Topic: ukulele chords need advice
i would like to ask for some help on the more difficult ukulele (c tune) chords. i am having fits over the b and e chords. any advice would be appreciated
ukulele's unite!!
- ozmoid
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Re: ukulele chords need advice
(uke is tuned in C)
The B is pretty easy:
This is one you can slip up and down the neck and get a bunch of chords from! Bar the fret closest to the nut (where the two strings are pressed in the same fret) and lift your finger off the G string, and you have a 7th. Put that back and lift the C string, you have a minor.
The E is difficult for me, I can't get my fingers on the fret like this:
So I do this instead:
If you are using the D tuning for your uke, just move everything 2 frets closer to the nut.
Don’t let short-term frustration make you feel that your life exists in just this volatile moment.
- upyerkilt
- Unofficial king of Scotland
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Re: ukulele chords need advice
ozmoid,
you play your E like me. I cannot do the first way either.
ken
ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
Re: ukulele chords need advice
much eASIER THX
ukulele's unite!!
- ozmoid
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Re: ukulele chords need advice
upyerkilt wrote:
ozmoid,
you play your E like me. I cannot do the first way either.ken
Three of my fingers just will not cram into a single fret like that. I got a Concert size uke thinking "bigger will be easier" and I still don't fit. 
I keep practicing the position, time will tell...
Don’t let short-term frustration make you feel that your life exists in just this volatile moment.
- ozmoid
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Re: ukulele chords need advice
OK, I am finally getting the "traditional" E chord shape. I realized that my fingernails were getting in the way of me getting a good vertical approach to the strings, so I've started cutting my left nails back to nothing. That has allowed me to get my fingertips almost perpendicular to the fretboard, which really helps with cramming them all into that one fret. I've also found I need to rotate my wrist clockwise a bit from my normal position to help get my fingers "lined up".
I run out of room to do it around the 5th fret on my concert uke.
In general, I'm using a better hand position for all my chording now, and trying to defeat this E helped. I'm keeping my thumb further down on the back of the neck, which makes my hand stand off from the fretboard better. I'm getting far fewer cases of notes being dulled or deadened by fretting fingers "touching" adjacent strings. Practice practice practice!
Don’t let short-term frustration make you feel that your life exists in just this volatile moment.
Re: ukulele chords need advice
where to find ukelele basic strumming please? i'm new, just started learning the basic chords and would like to move to learning basic strumming.
Re: ukulele chords need advice
A great resource is ukuleleunderground.com. Lots of tutorials and video, and a wonderful online community.
Re: ukulele chords need advice
there are two super easy way to play E, one is modeled on the power chord (so purists would say it's not a real chord) but that is played like this
-2-
-0-
-4-
-4-
I prefer to play it like this (which is a true E)
-2-
-0-
-4-
-1-
but the more you practice the easier it will get to be able to play it like the chord charts have it
- lUKEy
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Re: ukulele chords need advice
When it comes to chords you just need to keep repeating repeating repeating. Shift from one chord to another over and over. SOunds boring and monotonous but as your finger memory improves soon enough it'll be automatic. Thats how I did it.
Everything improves with time and practice.
[b]Its in the name![/b]Re: ukulele chords need advice
Hi, this is my first post. I just started learning.
I found the best way for me to play E is with index finger on second fret A string, ring finger 4th fret E string, then find a comfortable position to extend the middle finger to 'bar' the C & G strings 4th fret, then your little finger is free.
It seems to work ok for me, maybe it'll work for you! : )
Re: ukulele chords need advice
can any one recomend a uke teacher in south london area (surrey) althoug i can play a number of songs, i need help with timing, im fine playing away on me own ,but as soon as other peeps play along it all goes to pot lol HELP !!!
Re: ukulele chords need advice
I do a thing I learned from my brother who plays guitar so I only strum the last two strings, for E put one finger on the fourth string on the second fret like
- - - -
- - - X
- - - -
- - - -
and for B I go like
- - - -
- - X X
- - - -
- - - -
,strumming only the last two strings. For the E you have to E's and I dunno for B, but they sound OK.
but it makes it sound kinda cheesy only having two chords. It makes it alot easier though
14 2011-06-23 07:49:28 (edited by steelstrings 2011-06-23 07:50:05)
- steelstrings
- Senior Member
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Re: ukulele chords need advice
Try this:
http://ukeschool.com/
I used to play but I gave up to learn guitar.
"Where you begin doesn't matter. Your willingness to start is what counts."
Without music life would be a mistake.
Country music is three chords and the truth.
Without music life would be a mistake.
Country music is three chords and the truth.
15 2012-03-29 02:32:00 (edited by ndrewoods 2012-04-01 14:55:33)
Re: ukulele chords need advice
ozmoid wrote:
OK, I am finally getting the "traditional" E chord shape. I realized that my fingernails were getting in the way of me getting a good vertical approach to the strings, so I've started cutting my left nails back to nothing ukulele lessons. That has allowed me to get my fingertips almost perpendicular to the fretboard, which really helps with cramming them all into that one fret. I've also found I need to rotate my wrist clockwise a bit from my normal position to help get my fingers "lined up".
I run out of room to do it around the 5th fret on my concert uke.
In general, I'm using a better hand position for all my chording now, and trying to defeat this E helped. I'm keeping my thumb further down on the back of the neck, which makes my hand stand off from the fretboard better. I'm getting far fewer cases of notes being dulled or deadened by fretting fingers "touching" adjacent strings. Practice practice practice!
For me to get the "traditional" E chord, it sure did take some time to get it right. But at first, expect to wrestle with your fingers and you may experience pain but once you get used to it, you're good to go.
Re: ukulele chords need advice
Hi Maxine, have you tried playing along with a metronome? There's an online one here: http://www.metronomeonline.com/
It really makes me realise that I slow down for the difficult bits and speed up for the loud bits!
Luckily my tiny fingers can get the E ok, it's why I prefer the uke to the guitar, where I can't reach half the chords 