chords | Learn To Play the Ukulele

Complicating Our Chords: Maj 6, Maj9, 7ths, 11ths and 13ths.

We have already discussed major, minor, seventh, augmented, diminished, and suspended chords in a previous article. Of course we can always complicate matters from there. First a quick reminder that the uke only has 4 strings, as we get into more complicated chords we run into trouble with having enough notes to actually give a proper sounding to certain chords. And because of the 4 strings many chord formations on the uke can actually be multiple chords at the same time. For example, if you play the uke with no frets on any string you get a C6 chord or you can call it an Am7. That’s because a C6 is CEGA and an Am7 is ACEG… they are made of the same notes. So essentially with no frets down on the uke we have an inversion of both C6 and Am7. However, the goal here isn’t to confuse you,[…]

C major and G major When we first start playing our ukulele it is common to learn just a couple chords, and usually those first two chords are C and G. In this article we are going to provide some great examples of songs you can play with a limited number of chords. That way from the very beginning you have something to show for each step on your ukulele journey! We are going to stick to one of the common keys and in this case the Key of C. Most new ukulele players immediately learn C major and G major so let’s find some music that can be played with just those two chords. In western music the easiest and best sounding interval is the root and the fifth, that’s why it is so simple to write songs using only the chords C major (root) and G major (fifth).[…]

One of the best aspects of playing the ukulele, is getting to write your own songs. Of course we all begin by learning some of the more popular Uke tunes, but as time progresses most players want to pen their own unique tunes. To do that we need to learn a little about chord progressions. I’m going to let you in on a little secret, writing songs is really not that difficult. There are specific formulas that nearly every songwriter uses and progressions that have stood the test of time, yes of course a great songwriter knows when to bend the rules, but the basics are nearly always followed. In fact, by the end of this article you will realize just how many songs share the same chord progressions! A quick legal note: it is perfectly acceptable to use common chord progressions, they cannot be copyrighted. It is the melody[…]

OK, so we already discussed some basic practice techniques in a previous article. Great advice about keeping your ukulele tuned, setting aside time to practice, playing slowly at first, using a metronome, and playing along to songs you like. After a few weeks and months of this we start to advance, but instead of a peak we find a plateau! Often when folks pick up a musical instrument, they try it for awhile and then get frustrated and slowly practice less and less. Trust me, I give music lessons, and it’s quite common for folks to peter out in the beginning. However, there are those dedicated few who keep with it, they follow the beginner advice and they practice, but then they get to a point where they have trouble moving further up. While a plateau is common with every skill, I’m going to give you a few pointers on[…]

When it comes to learning chords, it is important to know not only the notes (frets on each string) but also the fingering (what fingers to put on each string). Learning a string instrument such as the ukulele is based a lot on memorizing patterns and figures; which form chords, scales, and chord progressions. A same chord can be played in a different way according to the musician, but also according to the previous or next chord in the song, though this is a bit of an advanced topic for a beginner. 3 Must-know chords The first 3 chords you should learn are C, F and G. They correspond to degrees I, IV and V of the C major scale. C Chord – 0003 The most basic chord just requires one finger on the third fret of the first string. It is recommended to use the ring finger of the[…]

A chord is nothing more than the union of 3 or more different notes played at the same time. If it’s a union of 3 notes, we call it a triad. If we press 3 different keys of a piano (different meaning that they are not the same note, not even in a different octave), we will have a chord, we won’t know what his name is, but it is a chord. Depending on how we form the triad (specifically, the interval or number of semitones there is between the notes forming the triad, we will have one type of chord or another. Usually, and this applies to all chords, we will have a “base” note, which we’ll call “tonic”, from which the chord will be named after, and from which semitone distances will be calculated to the other notes of the triad, in order to define the type of[…]

Tag - chords

Complicating Our Chords: Maj 6, Maj9, 7ths, 11ths and 13ths.

Two Chord Songs for Beginners

Common Chord Progressions

Advanced Ukulele Practice

8 Chords you should know

Chord Formation