex ones. Do not strive to master all sounds at once and tackle a complex melody. In this case, it is better not to rush. With daily training, you will succeed.

More complex chords include Am7, Dm7, Cmaj7, Em7, Fmaj7. The number 7 means that the chord consists of 4 notes, it is called the seventh chord. The j indicates that this is a major major seventh chord. For example, Fmaj7 is a F major seventh chord, it consists of 4 notes: F, A, C, E. And the Dm7 chord is called the D minor seventh chord and also consists of 4 notes.

It will be more difficult to pick these chords, they involve 4 fingers. This takes practice, especially if you haven't played a musical instrument before. All fingerings for correct finger placement on the strings can be found on the Internet.

After that, you can start using the barre. This is when all the strings are pressed down with one finger, and some kind of chord is taken with the other three.

Now you can learn complex melodies or improvise like a jazz musician.