Ukulele for Beginners 2nd Edition
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FREE audio files and sheet music
Everything you need to start playing the ukulele
Play in any music style!
Strumming techniques explained Tune and restring your uke Learn the different chords
Welcome to
Ukulele People of all abilities can play the ukulele, from complete novices who have never played an instrument before to accomplished musicians who want to add another string to their bow (so to speak). That’s probably why so many people, young and old, are picking up this versatile little instrument and making music. This edition of Ukulele for Beginners is the perfect companion for you and your new ukulele, and will help you decide which type of instrument – whether soprano, baritone, concert or electric – is right for you. You’ll learn how to play, from the basic major chords to tabs and even music theory and notation. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you’ll be rocking out on your uke in the styles of your favourite artists, including Green Day, Taylor Swift, Kanye West and Elvis Presley. We’ll answer the burning questions you have about your uke in our Helpdesk section, and you’ll ind all the chords you need in the charts at the back of the book. So grab your ukulele, pick up this book and get strumming!
Imagine Publishing Ltd Richmond House 33 Richmond Hill Bournemouth Dorset BH2 6EZ +44 (0) 1202 586200 Website: www.imagine-publishing.co.uk Twitter: @Books_Imagine Facebook: www.facebook.com/ImagineBookazines
Publishing Director Aaron Asadi Head of Design Ross Andrews Editor in Chief Jon White Production Editor Sanne de Boer Senior Art Editor Greg Whitaker Art Editor Alison Innes Photographer James Sheppard Printed by William Gibbons, 26 Planetary Road, Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 3XT Distributed in the UK, Eire & the Rest of the World by: Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU Tel 0203 787 9060 www.marketforce.co.uk Distributed in Australia by: Gordon & Gotch Australia Pty Ltd, 26 Rodborough Road, Frenchs Forest, NSW, 2086 Australia Tel +61 2 9972 8800, www.gordongotch.com.au Disclaimer The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material lost or damaged in the post. All text and layout is the copyright of Imagine Publishing Ltd. Nothing in this bookazine may be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher. All copyrights are recognised and used specifically for the purpose of criticism and review. Although the bookazine has endeavoured to ensure all information is correct at time of print, prices and availability may change. This bookazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein. Photography locations courtesy of: Southern Ukulele Store @ Music Is Life, Southbourne, Bournemouth; The Real Eating Company, Bournemouth; Huckleberry’s Kitchen, Bournemouth. Our sincere thanks to these companies. Ukulele for Beginners Second Edition © 2016 Imagine Publishing Ltd ISBN 978 1785 463 563
Contents Guiding you every step of the way and providing you with everything you need to start learning the ukulele – all you need to know and all in one place
Give it a try Look out for this logo on some pages, as it means that an audio file is available online to help you master a certain ukulele technique.
Getting started
28 Stretch to improve
10 Get to know your ukulele 12 Choose the right ukulele 16 Tune your ukulele 18 Hold your ukulele 20 Take care of your ukulele 22 Restring your ukulele 24 Essential accessories 26 Warm up your hands
Techniques
Say hello to your new instrument
Which type of ukulele is best for your needs?
Master this essential skill before you play
Perfect your posture and get comfortable
Keep your uke clean for the best sound
It’s not as hard as it looks, and sounds great
What do you need to enhance your playing?
Avoid cramp and play for longer
6 Ukulele for Beginners
Use these exercises to improve your reach
32 Notes, strings and frets 34 Play basic ukulele chords 36 Basic chord progression 38 Strum your ukulele 40 Strum for different genres 42 Practise with basic chords 44 Master chnking Get to grips with the basics of notation
Start strumming with these major chords
Move from one chord to another smoothly
Play chords with these rhythm patterns
From reggae to folk, strum the right sounds
Play a piece to recap what you’ve learned so far
An essential ukulele technique that sounds great
46 Play barre chords 48 Barre chord tips 50 Use a capo 52 Finger pick 54 Tremolo pick 56 Mute strings 58 Learn to slide 60 Practise with more chords 62 Practise string bending It takes time but these chords are worth it
Make life easier when barring with these hints
Alter your ukulele’s pitch with this handy clamp
Move beyond strumming and pick out the notes
Get a hard-rock sound with your ukulele
Silence speaks loudly with this technique
Get a bluesy sound by sliding notes
Recap the sophisticated techniques you’ve learnt
Add an extra tone to your notes with movement
Strings and frets Throughout this bookazine, the horizontal lines on these tab diagrams (right) refer to the string you’re fretting. The numbers refer to which fret you’re playing (below).
1
64 Play in octaves 66 Get to grips with recording 68 Play ukulele with others 70 Useful apps for ukulele 72 Useful sites for ukulele Master a classic-rock sound on the ukulele
Commit your strumming to digital record
Music’s more fun with friends, find out how
Download apps to help you on the move
Research your instrument even further online
Reading music
2
3
A E C G
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
4
5
6
7
8
A E C G
88 Interpret key signatures 90 Rests and repetition 92 Introducing musical scales 93 The major scale 94 The minor scale 95 The major pentatonic scale 96 The minor pentatonic scale 97 The blues scale 98 Playing solos 100 Ukulele improvisation
What are key signatures and how are they used?
Master these two essential parts of notation
Practise your notes in sequence
How to play a major scale and what it means
The sounds of the minor scale and how to play
A scale found in music all over the world
76 Read ukulele tabs 80 What is musical notation? 82 Introducing the staves 83 Notes and their values 84 Read musical notation Play in the style of... 86 Understand time signatures 104 Traditional Hawaiian 106 One Direction 108 Green Day 110 Mumford and Sons 112 Amy Winehouse 114 Ed Sheeran 116 Bruno Mars 118 Nile Rodgers Understand the method of tablature
Get to grips with traditional music theory
See where all the notes live
Find out about the circles that sit on the staves
Made up of five notes, play this interesting scale
A distinct-sounding scale that’s great for pop
Work out how to take the limelight with your uke
More than just making it up as you go
Discover how music is represented on the page
Play the right number of beats per bar
Play along with the traditional ukulele sound
Get the big pop sound of 1D
Mimic their flavour of bratty pop-punk
The ukulele is perfect for this folky style
Play the genre of jazz with Amy’s sound
Make use of the ukulele’s acoustic credentials
Get a funky R&B sound like Bruno Mars
Learn how to play like this jazz legend
120 Foo Fighters 122 Kanye West 124 Taylor Swift 126 The Smiths 128 Bob Marley 130 Elvis Presley
Channel Dave Grohl and rock out on your uke
Invoke the ‘greatest living rock star’ on the uke
Play Swift’s country-pop sound for yourself
Can your ukulele sound like The Smiths?
Marley’s reggae is a great style for ukulele
Tap your blue suede shoes along to the uke
Helpdesk
134 Your questions answered 148 Glossary 150 Chord charts
All the questions you’re asking, answered
Find out what the trickiest terms mean
All the chords you need for your reference
Ukulele for Beginners 7
8 Ukulele for Beginners
Getting started The ultimate guide to picking up your ukulele and making it sound great, with step-by-step tutorials and tips for warming up, tuning and keeping the uke in top condition
Give it a try Look out for this logo on each page, as it means that an audio file is available online to help you master a certain ukulele technique.
10 Get to know your ukulele 12 Choose the right ukulele 16 Tune your ukulele 18 Hold your ukulele 20 Take care of your ukulele 22 Restring your ukulele 24 Essential accessories 26 Warm up your hands 28 Stretch to improve Ukulele for Beginners 9
Getting started
Get to know your ukulele Just picking up a ukulele for the first time? Then take time to get better acquainted with your instrument
U
kuleles come in many shapes and sizes, but they usually resemble small traditional acoustic guitars. They also come in four main sizes – soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. A soprano ukulele usually measures about 21 inches in length and is most likely the one that you are holding in your hands right now, as it is far and away the most popular type. Concert ukuleles measure about 23 inches in length and are very similar to soprano ukuleles in terms of sound, as they are tuned the same way. Things start to get slightly different when we come to the tenor ukulele. These measure 26 inches in length and are tuned like soprano ukuleles. However, the fourth string, G, is one octave lower. Baritone ukuleles are the largest members of the family, measuring 30 inches in length, and are tuned similar to the tenor ukulele but a 4th lower. Although the shape of the ukulele you are playing won’t affect the sound – most sound the same – it can determine how easy the instrument is to play. This is why you should learn on a more traditionally shaped ukulele, like the one pictured here, before moving onto some of the more radical Flying-V or cricket bat-shaped electric ukuleles. If
Headstock The headstock is the part of the ukulele where the tuning pegs are attached and also where the instrument’s brand logo and serial number (which is usually on the back) will be displayed
Tuning pegs Also known as tuning keys or machine heads, the tuning pegs are metal pegs through which the strings are threaded. These pegs are then twisted in order to tune the strings of the ukulele
10 Ukulele for Beginners
you are already familiar with the workings of a guitar then you will instantly know the parts that make up a ukulele and the roles that they play. If not then you should know that the two main sound-producing parts of the instrument are the body and the strings. The body is where the sound is produced and consists of three main parts: the soundboard (the top or front of the ukulele), the back and the sides. As the soundboard is the most important part of
the instrument, this will be usually fashioned out of superior materials than the sides and back. The strings are what are used to make the sounds that the body produces. We will go into more detail on what each part does here, as well as identify the other key components that make up your ukulele. Getting to know your instrument inside and out is one of the fundamentals for learning how to play it.
“The two main sound-producing parts of the instrument are the body and the strings”
Anatomy of a ukulele
Strings Threaded up from the bridge and pulled taut at the headstock, the strings run across the soundhole and up the fretboard and are what you strum or pluck to create the sound. Ukulele strings are usually made from synthetic fibres, such as nylon
Get to know your instrument and discover all of the key components If you are keen to start playing the ukulele then it is useful to learn what all of the parts of the instrument are called and the roles that they play. This also makes it easier to order spare parts and talk to other people about the different aspects of your instrument. Here we identify all of the key components of the ukulele, which are actually the same in terms of name and function as those of a standard acoustic guitar.
Soundhole Fret markers Traditionally resembling dots, fret markers are present on the fretboard (usually at the third, fifth, seventh, tenth and twelfth frets) to act as an at-a-glance reference as to where the various frets can be found. Where no fret markers are present, just count up or down from the ones that are there
The soundhole is a circular opening in the top of the ukulele’s body to let out the vibrations created when the strings are strummed. Soundholes are familiar features of most acoustic stringed instruments
Fretboard
Bridge
Usually fashioned out of rosewood, the fretboard is where all of the instrument’s frets are arranged – these are the metal bars placed horizontally across the fretboard to denote the different notes
The bridge is mounted on top of the body and holds a saddle, which is required to hold all of the strings in place above the fretboard. When stringing a ukulele, the strings are knotted at the bridge
Ukulele for Beginners 11
Getting started
Choose the right ukulele There are several types of ukulele available. We tell you all about each one so you can make an informed choice about which model to purchase
Soprano The soprano is seen as the most traditional ukulele and will give you that authentic ukulele sound If the ukulele has recently piqued your interest and inspired you to go out and buy one, the soprano sized version is likely to be what you’re looking for. The smallest ukulele you can get – not including the rare but growing in popularity sopranissimo – it also produces the highest sound (and the one you’ve got playing in your head right now). Coming in at the grand size of just 21 inches long, soprano ukuleles usually feature 12 frets (although some may have 14). Due to their size, they only have a range of 22 notes (turn to p.74 for more on reading music). Its standard tuning is GCEA. Although the soprano is the model people widely think of when a ukulele pops into their thoughts – and is notably cheaper than other types – it can be a tad small for adults, which makes it difficult to use and perform with if that’s the road you’re planning to take. Its produced sound is what many would expect from a ukulele, but this is still rather thin and not as warm as other models that are available. It‘s also not as powerful as you might expect, so as you develop as a player, you may well want to switch to a different model. Ensuring the body is to a high standard is key when producing the right tone – the shape and quality of the wood makes a huge difference – but those on a budget can still opt for a plastic soprano ukulele when first starting out, or if ease of transport is high on the agenda. While the model you purchase may not be capable of the sound you were hoping for, upgrading to a quality set of strings can make all the difference – a tip we would encourage all beginners to follow. Just make sure to go for a set that are designed for a soprano, as each model needs to be fitted differently. An ideal choice for those starting out, the range of soprano ukuleles makes it exceptionally pain-free to find one that fits an individual’s tastes, from your basic beginner models to those that carry a bit more musical punch.
12 Ukulele for Beginners
Top tip
Pay a little more
Tuning heads Much like your standard guitar, each tuning head allows you to alter the pitch of each string. The standard tuning for a soprano ukulele is GCEA
Strings Even a cheap ukulele can be improved with a decent set of strings, so no matter what soprano you opt for, make sure you invest in this area too
With a ukulele, you us ua what you pay for. Wh lly get ile are plenty of afordab there le models that are great for lea rners, avoid super-cheap options as they will struggle to stay in tune, which can be very annoying.
Frets Most soprano ukuleles have between 12 and 14 frets. Due to the instrument‘s small size, however, players with large fingers may struggle
Body A high-quality wood body is always going to produce a better sound, but players on a tight budget may find that a plastic one is good enough when first starting out
Tenor
Bridge Responsible for holding the saddle – which in turn keeps the strings in place – this is also where you’ll knot said strings
Soundhole As the name suggests, this is the hole which produces the ukulele’s sound. The wood used in the body of the ukulele will affect the tone that’s projected
Larger than the soprano, with a far fuller tone, the tenor is a model that carries more weight Although only six inches longer, the tenor ukulele looks twice as big as its soprano counterpart. With between 15 and 20 frets that are also far bigger, its main selling point is its wider body and fuller sound. Tenor ukuleles are also more varied, often offering four-, six- and eight-string models. If you’re a guitarist looking to make the jump across, this is probably your best bet. Almost sounding like a bassy classical guitar – while still holding onto that ukulele twang – many players take advantage of this by fitting it with a G string an octave lower than the norm. The ability to work with more lower notes opens up further possibilities for the tenor ukulele, including many Hawaiian players who are keen to take on a ‘slack key’ style (custom tuning). Their increased size makes tenors far more suited to those who want to play ‘licks’ or ‘riffs’, too, as it’s easier to run your fingers up and down the fretboard. Its smaller neck makes this type of playing far more accessible. Fortunately, a tenor ukulele will still result in that unique tone you’re looking for while giving you a greater amount of options and variety. It’s also the model that most players choose to perform with, given its superior size and warmth. Much like the soprano, introducing new strings or experimenting with different kinds of wood for the body may also help you to get the sound you’re after.
“If you’re a guitarist looking to make the jump across, this is probably your best bet”
Concert Slightly bigger than the soprano, the concert ukulele retains that authentic sound A step up from the soprano – it measures 23 inches – the concert ukulele’s bigger body and neck allows more room between the frets, making it a little easier to handle. Also known as the medium, or alto, ukulele, it has 14 to 17 frets, giving you an element of freedom to play with the fretline and achieve a much thicker sound. While not as great a shift as the tenor, the sole purpose of the concert model was to meet a rising demand for larger ukuleles that had a deeper tone. Originating in the 1920s, it’s the perfect option for adults that don’t want to veer too far away from what a soprano offers, but aren’t keen on feeling like they’re holding a child’s instrument. More melodic than other members within its family, thanks to its longer scale length and slightly tauter strings, you can also expect better sustain. Tuned in the same fashion – GCEA – it’s become the ‘go to’ choice for many professional players, hence its given name. While it’s a great next ukulele after learning the basics on a soprano, those with a big enough budget can find concert models which will last the test of time. Designed to be used in all manner of scenarios – from live performances to just practising in your bedroom – the concert is arguably the most versatile of all the ukuleles available. The right model and set of strings could set you up with an instrument that has the potential to last you a lifetime.
Fret markers Existing to make your life a little easier, fret markers are put in place so you can dot around the fretboard without forgetting where you are Nut Working in tandem with the bridge, the nut (or saddle) keeps strings in the correct place
“Arguably the most versatile of all the ukuleles available” Ukulele for Beginners 13
Getting started Hybrid ukuleles Why opt for a standard ukulele when you can have one that also sounds like a banjo or electric guitar? As the ukulele grows ever more popular, the demand for weird hybrids, combining it with similar instruments, is greater than ever. One of the more popular has even adopted its own name, the somewhat ridiculous ‘banjolele’. The coming together, as we’re sure you’ve figured out, of both the ukulele and the banjo, these models have a banjo-like head, rim, resonate and brackets, but are tuned in the same as a ukulele. This means they’re instantly familiar to ukulele players and, with the right tweaks and strings, can genuinely sound like a coming together of the two. Why you’d want that we don’t know, but at least it means there’s something out there for everyone. This continues with the ‘resonator ukulele’ that borrows elements from the traditional metal resonator guitar. Ignoring wood, the body of these is made entirely of metal (although you can get versions that opt for a mixture of metal and wood) to produce a distinct and very loud sound that helps cut through dense mixes – a problem that many ukuleles, especially those of the smaller variety, run into. For the truly dedicated, there are also Vorson’s range of electric ukuleles. Dolled up as if they were a Gibson SG, they come with either dual or single coil pick-ups without losing that ukulele tone. You even get a three-way toggle and tone control. Combine this with an adjustable truss rod and bridge and you have a ukulele that exists to be shredded like you were Van Halen. What a world…
Neck Designed to mimic the scale, tuning and playing style of the ukulele, its sole purpose is to tick both the banjo and ‘uke’ boxes
Body The body, as you can see, is that of a banjo, allowing the banjolele to have the construction and distinctive tone of its namesake
“The demand for weird ukulele hybrids is greater than ever”
Electric
Input Allowing you to plug your instrument into an amplifier or sound-making box of choice, most electric ukuleles connect with a 3.5mm jack
The electric ukulele allows a tremendous amount of variety without sacrificing tone Toggles Be it volume or tone, these toggles allow you to adjust both to manipulate the ukulele’s sound to your preference
14 Ukulele for Beginners
Electric ukuleles were always going to come to prominence one day. Although seen as ‘not authentic’ by some traditional players, they offer a very unique tone and, more importantly, greatly increase the range sound that can be produced on the instrument. Boasting an electronic pick-up that, much like an electro-acoustic guitar, detects the ukulele’s vibrations and converts them to electronic signals before beaming the noises out of an amplifier, this is the perfect choice for those who are playing in a band and need to ensure they can be heard against a loud backdrop. While a more standard ukulele can work in a scenario such as this by simply placing a microphone in front of it, going the electric path eliminates the problem of feedback and, from a performing standpoint, also greatly increases mobility and the freedom you have on stage. Most electric ukuleles also feature on-board volume and tone controls that help you achieve a more natural sound, even when it’s being projected to an audience. On top of this, there are benefits to a model of this type depending on your budget. Many electric ukuleles offer a USB output that opens up the opportunity to record directly to the appropriate recording device – a huge asset in the modern world where many songs are being recorded digitally through the likes of GarageBand. Furthermore, the technical variety this allows means you can, more or less, mimic the sound of any ukulele – from soprano to baritone – with the push of a button. An electric ukulele may move away from tradition in some sense, but it’s definitely worth a look for the more modern player.
Baritone Top tip
Diferent strings
Headstock This is the top part of the ukulele and where the tuning pegs are attached. It’s also where you’ll find the ukulele’s brand logo and usually a serial number, too
Wood The wood your ukulele is made out of can have a huge impact on both the sound and longevity of your instrument
Be it nylon, luorocarb titanium, wound nylon on, , wound metal or steel, the be st, and only way, to ind out wh of string works for yo at type u is as many as you can un to try til yo ukulele sounds the wa ur y you want it to.
Neck The neck is a sturdy piece of wood that supports the fretboard and connects the headstock with the body. The bigger the instrument, the bigger the neck
Sound The deeper sound the baritone ukulele produces means you’re getting a bigger instrument in every sense, from the body, to the fretboard, to the neck
The biggest model, the baritone is ideal for those looking for a merger of ukulele and guitar The largest of the ukulele family, the baritone offers the fullest sound out of the entire range and will appeal mostly to those who are looking for an instrument similar to a guitar. Tuned the same as the last four strings on a guitar – DGBE – it has a far lower tone than the typical ukulele sound, which makes it somewhat controversial: not all players are impressed by it. Originating in the 1940s and measuring around 30 inches in length, it’s somewhat of an anomaly, especially with beginner players, due to the aforementioned tuning. Unlike other ukulele models which can all be learned in conjunction with ‘how to’ or ‘chord chart’ guides, the baritone needs to be treated as a separate instrument in order to master it properly. In many ways, it’s the equivalent of picking up a normal or bass guitar. With that said, its increased size does make it far more appealing to blues players or ‘fingerpickers’. The enlarged neck and fretboard make it easier to run your hand around without having to carefully manoeuvre in a relatively small space. You are, though, sacrificing that bright, crisp sound many associate with the more traditional ukulele. In this sense, the soprano reigns supreme. While the wood your ukulele is made of is key no matter what model you opt for, the deeper sounds produced by the baritone mean there can be a huge shift depending which material you opt for. Koa wood has become the most sought after, simply due to it being unique to Hawaii and the most common wood for a ukulele to be made out of. Given its expense, though, mahogany has became just as popular, also boasting workability, weight, flexibility, volume and, where the baritone is concerned, tone, helping to bring out those rich and deep sounds. In recent years, plywood design ukuleles have proven to be very popular due to their lower cost. The right research and in-house testing can result in a more than solid instrument without having to break the bank. Given that wood ages, however, you may want to think twice before going this route with a baritone. If you want that ukulele magic coupled with the power of a guitar, the baritone is without doubt the option for you.
“The baritone needs to be treated as a separate instrument in order to master it properly” Ukulele for Beginners 15
Getting started
Tune your ukulele Tuning up properly before you play will make learning a whole lot easier. Here’s how to make sure things sound right
B
efore you start performing on your ukulele, it is essential that it is tuned correctly, which is a crucial skill to master. Ukuleles can be tuned in several keys with the most popular tuning based on the notes:
G C E A There are several methods of tuning your instrument, with the majority involving you either tightening or loosening the open strings by turning the tuning pegs at the head of the ukulele. You may hear people refer to your instrument sounding sharp or flat. If your ukulele is sharp (sounding higher in
pitch than the note you want), then you loosen the string. If it is flat (lower than the note you need), then tighten the string. To tune a ukulele, you will need to start with the string nearest to you (the G string) and tune them one at a time. The simplest method to help you achieve this is to use another sound source such as a piano. There are many smartphone or tablet apps available to aid you with this. The lowest string on the ukulele is tuned to middle C on a keyboard. The diagram will show you how to tune you ukulele. You’ll need tune your ukulele frequently, at least every time before you perform, as it will affect the
B C D E F G A B C 3rd string
2nd string
4th string
1st string
sound of chords and solos. You might want to check the tuning during performances, as the strings will loosen, and also when new strings are added.
Relative tuning How to master relative tuning
01 Check the C string
02 The bottom string
You can tune your ukulele to the C string (3rd) of the instrument. This is known as relative tuning. Make sure your C string is in tune first by using a sound source.
Next, place you finger on the 7th fret of the C string. This will produce the G note needed to tune the 4th string, also known as the bottom string.
03 The second string
04 The top string
When you have completed that, place your finger on the 4th fret of the C string. This is an E and will give you the note required for the 2nd string for tuning.
The final step is the top string. Place your finger on the 2nd fret of the bottom string (G string) to give you the note a need to tune the first string.
16 Ukulele for Beginners
Basic ukulele tuning Here are a few key pointers you’ll need to know about when it comes to tuning your ukulele to itself
The strings A good set of strings will always help maintain the tuning of your instrument. You may want change these to give your ukulele the best-quality sound
Tuning pegs Obviously, these are the most vital parts when tuning your ukulele. Remember, sharp tuning, loosen the peg; flat tuning, tighten the peg
Top tip
Re-entrant tuning This is the term commonly associated with ukulele tuning. It describes where the notes are not ordered from lowest pitch to highest pitch
Machine heads If you have problems tuning your ukulele, as well as changing the strings, you may want to tighten the screws of the machine heads if they have become loose
Order of strings
Unlike the guitar, the ukulele is not tuned in order of pitch, so you have to be careful. The bottom string of a ukulele is conventio na the G string, with the lly top string the A.
devices can help you tune your ukulele. Tuning devices Many Choose one you feel comfortable with
Electronic/ digital tuner These have lots of advantages to them and are usually very precise. When you play a note, the display will show whether you are sharp or flat.
Amp with built-in tuner Again, this is similar to an electronic tuner, but will need your ukulele to have an input into the amplifier to make it work.
Online ukulele tuner This is similar to using an app, with a vast majority of free ones available. Simply click the string of the note to tune and adjust your string accordingly.
Software tuner plug-in
Tuner apps
This is ideal when recording performances. Most of the major recording software (Logic, Cubase, Pro Tools) will contain their own tuner plug-in.
There are many free apps available for the majority of smartphones. They will either play the notes required or act similarly to digital tuners.
Ukulele for Beginners 17
Getting started
Hold your ukulele There are numerous ways to hold the ukulele, but not all of them are conducive to good playing. Here we outline the best ways to hold your instrument
Y
our posture while playing the ukulele is vital – if you slouch or are generally seated badly, then you could easily pick up bad playing habits that make it much harder to learn to play your instrument. When learning, the best position is to remain seated with a nice straight back. You also need to
Correct hand position There are two ways to hold the neck The best way to approach getting a grip on your ukulele is by placing the neck on top of the outstretched palm of your fretting hand so that the nut is pointing towards your index finger. Next, curl your thumb around the neck so that it pokes out above the top of the nut. Cradling the neck like this provides support so you don’t drop your instrument, and frees up the rest of your fingers for fretting. When you encounter a particularly tricky passage that wreaks havoc on your fretting hand, moving your thumb to the back of the neck frees up your fingers more and allows you to add more pressure.
be careful not to hold your ukulele too tightly to your chest – doing so will kill the volume and tone, so try to make as little bodily contact with the instrument as possible. In order to create more natural sound, position the back of the ukulele against your body, the underside of the neck so that it rests against the crook between your thumb
and index finger, and your forearm on the front just behind the bridge. As your confidence grows, however, you can play your instrument while standing up, too. In this tutorial we provide useful tips on ensuring that your ukulele playing doesn’t suffer through lack of comfort, whichever way you choose to play.
Sitting with your ukulele The ideal position to maintain while seated with your instrument Instrument position Hold your instrument so that the back of the body comes into contact with your chest, and the headstock end is pointing away from you
String position The G-string should be closest to your face. Lefthanded people can swap the strings around and flip their instrument over if it makes playing a little easier
Rest on your leg Most people prefer not to, but resting your ukulele on your leg while playing sitting down can provide stability The orthodox position, with thumb on back of neck
Alternatively, you can move your thumb round to fret with it
18 Ukulele for Beginners
Are you sitting comfortably? Sit in an armless chair and be seated with your back against the back of the chair. Slouching is a definite no-no as it could lead to you developing bad habits
Standing with your ukulele Don’t sacrifice your comfort while you stand up to play your instrument When learning ukulele, it is natural to sit down with your instrument as this allows you to concentrate more on your playing and less on your body movement. And while any time spent practising is good, you might find that standing allows you to be more mobile, helps your playing posture and forces you to concentrate on your chords without looking at them. Plus, it’s infinitely more ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ than sitting, right? So here are some useful tips for playing your instrument while standing.
Learn to walk Good posture is what allows you to stand while playing ukulele. You probably already know how to sit while playing, so practise standing with your back nice and straight. Hold your ukulele in your hand and walk around with it against your chest so that your body gets used to the weight.
Change the balance Tackling a tricky sequence while standing up can sometimes be next to impossible when you are just starting out. If you can’t hold the neck as firmly while fretting, supporting the ukulele with your strumming hand can make things a lot easier.
Strap it up Though most people go without one, there’s no shame in using a strap to hold your instrument up, especially when playing a tenor ukulele. A strap frees up your strumming and fretting hands so you can focus more on making delicious music than trying not to drop your instrument.
Get the height right Your ukulele cannot be held too low or too high in relation to your body. When finding the perfect height for your fretting hand, make sure that you can access every fret equally. If you have to contort your fingers uncomfortably to do so then that’s a good indicator that your position isn’t good.
Strumming hand Your strumming hand should rest comfortably on the side of your ukulele’s body and have easy access to all of the strings. If your ukulele is too high, you will have to twist your wrist one way; if it’s too low, you’ll have to twist it the other way. Playing this way could cause you some damage.
“When finding the perfect height for your fretting hand, make sure that you can access every fret equally”
Playing aids There are a wide range of accessories available to aid your playing position
Ukulele straps
Clip-on tuners
Felt picks
Investing in a strap designed for ukuleles rather than a regular guitar strap will pay off. Otherwise, you’ll need to get a strap button installed.
Playing regularly can slacken the strings of your ukulele, so you may have to retune in a hurry. A clipon tuner can help you do that quickly and easily.
Most ukulele players will tell you to avoid using a pick at all costs. But if you absolutely must, a felt pick is kinder to the strings than a plastic one.
Ukulele for Beginners 19
Getting started
Take care of your ukulele If you want your instrument to continue producing crisp, defined sounds, you need to take good care of it You should treat your ukulele with the utmost respect, not only to keep it looking beautiful and shiny, but also to make sure you get the best possible sound out of it. Things like dust can muffle the notes, so it is worth cleaning regularly and
storing your ukulele somewhere sensible. If you neglect your instrument, it could become damaged and not produce the results you want. Here are some handy dos and don’ts when it comes to handling your instrument.
Clean your ukulele How best to go about cleaning the instrument
01 Loosen the strings
02 Clean around components
Start off by loosening the strings of your ukulele slightly. You only need to loosen them just enough to get a cloth under them and clean the vital components of the instrument.
Using a dry cloth, wipe away the accumulated dust around the pickups of an electric ukulele or around the bridge of an acoustic ukulele. This area attracts a lot of dust if not maintained.
03 Things to avoid Never spray your ukulele with chemicals to clean it (as they might discolour it) and it is best to use a dry cloth to avoid damage. If in doubt, ask for advice at your local music store. 20 Ukulele for Beginners
“Dust can muffle the notes, so it is worth cleaning regularly and storing your ukulele somewhere sensible” Ukulele for Beginners 21
Getting started
Restring your ukulele Whether you’ve snapped a string or your ukulele is sounding dull, restringing is essential and can give it a whole new lease of life
R
estringing your ukulele is an important part of any owner’s relatively small maintenance schedule, and while it might seem a little daunting when you do it for the first time, the whole restringing process is actually a lot easier than you might think. How often you choose to restring your ukulele really depends on a number of factors, such as how often you play, your playing style itself and the quality of strings on your instrument. Some ukulele players will change their strings every week if they’re gigging regularly; others may leave it far longer if they’re only an occasional player. It’s not an exact science, but there are a few clues that can help you decide it’s time for a change. First of all,
the tone of the strings will start to sound dull and not as resonant as when they were first put on. Secondly, there may be grooves, nicks or flat spots in the string. If you’re noticing either or both of these characteristics in your strings, then it’s time to give your ukulele a new lease of life. As we’ve already mentioned, the first time you restring your ukulele may seem like a daunting prospect, but it’s far easier than you think and once you get used to it, it’ll take no time at all. It’s always worth remembering to buy the string that suits your level. As a beginner, there is not much point buying expensive strings, although try to get the best quality available. Aquila strings are popular, but do some research and find the ones that suit you.
“Restringing is an important part of any ukulele player’s maintenance schedule”
Restringing Change your ukulele’s strings
01 Detune your ukulele
02 Attach to the bridge
Detune the string you wish to replace by turning the tuning peg. Make sure you turn it until the string is completely loose. To save time and energy, you can use a string winder.
Tie two opposing knots in the end of the string, leaving a tail. Feed the string into the notch of the bridge, making sure it sits comfortably. Check it by pulling carefully toward the headstock. Cut the tail, leaving 5mm at the end.
22 Ukulele for Beginners
Top restringing tips
A few things to watch out for as you restring
In size order If you are replacing all of your ukulele strings, it is best to start with the C string, then the E, before moving onto the two thinner G and A strings
Tools you’ll need To restring your ukulele you’ll need a set of wire/string cutters, a string winder, your new strings and a lintfree cloth for a quick clean
Line it up As you start to tighten up the slack on new strings, ensure they’re aligned with the correct grooves in your ukulele’s nut (above the first fret)
Top tip
Finish the job
Once you’ve itted yo ur strings, it’s time to tun new It’s worth noting tha e up. t yo need to do this a few u may times as you ‘play in’ the string s. It can take some practi ce, so you may need a guide at irst.
03 Round the peg
04 Wind and repeat
Make sure the string is aligned with the grooves in your ukulele’s neck, then wind the top part of your new string around its corresponding tuning peg and push the rest through its hole to ensure it stays in place.
To prevent the string from unravelling, begin tightening the string by turning the tuning peg until the string is fairly taut. Repeat this process for all four strings, then your ukulele will need to be tuned. Ukulele for Beginners 23
Getting started
Essential accessories As with any hobby, there are a wide range of accessories available for ukulele players to make playing easier. Here we take a look at some essential kit
From straps to tuners, slides to strings, there is almost no end of accessories that you can buy for your ukulele. Some are essential for the transportation and wellbeing of your instrument, others simply enhance the cosmetics, change the sound it makes or enable you to play in a particular way. Here we run through the variety of add-ons available for your instrument, and recommend our favourite buys.
Straps Although ukuleles are lightweight instruments, you may wish to have the extra security of a strap when playing or you may want to swing your uke temporarily around to your back to play another instrument, either way, straps come in a variety of types and colours. Recommended buy: D’Addario adjustable ukulele strap Price: £6/$6.80 URL: www.daddario.com
Slides Slide, or bottleneck, is a particular method for playing the ukulele in which a slide is placed upon the string to vary its vibrating length and pitch. This slide can be moved along the string without lifting, creating continuous transitions in the pitch. Recommended buy: Jim Dunlop 220 chrome slide Price: £4.99/$3.99 URL: www.jimdunlop.com
Hard cases If you perform gigs or generally transport your ukulele around a lot then a mini hard case is a worthwhile investment to offer the maximum-possible security for your instrument (many are lockable too). They come in a range of colours and styles. Recommended buy: Gator Journeyman soprano ukulele case (burlap exterior) Price: £62.99/$69.99 URL: http://www.gatorcases.com/
Capos A ukulele capo is a clamp that you stick on different frets of the instrument in order to change the pitch or key of the open strings. Each fret on the ukulele is a half step, therefore, if you place a capo on the very first fret, all of the open strings will sound half a step higher than normal, making it easy to change the key of a song you want to play. Recommended buy: D’Addario NS Ukulele Pro Capo Price: £14.99/$15.49 URL: www.daddario.com
24 Ukulele for Beginners
Strings If you want your instrument to continue sounding great, then you will need to regularly restring it and keep plenty of additional strings handy if one breaks while you are playing – which they will do through regular use or if they become stretched. Strings vary in thickness, so experiment with the different gauges to get the sound you want. Recommended buy: Aquila SUPER Nylgut Soprano Strings 100U Price: £8.49/$9.89 URL: www.aquilacorde.com
Gig bags If you just want a simple case to sling your instrument into while commuting or for safe storage, a simple gig bag could be just the thing. Though they won’t guard your instrument against hard knocks like the hard cases, they will offer a degree of protection and are comfortable to carry. Recommended buy: Stagg padded ukulele gig bag Price: £15/$22 URL: www.staggmusic.com
Stands It is vitally important for your ukulele’s welfare to store it safely when not in use as laying it flat on the ground will undoubtedly lead to it getting battered. So it is well worth investing in a simple floor stand to keep your uke upright and primed for use whenever you want to pick it up.
Tuners As you become proficient at ukulele playing, you’ll gradually develop the skill to tune your uke by ear. But until then, there are a wide range of electronic tuners available to help you instantly get your ukulele sounding great. If you don’t want to invest in a physical tuner, there are plenty of smartphone apps up to the task too.
Recommended buy: Eddy Finn portable ukulele stand Price: £9.99/$8.99 URL: www.eddyfinnukes.com
Recommended buy: TGI81 clipon tuner Price: £8 URL: www. southernukulelestore.co.uk
Picks
Leads
Without growing the fingernails on your strumming hand, the easiest way to rhythmically strum your ukulele is by using a plectrum – or pick. These little playing aids are traditionally fashioned out of felt for ukuleles and are shaped like an isosceles triangle with curved edges, and vary in width for different sounds and styles.
If you play an electric ukulele you will need a cable in order to connect your instrument to your amp. The variety of these leads is staggering; not just in style and the materials used, but also the length. So if you are intending to play gigs and move around the stage you’ll need something that won’t restrict your strutting.
Recommended buy: Jim Dunlop 3mm felt picks Price: £2.00/$3.50 URL: www.jimdunlop.com
Recommended buy: Planet Waves 10ft Classic Cable Price: £12.50/$9.95 URL: www.planetwaves.com
Ukulele for Beginners 25
Getting started Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
Warm up your hands
Further info Turn
to page 76 for more information on how to read tabs
Warming up is key to playing well. Use these four quick exercises to get your hands loose, limber and ready to play
W
arming up your hands before you begin playing your ukulele is crucial, which is why the top pros do it. It brings a number of advantages, including helping to prevent RSI, enabling you to move your hands and fingers more quickly and avoiding cramp while you’re playing. Getting your hands used to the frets will also give you the advantage of muscle memory when it comes to learning complicated riffs. Basically, a five-minute warm-up before you get into the trickier pieces will help you get the most out of your playing session and
make you a better ukulele player. And that’s equally important whether you’re getting on stage to perform to thousands of people or just practising in your bedroom. This guide will give you four quick exercises to get your muscles and joints warm, loose and agile, ready for your more challenging practice sessions and performances. They might not come naturally or very easily at first, but soon they will be like second nature and you’ll be able to run them off as soon as you’re tuned up and sitting comfortably. We will begin with basic chromatic exercises, which run up the
Get your hands ready Warm up without a ukulele You can stretch your hands without your ukulele by rolling your wrists, flexing the palm back and forwards and opening out your fingers
notes a semitone at a time, and the last one is ideal for finger pickers as it stretches out and warms up the other hand too. You can listen and play along by opening the audio file provided online. Once you’ve got the hang of them, use a metronome to keep the pace of your playing even and then increase the speed to push yourself once you get comfortable. If you don’t have a metronome, look to download a free app for your smartphone. So go and grab your instrument and get ready for a thorough workout of your digits – we guarantee you’ll notice the difference to your playing.
Why it’s a crucial practice Circulation A key advantage of warming up is getting the circulation going in your hand. The more blood there is flowing to those digits, the better they’ll perform
Top tip
Keep warm
Avoid pain The most fundamental reason for warming up is to avoid RSI (repetitive strain injury). Warming up can reduce the risk and help you avoid any pain
26 Ukulele for Beginners
Muscle memory Familiarising your fingers with the motions they will have to make when playing songs will build your muscle memory – a huge advantage for any musician
As well as lexible an stretched, your hand d s need to be warm. Avoid pla ying in very cold places (this will help keep your ukulele in tune otherwise wear ingerl too), ess gloves so your playin g doesn’t sufer.
Exercises to warm up Stretch your hands and fingers
23
12 12
1 2 3 4
34
12 2 3
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
34 23
34
1 2 3 4 01 Chromatic steps
12 02 Chromatic pairs
Starting on the G string, place your index, middle, ring and little fingers on the first, second, third and fourth frets. Pluck the string once for each note, moving up and removing a finger each time. Repeat for all strings.
Pluck the G with your index finger on the first fret, then with your middle finger on the second. Repeat for all strings, then change to middle and ring fingers on second and third frets. Carry on until you’ve used all your fingers.
4
4 3 2 3 2 1 03 Across the fretboard
3
7
6
5
4 3
6
5 5 4
Use the same finger pattern as the first exercise, but spread across the fretboard, your index finger starting on the G on the first fret, your middle on the second string and second fret and so on. Move this shape further down the neck.
0
3
2 3 34
3
0
0 0 3 0 04 Fingerpicking warm-up Put your fretting index finger on the third fret of the G string and your ring finger on the third fret of the A string. Follow the above tab and pluck using the pattern thumb, second, first, third, second, fourth, first, third, thumb. Ukulele for Beginners 27
Getting started
Stretch to improve Performing more complex stretches, even if you’re not about to play, can improve your reach and ability overall
J
ust like with playing sport, it is also important to have a good stretch before playing your ukulele. Stretching your arms will not only make you looser, more supple and more relaxed when playing, it will also minimise the amount of fatigue you feel after playing. A good exercise for preparing your arms to play is to hold one of your arms straight out in front of you, with your palm facing away from you and your fingers pointing upwards, and then take your other hand and pull the tips of the fingers on your outstretched hand towards
you so that you feel them stretch – but don’t pull too far so as to feel uncomfortable. Repeat the process with your other hand. Next, hold one arm out and form a thumbs-up gesture with your hand and, with the other hand, pull the tip of the thumb towards you. Repeat with the other arm. Another, often overlooked, warm-up involves your actual instrument. Simply by holding your ukulele prior to playing it will help warm up the wood and ensure it sounds as good as it can. So go on, cradle your instrument like a baby and get that body nice and toasty ready for playing.
Stretching your limbs Stretching your arms Prior to playing, hold one arm straight out in front of you and pull the fingers back, then repeat with the other arm to start warming up
Here we outline an exercise to ensure your fretting hand gets a thorough workout ahead of playing. In fact, we recommend that you perform this exercise daily, regardless of how long you intend to play, as it will help keep your fretting hand nice and supple, making it easier to hold the more demanding chords without grimacing and running the risk of your hand cramping up. Once you have been through all of the exercises highlighted in this section, you’ll be good to take to the stage and wow the crowds with your fretting dexterity.
A warm-up prior to playing is crucial
Finger dexterity The more you work your fingers along the fretboard, the more natural it’ll start to feel. Check out our exercises designed to help
Top tip
Warming down
Warming up the wood Some players insist that if the wood of your ukulele is warmed up prior to playing then it sounds better. So get cradling!
28 Ukulele for Beginners
If your ukulele play ses sions last a decent amount of tim it is a good idea to rep e then eat the various exercises and stretches outlined in this sectio n up inishing, to help cond on ition yourself for your next session.
Hand stretch exercise Work out your fretting digits
1 1
2 1
1 1
2 1
3 1
4 1
01 Get into position
02 Strum and move
Place your index finger on the second string, at the first fret, and then position your middle finger on the first string, first fret. Strum the bottom two strings and then move your middle finger up a fret.
Strum the bottom two strings and then continue to move your middle finger up a fret each time before strumming the two strings. See how many frets you can ascend and when you get to the furthest, perform six strums.
1 1
2 1
3 1
4 1
5 1
1 1
2 1
3 1
4 1
5 1
6 1
03 Onto the next finger
04 Repeat for all digits
Once you have completed step 2, keep your index finger positioned on the second string of the first fret and then position your ring finger on the first string at the first fret and repeat the exercise.
Again, once you have moved your ring finger as high as it will comfortably go up the fretboard and performed six strums, move onto your little finger and repeat the exercise to give all of your digits a thorough workout. Ukulele for Beginners 29
Techniques From playing basic chords to pleasing effects like sliding, string bending and tremolo picking, master essential ukulele techniques
32 Notes, strings and frets 34 Play basic ukulele chords 36 Basic chord progression 38 Strum your ukulele 40 Strum for different genres 42 Practise with basic chords 44 Master chnking 46 Play barre chords 48 Barre chord tips 50 Use a capo 52 Finger pick 54 Tremolo pick 56 Mute strings 58 Learn to slide 60 Practise with more chords 62 Practise string bending 64 Play in octaves 66 Get to grips with recording 68 Play ukulele with others 70 Useful apps for ukulele 72 Useful sites for ukulele 30 Ukulele for Beginners
Give it a try Look out for this logo on each page, as it means that an audio file is available online to help you master a certain ukulele technique.
Ukulele for Beginners 31
Techniques
Notes, strings and frets
Music is made up of notes, and knowing where to find these notes on the neck of a ukulele is vital if you are to develop as a player. Here, we show you how and where to find them
N
otes form the tapestry of ukulele playing. All music is made up of notes, and a note is just any pitch made by a musical instrument. Every note is symbolised by a letter, and the musical alphabet is made up of 12 notes: A, A#/B , B, C, C#/D , D, D#/E , E, F, F#/G , G, and G#/A – after which the sequence goes back to the beginning and starts at A again, only an octave higher. The fretboard of a ukulele is laid out so that you can find the notes on the neck
by fretting the strings, and the same notes can be found at multiple places along the neck. When learning to locate the notes on a ukulele, it is useful to know that most natural notes (ie not flats or sharps) are two frets apart. The exceptions are B and C, and E and F, which are only a semitone (ie one fret) apart. An F is made when fretting the first fret of either E string, but a G is created when playing the third fret. The notes in between are sharp or flat notes that are one semitone higher or
lower than the previous note. For example, the note on the second fret of the E string is F#/G , as it’s one fret higher than F, but one fret lower than G. It is important to know where each note can be found on the neck so that you can play certain songs. It is also worth remembering that certain notes sound better when played an octave higher. So finding your way around and experimenting with different notes is vital to your progression as a ukulele player.
“It is useful to know that most natural notes (ie not flats or sharps) are two frets apart”
Note-finding tips Here are some hints for how to remember string names and find specific notes
01 Remember the open string notes The note names from the fourth G string to the first A string can be easily remembered with quirky sayings like ‘Good Children Eat Apples’. Whatever method you use to remember, knowing the strings off-by-heart is essential to being able to pick up and play.
02 Learn the musical alphabet
C G
A E
Learning the open strings Know what the open string notes are The first thing you should know when learning ukulele is the note names of the open strings. They are often used to describe finger placement (eg, put your index finger on the second fret of the A string) and are also useful for tuning your ukulele to another instrument. The diagram above shows the note names of the open ukulele strings.
32 Ukulele for Beginners
The musical alphabet is made up of only seven letters: A-G. This is because when we play the notes in order, the note that we would call ‘H’ sounds like another ‘A’, so the note is referred to as an ‘A’, only the pitch is (one octave) higher. It is worth remembering that for the E and F, and B and C notes, there is only one fret space between them.
03 Understand frets Frets are the metal strips embedded along the fretboard of a ukulele that divide the scale length. Pressing a string against a fret determines the string’s vibrating length, and therefore its resultant pitch. The fret furthest along the neck is the first, and they get narrower as you get closer to the body.
04 Know what the root of a chord is In music, the ‘root’ of a chord is the note or pitch upon which a chord may be built by stacking thirds and fifths. For example, a three-note triad using C as a root would be C-E-G. The name of the root note normally denotes the chord, so a major chord built on C would be called a C-major chord.
05 Be aware of note progression Apart from B-C and E-F, all natural notes are separated by a tone (two semitones), which translates to two frets on the fretboard. B-C and E-F are separated by one semitone (one fret).
Notes on a ukulele fretboard Knowing where to find the notes on a ukulele neck is vital if you are to further your skills String
Frets 3rd
5th
7th
9th
12th
1st
A
A#/B
B
C
C#/D
D
D#/E
E
F
F#/G
G
G#/A
A
2nd
E
F
F#/G
G
G#/A
A
A#/B
B
C
C#/D
D
D#/E
E
3rd
C
C#/D
D
D#/E
E
F
F#/G
G
G#/A
A
A#/B
B
C
4th
G
G#/A
A
A#/B
B
C
C#/D
D
D#/E
E
F
F#/G
G
The open strings The open strings on a ukulele are usually tuned to G,C,E and A (starting from the string at the top of the ukulele to the string nearest the floor)
Enharmonic notes This refers to notes that have the same pitch, but are known by different names. Most common are A#/B , C#/D , D#/E , F#/G and G#/A . Although rare, a B note may be referred to as C , and an E as F
Two dots Every note on a ukulele string repeats itself every 12 frets, which is why there are two dots on the 12th fret. So the E string played on the 12th is the same note as the open E, just one octave higher
Learning notes on a string Taking the fat E string as an example, when fretted on the first fret, the note becomes F, then F# on the second fret, then G, G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E and then back through the sequence again
Flats and sharps You will have undoubtedly seen the symbols in relation to notes, but what does a flat or a sharp actually mean? A ‘sharp’ in music means higher in pitch and, when present, the sharp symbol raises a note by a semitone. More specifically, in musical notation, sharp means ‘higher in pitch by a semitone’ (half-step) and it is represented by a ‘#’ symbol. On the other hand, when we refer to a ‘flat’ in music, we mean a decrease in pitch, and when you see the associated flat symbol (‘ ’) it means that the note is lowered by a semitone (half-step). When sharps are applied to ukulele, then, it simply means that the note you are playing is a half-step (one fret) higher than the natural note. For example, the top open string is G, but if you press your finger on the first fret then it becomes an G#/Ab. Move up one more fret and it becomes A. A flat is half a note lower than the natural note – so F sharp and G flat are the same note, as both notes are played on the second fret of the top string.
#
C - sharp
Sharps Sharps are a half-step higher than the normal note and are usually represented by a ‘#’ symbol.
Flats Flats are a half-note lower than the normal note and are usually represented by a ‘ ’ symbol.
#
# B - flat
G - flat
F - sharp
D - flat
E - flat
A - sharp
Ukulele for Beginners 33
Techniques Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
Play basic ukulele chords
Further info Turn
to page 150 for a list of the essential basic chords
Learning these five basic chords is the first step on your ukuleleplaying journey. Practise often to master the art of switching chords
C
hords involve a collection of notes sounded together that are played on adjacent or separate strings, or all of the strings together. The ukulele is a very versatile instrument for chording purposes, and there are five basic moveable major chord shapes – C, A, G, F and D, derived from the guitar CAGED system. You may note that some chords appear to be missing, such as F and B (as well as the sharps and flats). Well, they aren’t here as these chords don’t have their own patterns – to play them, you will
Fretting chords
have to use one of the basic patterns outlined here but with either a barre applied or different fret. When you first learn how to play chords, it can be difficult to get your fingers to co-operate, and you will undoubtedly feel some degree of discomfort as you press down on the strings, or generally as your fretting hand contorts into unnatural positions to fret the strings. However, before too long, with the aid of constant practice, your fingers will start to remember where to go. Other things to be aware of are a buzzing sound when you play the strings,
Some things to be aware of when practising fretting basic chords
Know the strings Remember, unlike most stringed instruments, the strings on a ukulele are not in pitch order. This becomes important when transferring the basic shapes to other frets, forming new chords
Good contact When pressing down on the strings, make sure you get good contact and apply plenty of pressure, otherwise the notes won’t ring true. This may hurt your fingers to start with
No touching! While pressing down on the strings, ensure that the fingers on your fretting hand aren’t touching the strings next to them, as this may result in buzzing and flat notes
34 Ukulele for Beginners
which may indicate that you aren’t pressing down on them hard enough, or that one or more of your fingers is catching a nearby string. When you strum the chord, each note should ring out clearly – if they don’t do this then you need to quickly determine why. Some good tips include trimming the nails on your fretting hand so that they aren’t impeding your contact with the fretboard, as well as ensuring that your fretting fingers are standing straight up and down so that they don’t mute neighbouring strings. See pages 150-157 for the basic chords list.
Practise often Getting to know these basic chords and being able to seamlessly switch between them is vital to your progression as a ukulele player, so practise them often
C major
A major
Fret and play the common C major chord
Fret and play the common A major chord
For this chord, you will only need to fret one string on the ukulele. You need to press down on the first string (A) with your ring finger at the third fret. You can now strum all of the strings at the same time to produce the chord. You can also try using your index or middle finger if this feels more comfortable.
For this chord, you need to press down on the third string (C) with your index finger at the first fret, and the fourth string (G) with your middle finger at the second fret. You can again strum all the strings for the chord. You will notice that this shape is similar to the F chord.
“When you’re first learning to play chords, it can be very difficult to get your fingers to co-operate”
Top tip
Check your thumb
G
C
E
A
G
C
E
A
1 2
1
A good thumb posit ion on your fretting hand is essen tia helping to form chord l for ukulele. Make sure tha s on a t the ball of your thumb is presse di against the neck of the rmly up ukulele. This is particularly us eful with barre chords, giving you the levera required for this type ge of chord.
G major
F major
D major
Fret and play the common G major chord
Fret and play the common F major chord
Fret and play the common D major chord
For this chord, press down on the third string (C) with your index finger at the second fret, the first string (A) with your middle finger at the second fret, and the second string (B) with your ring finger at the third fret. Strum all notes in a downstroke. You may find this is a slightly more complex chord to shape, so be patient.
This is a similar chord shape to the A major chord. For this chord, you need to press down on the second string (E) with your index finger at the first fret, and the fourth string (G) with your middle finger at the second fret. Now you can strum all four strings together for the chord.
Press down on the fourth string (G) with your index finger at the second fret, the third string (C) with your middle finger at the second fret and the second string (E) with your ring finger at the second fret. Strum all strings in a downstroke. You might find this chord easier using your index finger in a barre shape.
G
C
E
A
G
C
E
A
G
C
E
A
1
1
2
2
1 2 3
3
Ukulele for Beginners 35
Techniques
Basic chord progression Now it’s time to get sore fingers. We will show you how to form basic chords and even recognise any song on the ukulele by ear
Learning the ‘1-4-5’ method Master these three basic chords and you’ll be able to play your first song C major Place your ring finger on the third fret of the A (first) string to form the C major chord. This is chord 1 when using the chords 1, 4 and 5.
A
s you will discover throughout this book, there are loads of ukulele chords. Some are complicated and somewhat fiddly to learn, while others are relatively easy. Some chords will force you to contort the fingers of your fretting hand into unnatural positions, while others require just one finger. A lot of chords take a long time to master, and others will take just a few minutes, but the important thing to remember is to take your time learning them and not try to rush yourself to learn them all at once because there are far too many chords for that. In this tutorial we’re going to teach you three basic chords – C major, F major and G major (commonly known as C, F and G). By mastering and using these three chords, you will be able to figure out a song on the ukulele by ear. Known as the ‘1-4-5’ method (or I-IV-V), these chords represent chords 1, 4, and 5 in the key of C, the idea being that you think of any song and start playing with a simple downward strumming pattern while singing. When the chord you start with no longer fits the tone of the song, switch to another one of
your three options until it fits, and then keep to this simple method all the way through the song. Keep practising these chords, visualising in advance where your fingers need to move to for the next chord, and keeping your fingers nice and close to the fretboard so that you get a smooth transition without delaying the flow of the song.
F major Place your index finger on the E (second) string, first fret, with your middle finger on the G (fourth) string, second fret. This is chord 4 in the sequence.
Give it a try Try this exercise to build your competence Form the C-major chord with your fretting hand and strum the following pattern using only downstrokes (D). The lower line is for the beats and the ‘&’ represents a short pause. So, as you count out the beat, insert an ‘and’ in between the numbers like this: one-and-two-and-threeand-four. When you have completed the fourth downward strum, change chord to F major and repeat the pattern before moving to G major. This gentle rhythm should give you plenty of time to find the correct chord. Move on to the next pattern when you feel confident.
D D D D 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & The following pattern is similar to the first, but with upstrokes (U) where the ‘&’ is in between numbers, so there’s less time to form chords.
D U D U D U D U 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
“This gentle rhythm should give you plenty of time to find the correct chord” 36 Ukulele for Beginners
G major Place your index finger on the C (third) string, second fret, your middle finger on the A (first) string, second fret, and your ring finger on the E (second) string, third fret. This gives you chord 5 using this method.
Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
FAQ Why do my chords not ring out properly? There could be many reasons, but the most likely cause of ‘bum notes’ is that you simply aren’t pressing down on the strings hard enough. Getting sufficient contact is essential for a nice, crisp note, so make sure you are pressing down firmly and that you aren’t touching any of the other strings with parts of your fingers that you shouldn’t be. If you are sure that you aren’t doing any of this, check your ukulele is in tune and that the strings aren’t sitting too close to the frets, thereby causing an undesirable buzz as they vibrate against them. In all likelihood, you will struggle to get sufficient contact on some of the strings, as your hands contort into the required positions to form the chords, so make sure you practise the fingering carefully. Before long, everything will click into place.
Ukulele for Beginners 37
Techniques
Strum your ukulele
Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
Strumming is one of the most basic, but crucial, aspects of learning to play the ukulele. Here’s how to get comfortable and confident with this key technique
S
trumming seems so simple, but there is an art to it. It’s not uncommon to sit down with a ukulele for the first time and find it difficult to strum up and down the strings comfortably. Most beginners tighten up their wrist, almost raking the strings, making it impossible to get any type of natural flow. Unlike strumming a guitar, strumming a ukulele does not require a pick. It’s best to simply use your thumb or index finger to strum the strings. This will allow far more freedom when performing downstrokes and upstrokes, and help you apply the same amount of pressure to each string. With your first attempt it’s important to remember to keep your strumming hand moving up and down in a constant motion even if you’re not hitting the strings. Doing this will get your mind into a rhythm of how to perform both the up and downstroke. Make your strumming hand into a
loose fist and hold it level with the centre of your chest. When playing a guitar, the key is to strum with your elbow rather than your wrist. But as ukuleles are a lot smaller than guitars, you should be moving your hand up and down from your wrist as opposed to shaking your whole arm. Finally, don’t fall into the trap of being overly nervous with your strumming and barely touching the strings. The idea is to hit them as quickly as you can so you get the sound of them ringing together. At the same time, make sure you’re always in control.
“Move your hand up and down from your wrist instead of shaking your whole arm”
Strumming How to strum upwards and downwards The first down arrow represents your first downward stroke
The final three arrows should be treated in the same fashion
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
02 Upward strumming Before you play your favourite songs or simply get better at the ukulele, it’s imperative to perfect the upward stroke too. Use the same method described in Step 01 and start the one and two and three and four rhythm again, only this time strum up on the ukulele every time you think or say the ‘and’.
Keep the beat, but this time ignore each of the four numbers
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & The ‘and’ serves as the offbeat where you’ll take a pause
01 Downward strumming The first step to comfortable strumming is perfecting the downstroke. This is simply taking your finger or thumb and strumming it down the strings. Start a gentle four count in your head or out loud, adding an ‘and’ between each number to represent the offbeat. For example, one and two and three and four, then repeat. Every time you say a number, strum down on the ukulele and ensure you keep the rhythm. It may help to tap your foot while you count the beats. Listen to the audio file included online to hear how it should sound. 38 Ukulele for Beginners
The first ‘and’/up arrow represents your first upward stroke
Remember that in this exercise, you are playing what is known as the offbeat
The perfect strumming technique How to get it right from the start The hand Keep your fist loose and relaxed near your chest and remember that all movement should come from the wrist. If your strumming feels forced, it could mean your wrist is not loose enough
Downward strokes With your hand in this position, gently use your finger or thumb to almost slide down the strings. Try to hit them all with the same force
Upward strokes The same as for down, but by doing it all in reverse. Once again you want to hit all the strings as close together as possible. Eventually, it’ll become a very natural motion
Follow the pattern and downstroke in time with every ‘D’
Do the same for the upstroke with every ‘U’
D U D U D U D U 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
The strumming finger Use your thumb or index finger to strum the strings. When using your finger, try hitting the strings with your nail on the way down and the fleshy pad of your finger on the way up
Top tip Tie it in
If you’re struggling or lac inspiration, try strum king mi along to your favourite ng song. Although the notes may not be correct, it’ll he lp learn how to keep tim you e and when to perform up and downstrokes.
04 Different beat strumming When the first three steps feel easy, follow the diagram below in order to experiment with a different rhythm. This time there will be gaps you’ll have to observe and stick to in order to get the right beat and become even more comfortable with strumming patterns. Perform a downstroke on the first beat of the pattern
Leave a gap for the first ‘and’ but strum down again on the second beat
D D U U 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & Keep doing the exercise until it becomes comfortable
03 Upward and downward strumming Once again, follow the rules laid out in the other two steps, but this time go up and down on the ukulele in one motion. You should strum down on the strings on each number, and strum back up on each ‘and’. Once you get more confident, you can even start to double up on certain strums.
Instantly perform an upstroke before leaving another gap and finish the pattern with a final upstroke
Ukulele for Beginners 39
Techniques Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
Strumming for different genres From folk to pop to punk to reggae, follow these strumming pattern guides to learn how to strum for different musical genres
U
kuleles are good for more than Hawaiian music and covers of songs by the Beatles. You can cover a whole range of tunes from different genres, from pop and punk to rock ‘n’ roll and reggae, and still sound amazing no matter what you play. However, before you leap in and start experimenting, you will need to learn and practise a couple of basic strumming patterns to help find the best way to approach different styles of music. When trying to decide on a strumming pattern for a particular song, you need to take into account the song’s time signature and rhythm, as well as the genre. For example, strumming patterns for a song set to 4/4 time (four beats to the bar) won’t work for songs that are set to 3/4 (waltz). You need to count the beats and test out different patterns before attacking the strumming side of things. Another main problem with strumming
patterns – or an advantage, depending on how you look at it – is the fact that there is actually no right or wrong way to strum a song. You just need to test out different rhythms and decide for yourself what feels and sounds good. Deciding which patterns work well with which songs is a great skill to master. From there, you will be able to start coming up with your own patterns and even writing your own songs. However, for now, try strumming with these pattern guides. Once you have got the hang of them, you can then start experimenting and testing your own.
“You need to test different rhythms and decide for yourself what feels and sounds good”
Basic patterns in 4/4 Follow the pattern; play a downstroke in time with every ª
Learn to strum more than a ‘down, up, down, up’ pattern
Do the same for the up-stroke with every ©
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
02 4/4 pattern 2 This pattern is very similar to the first one, but it requires an extra up stroke at the end. It still fits with 4/4 songs and the ‘one and two and three and four and’ counting rhythm, but you will need to go straight back to the first down-stroke after the last up stroke to keep the rhythm going. Once you get the hang of these 4/4 strumming patterns, you can move onto something more complex or even develop your own. It’s easier than it sounds; try out different ways of strumming and do what feels right with the rhythm. Strum downwards for every ª and upwards for every ©
Stop strumming where there is no arrow but keep in time
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
01 4/4 pattern 1 When choosing songs to play, the most common time signature you will come across is 4/4. With 4/4 songs, you should be able to count along while you play with the ‘one and two and three and four and’ rhythm. There’s a number of different 4/4 strumming patterns you can use; you just need to pick one that works well with each individual song. The 4/4 pattern demonstrated here is still quite simple, but it sounds more complex than a simple ‘down, up, down, up’ sequence, and the beats that require no strumming at all give it a nice syncopated quality. 40 Ukulele for Beginners
Stop for gaps and count if you need to
Add a last up-stroke onto the end of the pattern
02 Half-bar pattern 2
Basic half-bar patterns Try these patterns for songs where the chords change regularly Follow the pattern and count along to keep in time
Repeat the pattern and practise until it feels natural
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Top tip
This next exercise also uses half-bar Count along strumming patterns for songs with a 4/4 time signature, but it also requires as you strum Lots of beginners ind you to mute the strings. This is when, str difficult at irst, but the umming instead of strumming, you cover the concentrate on keep key is to strings with your strumming hand in ing in time. If it helps, count out order to silence your instrument for a loud in your head, or tap alo or ng beat. The variation makes what is actually to the music with a fairly simple strumming pattern sound a your foot. bit more complex and, if we’re being honest, a lot cooler. The pattern is great for songs like ‘Stuck In The Middle With You’ by Stealer’s Wheel and ‘Allo Darlin’ by Tallulah. For more on muting, turn to page 56.
Strum downwards for every ª and upwards for every ©
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Play a down-stroke for every ª and an up-stroke for every ©
01 Half-bar pattern 1 In some songs, the chords can change quite rapidly. For these, it’s best to use half-bar patterns to play along with. The first four beats of half-bar patterns (the ‘one and two and’) are exactly the same as the last four beats (the “three and four and”), so they are quite easy to get the hang of and memorize. Halfbar patterns are mostly used for songs with 4/4 time signatures, but they are also great for songs where the chords change twice in one bar. Try out these exercises to practice, using half-bar strumming patterns.
Strumming for reggae Follow the pattern and strum down for every ª
Mute the chord for every ‘X’ with your strumming hand
Repeat the pattern while keeping in time with the rhythm
These exercises will help you get the hang of reggae
Mute the strings with your fretting hand on every on-beat
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
02 Reggae pattern 2 This second reggae strumming pattern is a little bit unusual. For all of the other patterns we’ve learned, ª and © have dominated over pauses. In this one, you only need to strum three times out of eight beats. In relation to the regular ‘one and two and three and four and’ rhythm we’ve been using, you only need to strum on the ‘three and’ and the ‘four’. This is where counting along with the rhythm out loud suddenly becomes really useful. Like with the previous reggae pattern, you should still be strumming on the off-beats. Follow the pattern to strum a reggae style rhythm
Start on the first off-beat for a reggae style
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
01 Reggae pattern 1 Reggae is a genre of music that almost always sounds really good when played on a ukulele. All you have to do is accent the chords on the off-beats. In order to get that definite jarring beat you often hear in reggae songs, you need to mute the strings, like with the second half-bar chord patterns, but this time with your fretting hand. Each time you strum downward, you should release the chord that your left hand (or right hand if you are left-handed) was previously fretting afterwards. This chord pattern is one of the more simple reggae patterns.
Strum downwards on the ª and upwards on the ©
Keep practising the pattern until it becomes comfortable
Ukulele for Beginners 41
Techniques Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
Practise with chords To play your first song, you will only need to know three chords. You might recognise the sequence from lots of pop songs
B
efore you begin practising a piece of music, it is important to make sure that you are holding the ukulele correctly and comfortably. Of course, you have a choice of whether you perform in a sitting or standing position. Sitting is probably the easiest way to start. Choose a seat that will allow you to keep upright in a good posture. The ukulele should be held just above the hip (try not to let it rest on your lap), with your right forearm holding it in position. Your left hand should then support the ukulele without taking too much of the weight. Standing, you will find that you adopt a very similar technique to sitting. Again, make sure that you are stood upright and are balanced correctly to begin with. With your right forearm, you should gently clasp the ukulele against your body towards the bottom of your rib cage. Your left hand should support the ukulele as in the sitting position. The left hand should now be free to form the chord shapes; remember, it is not there to support the ukulele. Place your thumb behind the neck of the instrument near the headstock without any grip at this stage. It should be comfortable for your fingers to make the chord patterns. This can be challenging to start with, as you will need to apply enough pressure on the strings to the fingerboard. Your fingers will not be used to this at first and might be a little sore, but with practice they will harden and eventually become used to stretching. Make sure you keep the nails on your left hand short!
C G
C
E
A
1 2
3
3 4
First strums There are various strumming techniques that you will learn, but it is important to learn the basics to start with. With a typical ukulele, the best strumming area is just past the soundhole, where the last frets of the fingerboard are. Remember, strumming comes from the wrist and not the arm, so it is important to develop a relaxed approach. Try using a mirror to check that you are using your wrist rather than your arm.
F G
G E
1
1 2
C
2
A
G
Am E
A
1 2
Downstroke and upstroke These are the two most basic strumming techniques when playing a ukulele. The downstroke should be performed by brushing down across the strings with the back of your index finger. Make sure that you tuck the other fingers in towards the palm of your hand. The upstroke is a similar idea but in reverse. The ball of the finger should gently brush the strings coming back up from the downstroke, returning to the starting position.
C
3
3
4
4
G 1
1
2 3
2 3 4
Key 1 Index 2 Middle 3 Ring 4 Little X: Don’t strum this string
42 Ukulele for Beginners
1
C
E
A
Let’s play Our first piece involves a simple strumming rhythm and chords This piece is based on a simple pop theme and uses four ukulele chords that you will find in most pieces of this style. In the first section (bars 1-9) of the piece, you will use just the chords C, F and G. The first of these strumming patterns follows this basic one-bar idea:
µ ¶µ µ ¶µ The second section of the piece begins at bar 9 and introduces the Am chord. The strumming pattern changes slightly and now follows this pattern:
¶ ¶µ ¶¶ µ We end with a swept chord (shown by the wiggly line) where we strum downwards more slowly than normal so all of the notes are heard individually.
Give it a try Have a go at strumming this simple piece
Top tip
Changing chords Playin
g the chord shapes their own is usually ea on sy. It becomes more chall en when moving betwee ging n shapes. Try to ind sim chord ilariti between chord patte es rns to make changes smooth.
Ukulele for Beginners 43
Techniques Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
Master chnking
I
Chnking is an important part of the ukulele performer’s strumming repertoire, so take the time to perfect it
n its most basic sense, the ‘chnk’ is a simple percussive sound used when strumming on your ukulele. Try to think of it as clapping, but using the strings of the instrument. With most performances executed without the need for a drummer, the chnk replaces the sound most commonly associated with the snare drum. It will give your playing the stringed rhythmic drive and intensity that is commonly associated with ukulele music. Chnking on the ukulele is not a particularly difficult technique; the trick is to make sure that
you can perform it rhythmically within the context of your strumming pattern. It is possible to chnk using your left hand by releasing the chord slightly, producing a muted or deadened sound (something that you might unintentionally do when practising anyway). However, this will only work if there are no open strings within the chord. To perform a successful chnk rhythm, you will need to perform a basic downstroke first, making sure that as the strum ends, the heel of your palm mutes the strings and stops them from ringing, giving the chnk sound. Performed correctly, it will
give the chord a detached sound from those either side of it. The technique is similar to muting (p.56). Many performers use the chnk to break up the monotony of up and down strokes, giving the performance a much needed percussive and accented feel. It is often used in, but not exclusive to, more up-tempo pieces of music. Listen to Noah and the Whales’ song ‘Five Years Time’ for an excellent example of a ukulele chnk rhythm.
“Chnking will give your playing the stringed rhythmic drive and intensity that is commonly associated with ukulele music”
Chnking How to chnk on your ukulele
Top tip
In the loop
Lots of musicians use the stringed instruments ir as percussion too. Chec k guitarists like Ed Shee out ran and Newton Faulkner to see what is possible. These art ists use loop pedals to ma often ke the instrument sound like a full band.
01 Prepare the downstroke
02 Strike the chord
You will need to start by positioning your left hand in its chord position (let’s use the C chord for this section) and place your right hand above the strings, ready to perform a downstroke strum.
As with a normal downstroke, bring either three of four fingers down the strings with just enough force to produce the sound of the chord. Be careful at this stage not to hit the strings too hard.
44 Ukulele for Beginners
Use minimal effort
Practise strumming with chnks
Strumming normally The index finger will play the initial downstroke. For a stronger sound, you can strum using more of your fingers if needed
Correct shape Your left hand will be holding the chord, with the right hand doing all of the work. Use the correct finger shapes for easy transitions
Keep going You will find the chnk strum a little difficult to master at first, but slow practice will make it easier and give you a great sound
Preparation is key Make sure that you only use the heel of your palm. This will help you to quickly prepare for the next chord
¶ µ chnk µ µ chnk 03 Stop the strings
04 Time to practise
Almost immediately after playing the strings with your right hand, stop them vibrating by placing the palm of your hand on them. You will only need to use the heel of your palm nearest your thumb, rather than the whole palm.
You will now need to perform the ‘chnk’ into a rhythmic pattern. You can only perform it on a downstroke, so have a go at this basic pattern (above). Try performing with a variety of chords. C, G and F are a good starting point. Ukulele for Beginners 45
Techniques Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
Play barre chords
P
They are the most painful chords to learn, but by far the most versatile once mastered. Here, we guide you through the basic hand positions
ut simply, barre chords hurt – at least they will while you’re learning them, since they require you to contort your fretting hand into all kinds of unnatural positions as you press down on multiple strings with one finger. Barre chords can also be quite tricky to master, but once you do you unlock a whole new selection of chords variations and positions that will make those same old chord progressions a lot more fun and interesting. There are several ways of playing barre chords. Different people use different methods of approaching them, so you should do what comes more naturally to you.
Some people find that doubling up the barre makes for an easier barre chord. You do this by placing your middle finger on top of your index finger, or barring finger, and putting pressure on it. This method isn’t always feasible, but it does make for a stronger barre and causes the strings to ring more clearly. Some chords only require a half barre, meaning you only need to barre two strings on the fret.
However, when the chord also requires pressure on the remaining strings, it is sometimes easier to go for a full barre instead. It can be difficult getting the pressure just right on a half barre, so a full barre can make for a cleaner-sounding chord. In some cases where playing a barre chord is just too hard, it’s fine to cheat and try out alternative positions. Do anything you can to make things easier for yourself.
“When playing a barre chord is just too hard, it’s fine to cheat and try out alternative positions”
Perfecting barre chords Training your hands into the correct positions is a tricky process, but well worth the effort Play each note Strum the chord as a whole, then pick each note to ensure that each one rings cleanly and that your fingers are well positioned
Exert the pressure You have to get the pressure right in your index finger to only barre the strings that you need to. Bend it slightly and use the side for this purpose
46 Ukulele for Beginners
Thumb position Keep your thumb central on the back of the ukulele neck and press down firmly to provide leverage for your index finger to fret adequately
Keeping shape The beauty of barre chords is that you can keep the same hand shape and move it up the neck to play any major or minor chords. It’s a good but tricky shortcut
Top tip
Position your barring finger
A good trick to remem rotate your barring i ber is to ng the knuckle is pointing er so that headstock you are ba towards the rring wi side of your inger, the th the reby avoiding missing str ings with the natural kink in the middle.
Using the shape of B flat
The shape outlined is a major chord with the root on the fourth string. By moving this shape up the fretboard, you can play any major chord
01 Position your index finger
02 Position your thumb
03 Finger the G and C strings
Position the top third of your index finger over both the E and A strings at the first fret so that the strings are barred.
In order to stop your ukulele from sliding, make sure your thumb is central on the back of the neck. Don’t be afraid to add pressure so the chord rings clearly.
Now, position your middle finger on the C string at the second fret, and your ring finger on the G string at the third fret. Try strumming the chord.
Using the shape of B minor
The shape here is a minor chord with the root on the fourth string. When moved up the fretboard, you can use this shape to play any minor chord
01 Barre the first three strings
02 Position your fingers
03 Moving the chord
Slightly bend your index finger and lay it flat across strings one to three on the second fret. Ensure each string is touching the fretboard to avoid buzzing.
Stretch your ring finger above the fretboard and fret the G string at the fourth fret. Now try strumming the chord.
From a B minor, you can easily change to a C minor. Simply slide your hand so each finger is a fret higher and strum to play the new chord.
Using the shape of F sharp
The shape here is a major chord with the root on the fourth string. By moving this shape up the fretboard, you can play any major chord
01 Barre the first three strings
02 Position your fingers
03 Stretch your fingers
Bend your index finger on the first fret and lay it across the first three strings. Make sure your thumb is placed firmly on the back of the neck.
Place your middle finger on the E string at the second fret and your index finger on the G string at the third fret. Strum the chord.
If you are having trouble reaching multiple strings, try practising finger-stretching exercises a few times a day to make tricky chords easier. Ukulele for Beginners 47
Techniques
Barre chord tips Now that you know the basics of barre chords, we provide a little extra assistance for helping you play them easier and more effectively
N
obody said that learning barre chords was going to be easy, right? Far from it, but as well as knowing the basic structures and hand positions that make up the chords, there are plenty of tricks you can implement to make playing them slightly less taxing. Most of these boil down to your playing posture and the way in which you are holding the ukulele. While learning these complex chords, you needn’t worry about looking cool and adopting a chilled out Hawaiian luau stance – it’s far more important to get your body trained to get used to the position it needs to be in so that you can confidently fret the
strings properly and get those chords ringing out nice and cleanly. The main thing to watch out for is your thumb position – you may forget about it if you’re concentrating too hard on keeping your index finger held down across all the strings. Make sure that it’s peeping out over the top of the neck, or pressing against the centre of the back of the neck if you feel you need to get more pressure, as this makes it far easier for your fretting fingers to reach the required frets. Also, be sure to fret the strings so that they touch the fretboard. Any strings that aren’t may distort the barre chord you are playing.
Chord diagrams
G
C
E
1
1
1
A
four strings at the second fret. Even though your index finger will be across all the strings, the ‘1’ will not be written on the strings that have other fingers fretted on them – you can’t play two notes on the same string during the same chord! The numbers ‘2’, ‘3’ and ‘4’ refer to the middle, ring and little finger respectively. Place your middle finger on the A-string at the third fret and strum to play your D7 barre chord.
1
1 2 3 4
48 Ukulele for Beginners
2
2
Practise frequently
As learning barre chord s involves moving your hand an d body, into unnatural position s, it certainly helps to pra ctise every day – even if it’s just for a of minutes. Concentra couple ting on barre chords regularly will help develop your ability to place them in just a couple of weeks.
Give it a try
How to read barre-chord diagrams for your finger positions When learning any chord, it is important to know the correct positions for your fingers in relation to the strings you need to fret. Barre chords can be tricky at first, as they require you to fret more than one string at a time. But if you practise regularly, you can get the hang of them in no time. Try practising your finger placement with a D7 barre chord. On the chord chart, the number ‘1’ refers to the index finger, which is used to hold down all
Top tip
Practise barre chords with this strumming pattern This exercise will help develop a rhythmic strumming technique and allow you to practise moving between the barre chords that use the shape of D7. To help with the timing of the strumming, try using a metronome (these can also be found online and as apps).
Exercise details Now that you’ve mastered D7, you can also play 12 more barre chords that use the same shape simply by moving up or down a few frets. Practise by moving through the barre chords that use the shape of D7 while strumming. Start on the first fret, which forms a C#7 barre chord, before moving down two frets to D#7 then down another fret to E7. Count to four, the numbers being downward strums, and the ‘ands’ upward strums. After ‘4’, refret to the D7-shape barre chord and repeat until you get the hang of moving the shape quickly and easily.
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Tricks for better barre chords Playing barre chords involves hours of practice, but these tips should get you off to the best start
01 Check thumb placement
02 Finger placement
For regular chord and finger picking, you thumb should be poking out at the top of the fretboard. But when fretting barre chords, it can help if your thumb is pressing against the centre of the back of the neck.
Your index finger should be parallel with the fret wire, so close that it’s barely touching the side. Roll your finger towards the nut so that the bony side of the finger is digging into the strings to help you get sufficient contact and force.
03 Don’t press too hard
04 Get some leverage
05 Move your elbow
Your index finger is only responsible for fretting some of the strings, so don’t try to press down on each string with equal force. When playing a standard barred B minor chord, press hard with the your finger on the C-, E- and A-strings, but the same amount of pressure on the G-string isn’t necessary.
Holding your ukulele in the correct manner is vital for playing barre chords, so you may need to work at it. If you hold your instrument too close you won’t be able to get sufficient leverage on your fretting hand to barre the strings, so position it away slightly so that your hand can clamp down easier.
In relation to the previous tip, place the elbow of your fretting hand closer to your body than you would otherwise do (at around waist level). This will enable your index finger to roll onto its side more, thus making it far easier to hold down the strings and ultimately make for a cleaner sound. Ukulele for Beginners 49
Techniques
Use a capo Altering the pitch of your ukulele is easy using a capo, and there are a wide variety of types to suit your instrument and style
A
capo is the name for a small clamp that sits on the fretboard of your ukulele, depressing all of the strings. It acts in the same way as a finger, taking the pitch higher. Each fret represents a semitone, so if you place a capo on the second fret, each string will sound a tone higher. With a capo, you can play songs in a different key without having to relearn them or know anything about the intricacies of key signatures. Simply clamp on your capo and away you go. This can be really useful if you’re adapting your piece to accompany other musicians, or if you want to sing along but the pitch of the music is too low or too high. They are particularly useful for beginners, as you can adapt a piece you want to learn if the chord shapes used are too difficult. Barre chords, for example, can be deftly avoided. These are the chords where you use your index finger to press down on all four strings as part of the chord pattern. In standard tuning, D7 is a typical example of this. By placing your capo on the second fret you then only need to worry about pressing down on the A string at the third fret to ‘override’ the capo holding the same string down at the second fret.
Chord patterns There are only a few chord shapes that will be used with a capo and you certainly don’t want to take it any lower than the fifth fret or things will start to get very cramped and uncomfortable with your playing. The left-hand column represents the original chord from your tablature or sheet music, and the subsequent chords are the shapes you should substitute it with depending on where your capo is.
Original chord C F G Am
“With a capo you can play songs in a different key”
Different types of capo The kind of capo that’s right for you depends on how much you’re looking to spend. There are capos designed specifically for ukuleles or in most cases you can use a guitar capo, if you already own one.
01 The spring-loaded capo This inexpensive option is one of the most commonly used types of capo. They can be operated easily with one hand, and can be applied or removed extremely quickly, even mid-song if need be. They can accommodate a wider, flatter fretbaord, making them a perfect fit with all tenors, sporanos, concerts and baritones.
50 Ukulele for Beginners
What a chord becomes when a capo is on fret number… 1 2 3 4 5 D E F E D G A G A B A B C A B Bm Cm C#m Dm Bm
Choose the right one for your ukulele and style
01
02
03
02 The smart capo
03 The toggle capo
Working on an automatic mechanism, place this capo around your ukulele neck and simply squeeze to clamp it in place. Applying pressure on the tips then releases it. These are very userfriendly, but can be expensive, and it’s sometimes difficult to get them sitting tight enough.
Another bargain option, these capos come in a range of styles and are generally small and portable. Be warned though, they have a tendency to pull strings out of tune because of the way they tighten, and can also stick to the strings after being undone.
Change the pitch Use your capo for quick pitch changes Close to the fret Place your capo as close to the lower fret as possible, ensuring that all four strings are properly depressed
Tone, semitone Each fret represents a semitone’s change in pitch. This capo, placed on the 4th fret, will raise all the strings by 4 semitones
Alter certain strings Instead of retuning, if you want to alter the pitch of one or two of the outer strings you can just capo those. There are also specialist capos that can pick out individual strings
Avoid barre chords If you want to play a song but it has a lot of barre chords, use your capo to alter the pitch
Attach a capo Make the most of this simple device
01 Attach your capo
02 Adjust to play
Depending on your type of capo, open it and clamp it onto the neck of your guitar. Place it closer to the lower fret, as that is where the pitch change will come from.
Strum without placing any fingers on the fretboard to see how it sounds, listening out for buzzing or muted notes. Check that all of the strings under the capo are lying straight, adjusting the position of the capo if needed. Ukulele for Beginners 51
Techniques
Finger pick
Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
U
Take your first steps in learning this distinctive style by following our simple finger-picking guide
nlike with a guitar, using a plectrum to pluck individual strings of your ukulele isn’t really an option. Instead, you should use your fingers. Finger-picking means that you can play more than one note at a time and create pleasing rhythmic and melodic patterns for chords. It is typical of classical, folk and country style ukulele playing. While you can learn to finger pick particular melodies and riffs, an ideal place to start is with a
Finger pick in G
chord that you are familiar with. Basic finger-picking techniques can take the same chord patterns and replace the strumming that you would usually employ with picking that draws out the individual notes or groups of notes. This can add another dimension to the chord, enabling you to vary the pace and feel of the music. Before you start picking, it’s important to get the position of your picking hand right. It should rest naturally over the sound hole without your wrist
having to bend or twist at all. Generally your thumb will play the top string, and sometimes the second top, so make sure it’s comfortable to do so. It’s rare to pluck any strings with your little finger, so keep this one relaxed and out of the way. This tutorial will teach you a pattern to finger pick with the G major chord. Repeat this exercise until you feel comfortable and confident playing it, then you can go on to try plucking the same strings with different chords.
Learn the basic pattern
01 The G chord
02 Pluck the strings
Hold the chord of G major (see the above picture and our chord guide on the next page). Strum to make sure all of the strings are held down then get your thumb ready on the root note, in this case the C-string.
Pluck the C- and A-strings together using your thumb and middle finger. Use the outer edges of your fingertips and try to get the volume of each string roughly the same.
03 Finger run
04 Practice makes perfect
Using your index finger to pluck the middle string. Alternate between plucking the C- and A-strings and the E-string repeatedly. Make sure your little finger stays out of the way to keep the strings vibrating.
Play this pattern until it feels natural. Lifting your little finger up off the body of the ukulele means that you will be able to switch between picking and strumming quickly and easily.
52 Ukulele for Beginners
Learn to finger pick
What you need to know for a basic pattern
Hand position Your hand should rest naturally over the sound hole without bending your wrist. The thumb usually rests on the top string
Plucking To pluck the strings, use the outer edges of your fingertips and move as if beginning to make a fist, coming in towards each other and slightly away from the ukulele
Top tip
Use your nails
Adding variation You may need to change the root note (what the thumb plays) to the second string for chords such as C major and E minor
Which fingers? The thumb usually plays the G- and C-strings while your index, second and ring fingers play the rest. This can be adapted and is just a guide
Change chord Pick between major and minor When you are comfortable with the basic picking pattern, you can use it to move between chords. G major works well with E minor, so pluck the strings exactly as in the four steps and then change your fingers on the fretboard to the E minor chord and continue. See our chord diagrams here for how to play these chords.
G
C
E
A
1
2
3
“Basic finger-picking techniques can add another dimension to the chord”
Some players prefer jus use the tips of their in t to but growing the nails gers, on your plucking hand so the y are longer than your inge just r help. The diferent su can rface can produce a cleare r sound, especially for the higher notes.
G
C
E
A
1
1
2 3
4
2
3
4
G major
1
2
3 E minor Ukulele for Beginners 53
Techniques Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
Tremolo pick The picking technique that will improve your rhythm, soloing and all-round playing
H
ave you ever listened to a song and wondered how on earth a single note is being repeatedly struck so many times? This is known as tremolo picking. Many budding ukulele players assume that a fast section of a song – or a solo – is achieved by the individual somehow managing to hit a string multiple times with a downward stroke. In reality, tremolo – or alternate – picking is taking place. At its most basic level, the technique is accomplished by moving either your index or thumb up and down rapidly. Numerous solos rely on such a skill, along with the more energetic passages of many metal rhythm sections. Speed
and form are also important, as both can have a serious effect on the sound produced. Learning to ‘gallop’ – or gain speed – will almost make the note sound constant, while slowing it down a touch can help sustain a pattern. Patience is key when learning to tremolo pick, too, as it’s exceptionally easy to scrape or mishit a string when coming back up with
your finger or pick. This is why it’s essential to start slow and gradually increase your speed over time. A duff note or hit will stand out a mile. You will have heard tremolo picking in a lot of guitar-based rock music, and the sound on the ukulele is just as pleasing. It is particularly impressive because it is often unexpected, so get practising!
“Patience is key when learning to tremolo pick, too, as it’s exceptionally easy to scrape or mishit a string when coming back up”
Tremolo basics How to tremolo pick 01 Find your pace
02 Increase your speed
Do NOT start tremolo picking as fast as you can when you first begin. Instead, take it as slow as possible, rest your fingers against the ukulele near the soundhole, and strike an open A up and down with your index finger.
When you can do step 1 with ease, gradually begin to increase your speed by increasing the rhythm. A good way to do this is to find the beats per minute (BPM) you’re comfortable with and increase by ten BPM each time.
03 Moving notes
04 Different notes
Eventually you’ll want to tremolo pick while changing strings. Start with an open A, then place your index finger on the same string in the second fret before moving up to the third fret.
Tremolo picking on a different string – C, for example – can be a touch harder, as you have to ensure you don’t scrape other notes in the process. Use the same techniques as above so that you only ever hit the one string.
Give it a try Tremolo pick for yourself With the pick firmly in your grasp, or just using your finger, hit the top A string upwards and downwards in quick succession. When that becomes more comfortable, try hitting ‘semiquavers’ or four strikes of the string – use
both the up and downstroke alternately. Once confident with that, start to move onto different frets. Start on the open A string, then move on to the second fret of this string, moving onto the third fret, and then jumping up to the fifth.
Work your way back down the frets again to finish with the open A string. This is shown in our tab below. Remember to start slowly at first, speeding up when you become more confident with the technique.
222 222 222 222
333 333 333 333
000 000 000 000 000 000 555 555 555 555 444 444 444 444
54 Ukulele for Beginners
666 666 666 666
Tremolo picking basics What you need to know Use both strokes You could try to be a hero and tremolo pick using only one stroke, but finding a comfortable way to hit both the down and upward stroke will give you better technique and speed
Hand placement Rest your fingers against the ukulele just below the soundhole. These will act as a ‘pivot point’ for your index finger which will be doing the majority of work for the tremolo effect
Choose your method You need to be comfortable when attempting to tremolo pick, so therefore make sure you choose the method best suited to you. Experiment by using both your index finger and your thumb
Top tip
Diferent styles A more ad Wrist movement The strumming motion for tremolo should come from your wrist and not your arm. If you’re struggling with this, try opening up your elbow before each upstroke
vanced way of the tremolo sound is producing to rol your ingers. This is esp l with ecially useful if you want to rely less on ingernails. Start by picking the string with your midd le inger, and then your index . Keep alternating to produ ce the tremolo sound.
Ukulele for Beginners 55
Techniques
Mute strings In this tutorial, we show you methods of blocking out unwanted noise whether you are strumming or picking individual strings
S
tring muting is a technique that is used to prevent strings from sounding while strumming or picking individual strings. It’s playing without actually playing. Muting is a technique that is often used in rock music, which of course makes it cool. The reason why ukulelists mute strings at times is because otherwise the vibrating strings will interfere with the music they’re making. For example, when playing licks, the bending and release of some string will cause other strings to vibrate, either because they’ve been accidentally hit or because they’ve simply vibrated when other strings have been hit. To effectively mute strings that you don’t want to be heard, there are numerous techniques available. For example, many players lay their fretting hand flat on top of the strings. This is called left hand muting. Be careful not to put too much pressure on though - pushing the strings so they are touching the fretboard runs the risk of fretting them and playing a chord unintentionally. Keeping in time to the rhythm of a song when you’re not technically playing anything can be quite difficult. To make things easier on yourself, try tapping your foot on the floor, nodding your head or continuing to move your strumming hand in order to keep in time. The chnk technique is also a good way to mute strings. Chnking involves strumming down on your ukuele strings, and then placing your strumming hand’s palm over all the strings just under the bridge to stop them ringing and create a chnk sound. Whatever method you choose, you’ll need to practise the technique thoroughly to get the results you crave.
Preventing unwanted noise We examine the parts of your playing hands you can use
Use your fingers Lift your fretting fingers off the strings when playing a barre chord to stop them from ringing out more than you want
“The reason why ukulelists mute strings is to prevent unwanted noise”
Top tipting
Use palm mucan u when tyo your palm in the
It’s tricky to ge consistently and perfect position to adjacent to the s ing str e reliably mut and the palm one you’re playing, p the string sto to e tim e or m takes your thumb, from ringing than chnique at so try using th te . when possible
56 Ukulele for Beginners
Use your palm An effective way to mute the strings is to rest the palm of your hand across them, and then just raise it to free up the strings that you want to play
Use your left hand Alternatively, you can use spare fingers from your fretting hand to mute the strings on the neck, but don’t press too hard, otherwise you’ll fret them
How to mute your strings
We demonstrate the four main methods
01 Palm muting
02 Chnking
Fashion your hand into a karate chop, and then place it just in front of the bridge of your ukulele so that your hand is at a 90-degree angle to the strings. Now, move the side of your hand up or down to mute the strings.
The chnking technique is used for muting strings while you’re strumming. Strum down on your ukulele and then place your hand over the vibrating strings to silence them and create a ‘chnk’ sound.
03 Left hand muting
04 Lift muting
One technique for muting the higher strings is to use the underside of the index finger on your fretting hand. Press lightly – not too hard so as to ‘fret’ the strings – to mute the strings that you don’t want to sound.
Lift muting involves lifting your fretting fingers off the strings when playing a barre chord just enough so that the chord stops ringing. This technique works really well when playing reggae music. Ukulele for Beginners 57
Techniques Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
S
Learn to slide Master how to transition between two notes or chords by sliding between them, and you’ll open up many new possibilities
liding is a common technique used in many genres of guitar playing, enabling the player to move between notes or power chords without lifting his or her hand from the fretboard. This technique can also be applied to ukulele playing. All you need to do in order to execute a successful slide is to play one note, then, without taking your fretting finger off the fretboard, slide it up to another fret. You won’t have to pick the second note if your slide was good. As its name suggests, the effect it produces is a sliding one, and it makes a much smoother sound than what is produced by picking the two notes
separately. Slides are also very versatile. As well as sliding up, it is just as simple to slide down. You can also play two or more notes at the same time and slide those fingers up or down the fretboard to create a similar sliding effect, but with chords. However, this technique takes a bit more practice, and we recommend having new strings on your instrument before trying it, as the grime and dirt that accumulates from years of playing can make sliding tough. We recommend putting new strings on your ukulele before trying slides. Unlike hammer-ons and pull-offs, which rely on different fingers of your fretting hand, a slide should be made by the same finger or fingers that fretted
the original note. Once you’ve mastered slides with your fingers, you could try using a steel or glass guitar slide instead, which should be available to buy at your local music shop for a few pounds. These are often used in blues compositions and produce a distinct sound. Once mastered, string slides can add a more professional-sounding sheen to your compositions.
“We recommend putting new strings on your ukulele before trying slides”
Sliding Use your fingers to slide
Top tip
Clean the strings
If sliding is proving tou gh, possibly because of old strings hindering yo ur movement, try using string cleaner like Fas a t Fret. It’s cheap, it will clean yo strings up, and it’ll ma ur ke it far easier for you to slide along.
01 Separate notes
02 Slide between notes
Pick the note on the fifth fret of the E string. Then, after taking your finger off the fretboard, play the seventh fret on the same string. Remember the two separate sounds. Play them a few times to familiarise yourself.
Play the fifth of the E string again, but this time slide between the fifth and seventh fret without taking your finger off the fretboard. Start off slow and gradually increase the speed of the slide.
58 Ukulele for Beginners
Slide with your hands
Easily produce a sliding sound
Fretting finger The index finger is doing all the work. Slide from the third fret to the fifth without leaving the fretboard
Play as usual The picking hand doesn’t need to do anything too different. You could apply more power to your pick if you can’t always hear the slide
No others The other three fingers don’t need to do anything unless you want to play more notes with your original slide
03 Slide with chords
04 Try using a guitar slide
Fret the first fret on the A and E strings to form the C7sus4 chord. Play these two strings and then slide both fingers up to the fifth third fret to form the C5 power chord.
For an entirely different sound, try using a guitar slide. Move any one of your fretting fingers up and down the fretboard, playing the C, E and A strings with your picking hand. Ukulele for Beginners 59
Techniques Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
Practise with more chords
Now you have learnt some basic techniques, it is time to add some variation to your performance with more advanced chords
H
ere we’ll start to use some more challenging chords, starting with barre ones. A barre chord is where your finger is used to hold down multiple strings. If we look at the D chord, you can use your first, second and third fingers to form the chord, or, if this feels cramped, you could barre the chord to hold down the fourth, third and second strings. An easy change to make to a chord is to add a seventh (7th) note. If we take the C chord as an example, the first note (tonic) is the C and if we count up to the 7th note, we would reach a B. If we played this on the C chord, it would be known as a major seventh. By playing a B flat (finger on the first string, first fret), this becomes a C7 chord. We also have augmented or diminished chords. Augmented chords are shown by a ‘+’ next to the chord (eg C+). For this, the fifth note is raised by a semitone. For example, C+ would be C E G#. A diminished chord is shown by a small ‘o’ next to the chord name (eg Co ). Here, the fifth note is lowered by a semitone, as is the third, giving a minor flattened fifth chord. Using a C chord as example, the diminished chord would be C Eb Gb.
“A barre chord is where your finger holds down multiple strings”
D G
C
A E
A
1 2
G
2
E7 E
A
1
1
1 2 3
C
G 1
2
3
3
4
4
4
E
A
1 2
2
3
C
3
Easy finger picking Instead of playing all of the strings at the same time with simple strumming, you can pick them one at a time using your fingers and thumb. This is known as finger picking. It will usually involve a repetitive pattern and can include all fingers and the thumb, although there are many styles that simply just use the first finger and thumb. To pick the strings, use your nails or fingertips, depending on the sound you are after.
G G
Let’s try chnking
60 Ukulele for Beginners
F#m E
A
1 2
Chnking on a ukulele is a way of adding ‘colour’ and variety to your strumming pattern, giving it a rhythmic sound in the absence of any percussion. It is achieved by playing a heavy, quick downstroke which is then immediately muted or ‘deadened’. To perform this, you play your downstroke with the back of your first finger as normal, but then bring the heel of your palm directly onto the strings.
C
3 4
G
2 3
2
G+ E
1
1
1
C
2
A
G
C
E
A
1
3
1
2
3
3
4
4
Key 1 Index 2 Middle 3 Ring 4 Little X: Don’t strum this string
2 3
Let’s play In this piece we’ll look at some of the more advanced strumming techniques The following piece is based on the acoustic musical styles of artists such as Ed Sheeran and Adele. You open with four chords – D, E7, G and A – all performed in a fingerpicking style. The opening picking pattern will follow this idea using your thumb (T), first finger (ff), and second finger (sf). This pattern continues from bars 1-8. Don’t forget the repeat (shown by two bar lines and two dots). We introduce the chunk into the strumming pattern at bar 9. It should be performed using this pattern:
Top
tip Slo Be care w dow betwe ful with the n! e
c strum n inger pic hange still so ming patter king and u down nd musical ns. It will t if inger owards the e you slow pickin nd o movem g to prepa f your re you ent to r the chord positio next n.
¶ chnk µ ¶ chnk µ This again continues to bar 16, where the piece tells you to go back to the beginning (DC al coda). Remember, coda is a fancy name for ending, so follow the piece to bar 8 and the play the chord at the end of the piece using the swept strum.
Give it a try Have a go at this fingerpicking piece
Ukulele for Beginners 61
Techniques
Practise string bending
Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
String bending was developed by blues and country players to mimic bottleneck guitars. Here’s how to perfect this technique on your ukulele
S
tring bending is a very basic blues and country technique that involves ‘bending’ or pushing the string over the fingerboard with your fretting fingers so that the string gets tighter and the pitch goes up. Bending the strings far enough to get the pitch to change takes quite a bit of effort, so the key is to use three of the fingers on your fretting hand to manipulate the string – one (your ring finger) on the fret you intend to bend and then a further two (your middle and index fingers) on the frets next to it for added leverage. The principle factor that dictates the degree in which you can bend a string is its thickness (or gauge). The width of a ukulele string is expressed as a decimal fraction
of an inch, and can be found on the packaging of the various strings available. Weighing up the pros and cons of each thickness is a matter of personal taste, but you should be aware that while thin, light gauge strings are more pliable and easier on your fretting fingers, they are more likely to break with continued use, have a lower volume and are harder to keep in tune. Thicker strings provide a warmer tone and are a lot more durable, though certainly not as easy to bend. It’s a good idea to experiment with as many gauges as possible when starting out to see what works for you. String bending is a useful technique to have in your ukulele-playing arsenal of tricks as it can add a professional-sounding lick to your compositions.
How to bend your strings
Top tip
Maintain the note
If the note is trailing of be you’ve completed the fore be then you’re probably nd exerting enough pre not ssure on the fretboard. Make sure you use all three ingers to pu string up towards the sh the sky. easier to bend string It is s on higher frets.
Bend strings to change the pitch of a note
01 Position your fingers
02 Hear the pitch
Start off by placing your ring finger on the fret you wish to bend, in this case the second (E) string, sixth fret, and then place your middle and index fingers on the same string, but on the seventh and eighth frets.
The aim is to bend the note up one semitone then return the note to its original pitch. Play the second string (E) on the eighth fret and the same string on the ninth fret so that you can hear the pitch of the note.
62 Ukulele for Beginners
String bending Change the pitch of the strings Listen-up Play the same string at the next one or two frets up to hear the note that you will be attempting to bend the string to
Bending action Pick the string on the desired fret, then push the string up with your three fingers until you reach the desired pitch, as heard on the higher frets
Fingering Always place your ring finger on the fret you wish to ‘bend’, and then place your middle and index fingers on the frets next to it for extra leverage
Releasing What goes up must come down, so to return the note to its original pitch relax your fingers slightly, allowing the string to return to normal
03 Execute the bend
04 …and relax
Now, with your fingers in position as indicated in the first step, pick the second string (E) on the eighth fret and, using your three fingers, push the string up and ‘bend’ the note so that it sounds like the ninth fret.
Once you have exerted enough pressure on the string to bend the pitch, relax your fingers slightly to allow the string to spring back down to its natural position and allow the note to return to its original pitch. Ukulele for Beginners 63
Techniques
Play in octaves
Further info Turn
to page 76 for more on how to read music and tab
Master this classic rock sound and further enhance your ukulele-playing skills for better effect
A
n octave is the term for the interval between the first and last note of a regular scale. After a C note, for example, there are 12 semitones or eight full tones (hence the name octave) before you reach the next C. These two Cs will be the same note, but at a different pitch – they are an octave apart. All instruments can produce notes within a number of octaves, and they are most obvious on
Octave shapes
a piano where you can see the repeated pattern of black and white keys. To find any note’s octave on a ukulele, you need to count up 12 semitones, which is 12 frets on the neck. Stretching your hands all the way up the neck will be impossible, so find the equivalent tone on a higher string. You can easily play octaves on every string of a conventional soprano ukulele, first playing the open string, and then placing your finger on the
12th (and usually last) fret of your ukulele. You should hear the same note but higher in pitch. On a ukulele an octave is a way of making a note sound ’bigger’ without playing all of the notes in a chord. This is particularly evident when performing within a jazz style, where the use of octaves is particularly useful. In this tutorial we will show you how to master the some basic octave shapes so you will be able to play them on any string and any note.
Two essential finger patterns
01 The first shape
02 Same shape, different strings
Place your first finger on the second fret on the C string (third string). Place your little finger on the fifth fret of the A string (first string). Pluck these two strings to produce an octave on the note D.
You can use the same shape to play octaves on the G (fourth) and E (second) string on a low G soprano ukulele. Slide between frets to keep producing your octaves. Use a combination of both sets of strings.
03 The second shape
04 Mute notes
You can play octaves on the fourth (G) and first (A) string on a low G soprano ukulele. Place your index finger on the third fret of the A string, and your ring finger on the fifth fret of the G. This produces an octave C.
You need to mute the notes in between and after your octaves so they don’t vibrate when strummed. With the two strings that are unused, mute them with any finger(s) that you find most comfortable and strum.
64 Ukulele for Beginners
Rock out in octaves
Top tip
Low G tuning
Strum with these shapes The second shape When playing this basic octave shape, mute the other notes by laying your middle/ring finger as if playing a barre chord, but without applying pressure
The first shape Use this shape on the C and A strings. This shape is also transferable to the G and E strings if you have a low G ukulele
When playing octaves us the G and E strings, or ing second shape, your uk the ule need to have low G tun le will ing. This means that the G str ing would sound lower than the C str This makes your ukule ing. le sound more mellow.
D
A E
D
C G
Change the size The further up the neck of the ukulele you go, the smaller the frets become. Remember to alter the shape of your fingers to accommodate this
Slide between octaves After strumming once, you can slide the octave shape up or down the fretboard without taking off the pressure, or strumming again, for a cool sound
Give it a try Playing in octaves using chromatic scales You can use the first shape with the notation or tablature below to play octaves using chromatic notes starting on the note D. This is great practice for your octave shapes, and a useful warm-up for your hands. Play along with the supplied audio file to make sure you’re doing it right, and check out the ‘Reading music’ section from page 76 to learn how to read tablature and notation.
“This is great practice for your octave shapes, and a useful warm-up for your hands”
4 4 A
5
6
7
8
9 10 11 12
11 10 9
8
7 6
5
2
3
4
5
6
8
5
4 3
2
E C
7
8
9
7
6
G
Ukulele for Beginners 65
Techniques
Get to grips with recording Start recording your very first ukulele masterpiece with an Apple Mac, iPhone or iPad
T
here are many reasons why people want to make recordings of themselves singing or playing a musical instrument. Some people use recording as a method of becoming a better musician by playing their recordings back to hear the mistakes they’re making, others to remember songs they’ve written. Whatever your recording goals or aspirations, we’re here to show you how to take your first steps (or rather, strums) into the world of recording your ukulele playing. The great thing about technological developments is that there are a number of ways to record music using your Mac or even using your iPhone. Gone are the days of fumbling around in your bag for a notepad and pen to scribble down your musical ideas – just grab your iPhone or iPad
and hit Record. The tutorials that follow this one will cover the different methods of recording ukulele with different devices. Realistically, you should open up your Mac if you want to record the next ‘Wonderwall’, but if you’re just looking to find your feet, look no further than your iPhone or iPad. When it comes to equipment, decide whether recording ukulele is just a hobby or a career, and spend less or more money based on these expectations. Don’t splash the cash on high-end equipment when you just want to record rough ideas. We’ll take you through some of the various equipment solutions available for all of the different levels of recording. Before you even pick up that ukulele, read on for some handy general tips on recording.
“There are a number of ways to record music using your Mac or even using your iPhone”
Top tips for recording ukulele 01 Be consistent For the best recording experience, use the same software. GarageBand is available on Mac and iOS, meaning that you have seamless integration of your projects regardless of where you’re working.
02 Make your voice heard Don’t want to carry around any additional equipment? Got an acoustic ukulele you want to record? Don’t panic, GarageBand has a handy Audio Recorder which utilises your device’s built-in mic.
03 Stay in tune Make sure you’re in tune before recording any track. Ukuleles have a habit of falling out of tune very quickly, so don’t let poor tuning ruin an otherwise perfect take.
04 Become a team player Use GarageBand for Mac to play along with backing tracks. This will not only improve your playing technique, but will help you get used to playing with a band.
05 Start with a Mac If you’re a relatively new player, gain confidence with GarageBand on Mac before recording ukulele with your iPhone or iPad – you can’t remove mistakes from tracks after recording with GarageBand for iOS.
66 Ukulele for Beginners
Record ukulele with a Mac 01 Stay in time
03 Keep it clean
05 Crank it up to… 7
It’s important to maintain a steady tempo. Most music-recording software packages for Mac will have a Metronome feature – use this to improve your time-keeping.
Don’t worry too much about getting your overall ukulele sound right before you begin recording as you can add lots of authentic effects and postrecording processing once you have nailed that tricky middle section.
Don’t be tempted to crank your acoustic-electro ukulele up to maximum volume. If your recording input level is too high, it will result in feedback – and a painful-sounding recording.
04 Select a location If you’re using your Mac’s on-board mic to record acoustic ukulele, choose your location carefully. Smaller rooms work best for a clean, interference-free recording, whereas bigger rooms add natural reverb.
02 Multi-take Recording software such as GarageBand offers you the ability to record several takes of your ukulele playing on a loop, providing you with the option of picking the best-sounding take!
Record ukulele with an iPhone 01 Get connected
02 Save some space
04 Know your limits
Make sure your ukulele-recording hardware (you’ll need some to connect) has a headphone connection on it, otherwise you’ll be playing in silence! A great choice of recording kit is IK Multimedia’s iRig adaptor.
Recording ukulele onto your iPhone can take up a large amount of iPhone storage. Free up some space before you begin recording, otherwise you could end up running out of space in the middle of recording.
Want to create a polished-sounding recording? Use your iPhone to solely record your ukulele then export the recordings to software on your Mac, such as AmpliTube or GarageBand, to mix your recordings.
03 Keep your distance
05 Use as a toolbox
When recording acoustic ukulele with your iPhone’s built-in mic, ensure you are seated at least 15cm away from the iPhone, otherwise you will end up with a bass-heavy recording.
There are plenty of apps out there that offer handy ukulele tools in one app, such as a tuner, chord book and metronome, saving you space in your case!
Ukulele for Beginners 67
Techniques
Play ukulele with others
Learn how to take your ukulele playing to the next level by strumming along with other people
H
owever much you enjoy playing your ukulele solo and for your own amusement, you will be amazed how introducing another player can take things to a whole new level. When playing with two people, one can provide the chords and ‘groove’ of a song, leaving the other player free to contribute a melody to complement the song’s progression. This is what tends to happen in bands when there is more than one guitarist – one strums out the chords and helps along the rhythm of the song while the other layers on the licks and the solos to give the song some punch. Band dynamics aside, though, playing ukulele with other people on a more basic level with all parties strumming the same tune is a great way to develop timing and general playing confidence
– and the more people you have playing, the less chance there is of the song breaking down if one player makes a mistake. When starting out, you should perhaps see if there are any clubs nearby that you can join to experience playing as part of a larger unit. Once you have learnt to master your instrument a bit more then you could perhaps consider joining a band. The ukulele offers a unique tone to any musical ensemble and can complement a range of other instruments – and more established acts are starting to incorporate them into their recordings and live sets. Here we offer some tips and advice on how to gain confidence playing with other people and how to make the ukulele sound work in a bigger band environment. Once you start playing, who knows where it could take you in the future?
“Playing ukulele with other people is a great way to develop timing and playing confidence”
Tips for playing along with others 01 Keep in time If you only play with one other person then you should use a metronome or an MP3 backing track to help you keep in time. Not only will this help maintain a steady pace, it will also ensure one party doesn’t rush or drag.
02 Know your role When playing as part of a larger group, remember that every player contributes to the song with an appropriate tone and volume and never plays in excess of that. In short, don’t try to outplay the other people in the group.
03 Listen carefully You should never inflict excessive playing on the group unnecessarily. Instead, listen carefully to the song that you’re playing as a group and then try to add only what is needed.
04 Stay disciplined Needless noodling along the fretboard may be satisfying from a self-indulgent point of view, but often it is to the detriment of the song and the annoyance of the other group members.
05 Let the music breathe If you are jamming with other ukulele players to come up with new ideas for songs then don’t feel the need to fill every bar with notes. Make sure you give the arrangement enough space to breathe and come alive.
68 Ukulele for Beginners
Learning to keep time 01 Use a metronome
05 Fade in your playing
Investing in a real metronome or an app equivalent on your tablet or smartphone is a great way to keep a steady beat and flow in your group jam sessions.
If your playing suffers as a result of paying too much attention to the beat, go with it. Turn the beat up nice and loud and then listen to that more than your playing, before gradually changing the balance.
03 Tap it out If using a metronome or backing track, also tap your foot in time with the beat so that it gets ingrained. Before too long you will be able to keep a smooth, steady beat instinctively as you strum your ukulele.
04 Body in motion 02 Use a backing track An MP3 backing track is also a handy way to ensure that you’re all maintaining a steady, consistent pace throughout the song.
Also consider the motion of your body. If your motions are relaxed and fluid then your back muscles are constantly balancing the motions of your arms, leading to a rhythmic ‘sense’ that can be achieved as you play.
Where does ukulele come in? 01 Know your place Bands work when the instruments featured offer unique tones. So a ukulele would sit nicely alongside guitars, drums, bass, keyboards and brass instruments such as saxophones, as all of the parts will blend nicely together.
02 Minimise the ukes If you have too many ukulele players in a band (more than two) then it can muddy the sound, regardless of how many cool parts have been arranged. So try to stick to one or two and then complement them with other instruments.
03 Pick the right songs If you are incorporating a ukulele into a band then make sure you are playing songs that showcase the instrument and don’t cause it to be drowned out by other instruments.
04 Be experimental Try to surprise your audience with the versatility of the ukulele by using it to play the solo in a song. You will find tabs on numerous websites to help you transfer some of the more famous licks to the ukulele, and some are very easy to learn.
05 Go electric If you’re playing in a band and your ukulele sound is getting drowned out by the other instruments, consider getting an electric ukulele, plugging it into the PA system and letting rip!
Ukulele for Beginners 69
Techniques
Useful apps for ukulele Discover a wide range of toolkits, recorders and digital instruments to play and enjoy on your mobile device
T
he advent of smartphones and tablet devices has provided us musicians with a myriad of ways to take our playing further. Whether it’s for teaching us how to play instruments without having to spend a great deal of money on lessons, referencing chords,
helping us tune our instruments or practising our playing on the move, there really is ‘an app for that’. Any instrument you’d care to mention is well supported with an array of apps and the ukulele is particularly well catered for, as the apps here are testament to. Whatever device you are using, be it
iOS (iPhone, iPad) or Android, a simple search for ‘ukulele’ in the respective app store will throw up plenty of practical, enjoyable and quirky apps to help you develop your playing further and get the most out of your instrument. Here we present some of our favourites.
Pro Metronome iPad | iOS 7.0 | Free There are hundreds of free metronome apps available, but this is undoubtedly one of the best and is designed to help you master both daily practice and stage performance. It comes with 13 different metronome tones and can be fully customised by changing beat tones, accents and even the dynamics of your rhythm. You also have the option to upgrade to the Pro version to unlock even more features, such as Visual, Flash and Vibrate modes, which will help you ‘feel’ the beats in loud environments.
Ukulele Companion iPhone | iOS 3.0 | Free This app is something of a Swiss Army knife for ukulele players, crammed with an array of neat features. Included in the package are tools such as a tuner and metronome, but it is the chord finder that really makes this app essential. Using a wheel interface, you can select chords and scales and then the position of your fretting hand will be shown on the ukulele diagram to show you exactly where your fingers should be to form the chord. What’s more, you can strum the strings of the on-screen ukulele to hear what the chord should sound like. Hard to believe it’s free! 70 Ukulele for Beginners
Real Ukulele Free iPhone | iOS 6.0 | Free If you want to practise your ukulele playing then this app lets you strum or pluck individual strings of any chord to work on your favourite riffs or make up entirely new tunes on the fly to transfer to your real instrument. It sounds fully authentic and supports both Audiobus and Inter-App Audio, meaning that you can stream your playing to GarageBand to incorporate it into your track compositions. A great way to take your playing anywhere.
My Ukulele Android | OS 2.3 | Free This app provides you with a virtual ukulele simulation in which you can pluck strings, strum chords and record your playing on the move. It features a wide range of modes and effects, including string muting, damping, bending and vibrato and all of your recordings can be exported to other apps so everything you strum can be put to good use. The fact that it is totally free is just the icing on an already enticing cake!
GarageBand iPad | iOS 8.0 | Free Apple’s own mobile recording studio is perfect for getting the sounds in your head committed to digital format. A selection of ‘smart’ instruments means you can lay down tracks without necessarily being able to play the real thing, while an in-app audio recorder makes it easy to record your ukulele playing and incorporate it into the mix. A recent addition to the app in the form of Inter-App Audio means you can incorporate sounds from other thirdparty apps, including the various ukulele apps that support this feature (see Real Ukulele for just one example). With all of your tracks in place, GarageBand’s studio editing facilities make it easy to trim and tweak your music before exporting it to iTunes. Definitely an essential app for all music-lovers.
Ukulele Chordfinder
Ukulele Karaoke Ukeoke iPad | iOS 6.0 | Free If you want to fast-track your ukulele playing then this fun app provides a rapid way to learn new songs. Each song is displayed in a karaoke style, complete with easy chords, acoustic backing track and lyrics, and you simply play away with the on-screen prompts. Each song can be tailored to suit all abilities and if you aren’t sure of any of the chords required to play the song then you can learn them all in-app.
iPhone | iOS 5.0 | Free This app concentrates purely on chords and is a useful reference tool to have to hand when you need it. You can use the scroll wheels to select the chord and then the required finger positions will be illustrated on the fretboard at the top of the screen. You can also listen to how the chord should sound when played right. Although the app doesn’t boast the array of features in some rivals, its no-nonsense approach and easy-to-grasp interface make it a worthwhile addition to your iPhone.
Ultimate Guitar Tabs HD iPad | iOS 7.0 | Free Ultimate Guitar Tabs offers a sprawling database of chords and tabs for pretty much any song you’d care to name, for any instrument you have to hand – guitar, bass, drums and, of course, ukulele. It’s updated regularly with all of the latest popular songs and is expertly laid out and ultra-accessible, to make it easy to find what you want. Although the app itself is free, you will need to subscribe to the service, but the meagre amount they’re asking is definitely worth it.
CarlTune – Chromatic Tuner Android | OS 2.3 | Free This mobile tuning device displays note, frequency, octave and cents together, making it easy to know where the current tuning sound is in the scale and how far it strays from the standard frequency. A serious bit of kit for the serious ukulele player. Ukulele for Beginners 71
Techniques
Useful sites for ukulele If you’re in need of a little more insight and inspiration, then check out the worldwide web for your ukulele fix. Here are some of our favourite sites
F
or the aimless, the internet is a sprawling superhighway of useless distractions, but if you approach it with a clear purpose then the possibilities it presents are endless. Take the ukulele, for example. A simple Google search of the term provides hundreds of thousands of hits
Kala Brand Ukulele www.kalabrand.com “Variety is the spice of life… and as far as we know, you can never have too many ukes…” Was ever a truer word said? Surely not and if you’re into your ukuleles then Kala is one of the most famous brands, with a site offering a wide range of products (we recommend checking out the awesome KA-KIWI Soprano!), as well as a rundown of the established artists who use them. Its an inspiring site to visit and a great place to read up on Kala’s range of products before finding a dealer close to your location, where you can try the instruments out for yourself.
The Ukulele Way www.theukuleleway.com The Ukulele Way is a step-by-step method that teaches you the art and science of solo ukulele – including how to play melody, harmony and rhythm simultaneously… on a single ukulele! Through this site you can sign up for a free tour, which includes eight video lessons and a way to connect with fellow players from all around the world, or you can subscribe to the full service for a monthly fee. The full package gives you access to over 80 video lessons, sheet music, structured exercises and much more. So if you want to become a more accomplished player, faster, then this is well worth checking out. 72 Ukulele for Beginners
dedicated to the instrument, its origins, its styles and the many grooves you can play on it. But without a few pointers in the right direction, you could lose hours of potential playing time sifting through the search results looking for the truly worthwhile sites. So it’s good that we’re on hand to do it for you.
Here we present a selection of the very best ukulele-related sites that we have encountered on our web trawls. From manufacturer sites to tuning sites, tutorial sites to uke troupe sites, there is something for all players and fans of the instrument here, along with those all-important URLs.
UkuTuner www.ukutuner.com This site offers an easy-to-use ukulele tuner to help keep your instrument in tune without the need for a standalone tuning device. You simply click on the tuning peg of the string that you want to tune and it will play the note repeatedly so that you can adjust and tune the peg on your instrument accordingly. The site supports standard ‘C’ tuning (GCEA) or ‘D’ tuning (ADF#B), which is two frets higher than standard tuning. Provided you have the ear, this is a very useful site.
Ukulele Underground www.ukuleleunderground.com Established back in 2008, this site provides a wide range of video tutorials to help learners develop their ukulele skills and become more proficient players. There are videos to cater for all levels of expertise, from beginner to advanced, plus a library of song guides to get you strumming along to some of the world’s most famous tracks.
Top tip
Finding sites
“The Uke Hunt website is a fun and engaging place for ukulele players to hang out” The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain www.ukuleleorchestra.com This site is dedicated to a group of all-singing, allstrumming ukulele players who believe that all genres of music are available for reinterpretation, as long as they are played on the ukulele. Their concerts are famous for their good humour and instrument artistry and this site keeps you abreast of any forthcoming concert news as well as serving as an online shop to purchase their back catalogue of albums, DVDS and books. Through this online service, you can also subscribe to an online newsletter and get links to the troupe’s various social media sites.
When searching for uk ule related internet sites, lebe speciic in your search terminology. For exam ple, don’t just type ‘ukulele’ int o Google – type something lik e ‘uk chords’ to focus the sea ulele rch results on what you’r e really after.
Uke Hunt www.ukulelehunt.com A fun and engaging place for ukulele players to hang out, Uke Hunt is, primarily, a chord database that makes it easy to find tabs and chords for the songs you want to play. You can browse by keyword, genre or difficulty and when you find a song that you want to play, you can download a PDF of the chord chart, listen to the song in its entirety and hear the suggested strumming techniques you should apply. You can also leave comments and converse with fellow players in the thriving online community. There are loads of chordbased uke sites but, for the sheer bulk of content that it delivers, this definitely ranks among the best.
Ukulele for Beginners 73
Reading music Understanding tablature and notation can seem daunting, but with these simple guides, you’ll be playing your favourite tunes in no time!
76 Read ukulele tabs 80 What is musical notation? 82 Introducing the staves 83 Notes and their values 84 Read musical notation 86 Understand time signatures 88 Interpret key signatures 90 Rests and repetition 92 Introducing musical scales 93 The major scale 94 The minor scale 95 The major pentatonic scale 96 The minor pentatonic scale 97 The blues scale 98 Playing solos 100 Ukulele improvisation
74 Ukulele for Beginners
“You’ll be able to understand the system of reading tablature and play along to favourite songs in a matter of minutes”
Give it a try Look out for this logo on each page, as it means that an audio file is available online to help you master a certain ukulele technique.
Ukulele for Beginners 75
Reading music
Read ukulele tabs Understand this system of reading tablature and enhance your skills in a matter of minutes
U
kulele tablature (or ‘tab’ for short) is a system of notation that visually represents the strings and frets of the ukulele fretboard. Each note is indicated by a number, which indicates the fret to play, placed on the appropriate string. A basic ukulele tab consists of four lines running horizontally: these represent the four strings, with the G string at the top and the A string at the bottom. Numbers are then placed on these lines to represent finger positions on the fretboard. So if you see the number ‘2’ positioned on the A string, then you would have to hold down the first string on the second fret and pick the string. If you see a ‘0’ positioned on a string then this would signify that the string should be played open. If you are required to play a chord as part of the tab, then the chord notes would be placed in a vertical line upon the horizontal lines to indicate that the marked strings all need to be played simultaneously.
The benefits of learning to play tabs are that they can teach you how to play quite a demanding, complex series of notes quickly and easily by simply playing what you see – you can spend time working on the notes you need to play and the fingers you use to hold them down, and then slowly build up your speed. However, tabs often don’t represent how long to hold a note and help you maintain a decent rhythm – so it’s best to listen to the actual song for guidance on timing and then practise ‘till your fingers bleed’! Tabs can also indicate specialised ways of performing notes by the use of letters or symbols. It will become important to learn these so performing tabs quickly becomes second nature. Playing tabs can be as integral to your learning as the chords because being able to pick a lick or solo based on using a tab will instantly build your confidence and give you a greater understanding of where to find specific notes on the fretboard. In this tutorial, we help you get accustomed to using tabs.
“Tabs can teach you how to play a complex series of notes quickly”
Understanding tabs By learning how to read ukulele tabs, you’ll be playing famous riffs in minutes! Although ukulele tabs may look daunting initially, once you understand what the tabs are showing you, you’ll be able to play the notes indicated in no time at all. It is a good idea to know your fretboard and where to place your finger first. Once you know the sequence of notes you need to play, you can practise the sequence repeatedly to build up a good speed, smooth transition and fluid rhythm.
First note As you can see from the tab here, the first note in the sequence is the first string (A) played openly, as indicated by the ‘0’ on the top line
76 Ukulele for Beginners
0
1
2
3 0
Fretting notes For the second note, you would need to fret the first string (A) on the first fret, as indicated by the ‘1’ on the top line
1
In sequence The sequence continues on the first string (A) at the second fret, then to the third fret, before moving to the third string (C)
2
0
Changing strings Starting with the C string played openly, you would then need to play the note at the first fret, second fret, and then an open string again
Read and play tabs
The relationship between strings, notes and chords
0 1 2 3
2
1 2 3
01 The strings
02 The notes
The horizontal lines of a ukulele tab represent the four strings of the ukulele, with the G string at the top and the A string at the bottom – as if looking down at your fretboard while holding your ukulele.
The numbers marked on the strings indicate the finger positions on the ukulele fretboard. For example, a number ‘2’ on the A string means you have to press it down at the second fret.
0
0
0 0
2 3 2 0
03 Open notes
04 Playing chords
When you see a ‘0’ marked on a string in the tab sequence, it means that the respective string needs to be played open, without you pressing it down on a particular fret.
When you are required to play chords as part of the tab, the notes are placed in a vertical line at 90 degrees to the strings. The chord marked here represents C major and you would strum four strings in one motion.
Top tip
Watch for clues
The way some tabs presented is that the are lon space in between the ger the nu (notes), the longer yo mbers u the note for. So watch hold out for obvious gaps and us e this to help you with your tim ing and rhythm as you pla y the piece.
Ukulele for Beginners 77
Reading music Tablature glossary Here are some symbols you will encounter while reading tabs (n = fret number)…
L x g (n) > NH AH TP SH PH h p b br pb pbr brb \n/ \n -/n /n\ /n -\n S s / \ ~ W tr TP T S P < ^ v W H Q E S T X . I-n-I
Lied note Muted (dead) note Grace note Ghost note Accentuated note Natural harmonic Artificial harmonic Tapped harmonic Semi harmonic Pitch harmonic Hammer-on Pull-off Bend Bend release Pre-bend Pre-bend release Bend release bend Tremolo bar dip Tremolo bar dive Tremolo bar release up Tremolo bar inverted dip Tremolo bar return Tremolo bar release down Shift slide Legato slide Slide into from below or out of upwards Slide into from above or out of downwards Vibrato Wide vibrato Trill Tremolo picking Tapping Slap (bass) Pop (bass) Fade in Upstroke Downstroke Whole note (semibreve) Half note (minim) Quarter note (crotchet) 8th note (quaver) 16th (semiquaver) 32nd (demisemiquaver) 64th (hemisemidemiquaver) Note dotted n-tuplets
78 Ukulele for Beginners
Tablature symbols Here are common symbols that represent the subtler techniques
5h7
7p5 5h7
7p5 5h7
7p5 5h7
7p5
01 Hammer-on
02 Pull-off
A hammer-on is executed by picking a note and then hammering down with the fretting finger on the second note. The second note isn’t picked, it merely echoes the first one. Hammer-ons are represented by an ‘h’ directly between notes.
A pull-off is essentially the opposite of a hammeron, so the first note is played again then the fretting hand pulls the finger off the note, letting it sound. A pull-off is typically represented by a ‘p’ directly between notes, as shown in the diagram above.
7v 7/9 7/9
7~~~
7/9 7/9 04 Slides
05 Vibrato
Sliding is a very slick way to move between notes on the fretboard and there are two symbols to look out for within ukulele tabs. A ‘/’ symbol between notes indicates that you should slide up to the second note from the first, while a ‘\’ symbol signifies a slide down.
Playing vibrato involves a constant rhythmic bending of the string, bending it up and down quickly to create a pulsating, wavy note. Vibrato is usually represented by a ‘v’ or a ‘~’ next to the note you need to manipulate. Again, have a look at the diagram above for a more visual clue.
5x
5 / / /
07 String mute
08 Tremolo picking
This means that the string should be ‘muted’ to produce a suppressed tone. The most popular method of doing this is with the palm, where the edge of the palm of the picking hand is placed at the base of the strings. It’s easier to master than it sounds!
This technique is when a single note is played repeatedly in quick succession by moving the pick up and down rapidly to sustain a melodic line. If picked fast enough, the note sounds constant. This is represented by ‘TP’ or a series of ‘/’ symbols above or below a note.
Applying music to tabs Understand notes and learn to apply them to tabs The diagram below shows the same piece of music in sheet and tab form. It is a simple song that everyone will be familiar with and, by following the directions, that you should soon find
easy to play. From the notes on the stave (the five lines on which the notes are written), you’ll know how many semitones the notes need to increase by and then find them on the fretboard.
Finding notes The first note of the song is C, so if you apply this to the tab underneath, you’ll notice that the first two notes are played on the open C string
Happy Birthday
7b 7b
3 4
7r5 7r5 T A B
03 The bends
3 4 0 0
A bend, represented by a ‘b’, is where the fretting hand bends the string to change the pitch and the note is sustained. Release bends, represented by ‘r’, are like a bend, but it tells you when to release the bend and go into the next note.
7t
7t
Fretting strings The next note goes up a tone to D, which is played on the third string at the second fret before returning to the open C string again
7t
06 Tapping Tapping is very similar to a hammer-on, but you don’t actually strum any notes at all. Just tap the notes on your ukulele’s fretboard with your fretting hand. Tapping is usually represented by a ‘t’ next to the fret where you conduct the tap.
Tr~~~~ 5 5
2
0
1
0
0 0
2
0
3
1
0 0
.
T A B
3
0
1 1
0
1 1 2
High C The highest note of the piece is a C, which is played on the first string, up at the third fret. This should sound the same as the first note of the piece but an octave higher
0
1
3
1
Dropping notes The note then goes down to an A (open first string), then F (first fret of second string), then an E, which is played on the open second string
“A simple song that everyone will be familiar with and you should soon find easy to play”
Give it a try Practise your ukulele tab knowledge
09 Trills A trill is executed when you perform a hammer-on effect and pull-off quickly, back and forth between two different notes. Trills are represented on musical tabs by ‘Tr’ and are usually followed by a vibrato to indicate the full length of the trill.
As you will now be aware, reading tabs really isn’t difficult, but you have to start with simple pieces of tabbed music and concentrate on playing them proficiently before moving on to more complex pieces with more advanced techniques required. Practise this simple phrase and slowly build up the speed to play it continuously as a melody.
3 2 0 3 1 0
Ukulele for Beginners 79
Reading music
What is musical notation? Throughout this section we will begin to look at what musical notation is, how to read it and how it affects the way we play a piece
M
usical notation is a way composers express to musicians how to play a piece of music through both pitch and rhythm. Music is written on a stave which consists of five lines. Notes can be placed either in the spaces or on the lines themselves, each representing one of the seven natural notes in music. Musical notes are separated by vertical lines called bar lines. Preceding the musical notes, you will usually find a clef and time signature, and sometimes you may see either a sharp or flat notation, representing a key signature within a particular piece. Above the stave you will almost always find a tempo marking,
either through a number or an expressive term, which will indicate the speed of the piece. Underneath, a composer could add dynamic markings to show the volume they want a particular section of music played. Keep an eye out for these and take note when you are playing the music.
“You will usually find a clef and time signature, and either a sharp or flat”
Understanding musical notes
Our guide to the most common notation
04 01
=130
02
##4 # 4
06
.
09
07 08
.
>
.
06
. .
#
03 10
05
01 Clef There are various types of clef that you can use in a piece of music. This one is called the treble clef (or G clef due to its position on the stave). It tells us the pitch of the notes that have been written.
## #
4 4
02 Key signature This will always appear at the beginning of the piece of music. By placing the symbols either in the spaces or lines, it tells us if the notes we should play are flats or sharps. This is A major.
03 Time signature At the start of a piece of music you will see two different numbers, one on top of the other. The top number tells you how
80 Ukulele for Beginners
many beats in a bar there are; the bottom tells you what type of beat it is.
06 Notes The notes in a strip of music are the musical symbols that tell you both the rhythm and pitch of the piece of music you are playing.
=130 04 Tempo marking There are several ways of indicating the tempo at the beginning of a piece of music. The two most common are via a written word (usually an Italian tempo expression) or, as in this case, by how many crotchet beats per minute there are.
05 Dynamics These tell you what volume to play the particular phrase of music at. The two most common are f (forte), which is loud, and p (piano), which means quiet. Adding an m (mezzo) before either of the two symbols means moderately.
05
.
07 Staccato A dot above a note is a staccato marking. This tells us to play the note slightly shorter than we would normally be directed to.
08 Bar line The bar line divides the notes in to the correct number of beats, for the time signature. There are many types, including repeats and double barlines, which are used at the end of a piece of music.
Top tip
Practise and repeat
Learning to read mu sic can be quite challenging at irst, but the most important thing is and repetition. Throu practice gh two basic principles, these you will be able to pla in time y thr music without havin ough g to think about where the notes are irst.
14
1.
2.
13
.
..
12
. 15
11
> 09 Accent
A single horizontal bold line above or below a type of musical note is a tenuto marking. This explains to us that we should be playing that note to its fullest value.
10 Crescendo/ Decrescendo
These symbols are placed in front of the note and will indicate a pitch that is not already shown in the key signature. The three most common types are flats , sharps and naturals .
Similar in look to an accent, but larger and placed under a piece of music, this is a dynamic marking that tells us either to get louder (as in the example) or quieter (the opposite of the example). The words ‘cresc.’ or ‘decresc.’ may be used instead of the notation marks.
note should not be played again, but must remain heard.
11 Tenuto
When you see a horizontal arrow above a note, this is known as an accent. Through this symbol we need to emphasise a note slightly more, usually through dynamics, making the sound slightly louder. Not to be confused with crescendo.
1.
These will appear above certain bars during a repeated section where, during a repeated play-through, the piece has a different ending.
12 Accidentals
13 Tie Two notes of the same pitch can be tied together with this symbol. The second
14 First and second time lines
..
15 Repeat bars A double barline with two dots means you should repeat the music that is situated between the two sets of repeat signs. When there is only a left-facing sign, repeat the piece from the beginning to the sign. Ukulele for Beginners 81
Reading music
Introducing the staves The five horizontal lines that have everything you need to read music
S
taves (or staffs) are some of the most important parts of musical notation – without them we wouldn’t have anywhere on which to put the notes we need to play! Staves consist of five horizontal lines with four spaces, with a clef on the left-hand side. Although there are several different clefs throughout the world of music, the ones most commonly seen in sheet music are the treble clef and bass clef.
Although most instruments’ music (including ukulele) will feature a single stave, piano music will nearly always be written on the grand stave (the double-decker stave that is pictured below). The start of the stave is just as important as the rest of it, where the notes you need to play will be located. At the beginning you will find the clef mark. In ukulele music, it will almost always show a treble clef as the pitch of the instrument is higher, and bass
clef, as it sounds, relates to instruments with lower pitch capabilities. However, when you’re learning to read music, it’s important to get to know about what’s happening outside of the ukulele line as well as what’s on it, especially if you are planning to play with others. Take a look at the beginnings of staves below to see how the different clefs and time signatures affect the music that comes after.
The different staves Get acquainted with different signs on the staves Treble stave The treble clef stave is where you will find all ukulele music and a majority of music for other instruments, too. The treble clef is also known as a G-clef as the curl of the clef passes through the note G on the treble stave – if you’re drawing one, this curl is the best place to start from! The clef is also used by several other popular instruments, including the violin, flute and recorder.
4 4
Bass clef stave You won’t find this stave in soprano ukulele music as the uke’s range doesn’t go outside the treble clef, but it is useful to be able to recognise it. It’s also known as the F-clef, as the two dots next to the curve are bisected by the note F on the bass stave. Popular instruments whose notation is commonly written on this stave include the cello, double bass and trombone. The bass clef marks the lower of the two staves on the grand stave (see below).
The grand stave Both the treble stave and bass stave combine to create the grand or great stave – the stave used for almost all Western piano notation. You can tell if the two staves are a grand stave by the curly braces to the left of the stave. This signifies that both parts must be played simultaneously. The piano isn’t the only instrument that uses a grand stave, as some tonally wide-ranging instruments such as the harp, marimba and celesta use it. 82 Ukulele for Beginners
4 4 4 4 4 4
Notes and their values Get to know a few of the different types of notes you’ll find sitting on and around the staves
N
otes are the foundation on which Western musical notation is based – without them we wouldn’t know what to play or how long to play it for. We know what note to play by its position on the stave, which we’ll address in the next tutorial, and we know how long to play it for by the type of note it is. Most notes consist of the note head (the ovalshaped dot) and a stem either pointing up from the right of the head, or pointing down from the left. The only note you’re likely to see at this stage that doesn’t have a stem is the semibreve/whole note, which is just the note head (see below for more). Quavers/eighth notes and shorter (ie semiquavers/
sixteenth notes) also have a ‘flag’ attached to them, which will always be attached to the right of the note, regardless of its stem direction. As a rule of thumb, single note heads below the middle line of the stave should have an upward-pointing stem, and any above should point down. Stems on single note heads on the middle line can go either way.
So what do these note types tell us? Well, they dictate how long the pianist should play the note for. For example, if a piece of music has a minim/half note on the middle line of the treble clef stave, the pianist should play a B for two beats. Here we run through some of the most common notes that you will find throughout this book.
“We know what note to play by its position on the stave and we know how long to play it for by the type of note it is”
Introducing the notes Notes and their lengths in simple time 4 4
4 4
4 4
4 4
01 Semibreve/whole note
02 Minim/half note
These notes last for four beats which, in a piece of music in 4/4 or common time, is the whole bar. They don’t have a stem; rather, they are just a note head resting on the stave.
Minims/half notes last for two beats, so two minims in a piece of music in 4/4 time would take up the whole bar. They can be distinguished from other stemmed notes thanks to the ‘empty’ note head.
4 4
4 4
4 4
4 4
03 Crotchet/quarter note
04 Quaver/eighth note & semiquaver/sixteenth note
A crotchet or quarter note lasts for one beat, so four would make up a whole bar in 4/4 time. If you are having trouble getting to grips with how long notes last for, it may be best to start with crotchets.
A quaver/eighth note is half the time value of crotchet/quarter note, and a semiquaver/sixteenth note is half of a quaver. More than one of these in a row can be ‘beamed’ together so the score doesn’t get littered with stems. Ukulele for Beginners 83
Reading music
Read musical notation A note is the symbol used to determine a musical sound. There are different types, but all are split into two elements: pitch and time
A
Semibreve or whole note This is worth 4 beats
musical note is represented by a type of dot on the musical stave. This dot can either be filled in or left with a gap in the middle. Whether or not that gap is filled will change the length of time that you need to play the note, for example, four crotchets would be played on the four beats of a bar. Most notes also contain a vertical line known as a stem. Again, this will help to determine how long you hold the note on for, however, the direction of the stem (whether it is pointing up or pointing down) makes no difference, and is dictated by where the note falls on the stave. On the right are the different musical notes and how long each one should be played for.
Quavers can also be joined together in either twos or fours. In groups of twos, both notes are worth 1 beat, and in a four, the four notes are worth 2 beats
Minim or half note This is worth 2 beats
“A musical note is represented as a type of dot on the musical stave”
Crotchet or quarter note This is worth 1 beat Quaver or eighth note This is worth 1⁄2 a beat
Understanding notes Use a simple mnemonic to help you out In order to name the notes on a treble clef stave, we use the first seven letters of the alphabet: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. There are several ways in which to remember
the notes on the stave. If we take the notes on the lines (E, G, B, D, F), we can apply a simple mnemonic phrase to help you memorise the order. The notes
in the spaces of the stave spell out the word ‘face’. You can remember this by thinking that it rather helpfully rhymes with ‘space’!
Notes on the lines Here’s the order of the notes on the lines of a treble clef musical stave. If you forget the mnemonic, try to remember that B is Bang in the middle.
Every
Good
Boy
Deserves
F
A
C
E
Fruit
Notes in the spaces The notes in the spaces, as these four show, spell out ‘face’. To help you further, try to memorise FACE in the SPACES.
E 84 Ukulele for Beginners
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
Playing the notes
Now it’s time for the exciting bit!
The diagrams below show all the notes you have learned so far. So, how do you play these on a ukulele? Each of the symbols pointing to the notes show the first four frets of a guitar neck. In the following diagrams we will refer to your finger positions through either a coloured or clear circle
Top
tip Use a In music ledger li ne , sometim go h es
with a number inside. The coloured circles will start on frets 1 to 4, and will use frets 5 to 8 for the last three notes. They will tell you which finger to use. If it’s a clear circle it will be an open string. For example, the first E is played the open second string. Let’s have a go…
igher o notes m will allow r lower than the ay must use us. At this stage stave lines can a ledger line. Led we be u ger and belo sed both above w the sta ve.
0
0
1
1
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
E 2nd string, open
E
F
1
2
2
F 2nd string, 1st fret
4
A
4
2
5
4
4
3
C 1st string, 3rd fret
What are chords?
A 1st string, open
B
1
3
3
G 2nd string, 3rd fret
G
3
B 1st string, 2nd fret
3
C
5
D
F
5
5
6
6
6
7
7
8
D 1st string, 5th fret
E
E 1st string, 7th fret
7
7
8
8
F 1st string, 8th fret
A common word, but what is one?
In its simplest form, a chord is two or more notes played together. The most frequently used chord is a triad, which is three notes played simultaneously. There are two common types of chord. They are categorised as major (a chord that sounds rather ‘happy’) and minor (a chord that sounds particularly ‘sad’). In musical
notation a chord is shown by notes that are placed on top of each other in the stave. This indicates that they should be played at the same time, as a chord is a combination of notes that sound good together. To the right is an example of a common chord written as musical notes. You will also see chords referred to just by the letters that are their names.
Ukulele for Beginners 85
Reading music
Understand time signatures There are many different ways of changing the beats of the bar through time signatures, and each has its own distinct feel and style
A
time signature will always be found at the beginning of a piece of music, directly after the key signature. It is very important as it tells us exactly how to divide the beats of the bar, in turn making it so much easier to read a piece of music. There are two main types of time signature: simple time and compound time. Here’s a bit more about them…
43 44 2 4
Simple time Simple time is a signature where the main beat is divided into two equal beats. For instance, in 44 time, the main beat is a crotchet/quarter note, and this can be divided in two quavers/eighth notes. The most common forms of 2 4 3 simple time signature are 4 , 4 , and 4 .
6 8
.
Compound time Compound time, much like simple time, is where the main beat can be divided into three beats. The lowest number is most commonly an 8. For example, in 68 , where the main beat is a dotted crotchet/quarter note, this can be split into three quavers/eighth notes.
“It is very important as it tells us exactly how to divide the beats of the bar, in turn making it much easier to read a piece of music”
Explaining time signatures What do the numbers mean and why are they important? Time signatures comprise two numbers, one on top of the other. The top number will indicate how many beats are in a bar, the bottom will tell you what type of beat it is. The most common numbers found at the bottom of a time signature are 4 (crotchet), 8 (quavers), and 16 (semiquavers).
Number of beats in the bar
4 4
Type of beat
The numbers in time can also be replaced by a symbol that looks like a C. This is called common time, but also tells us that there are 4 crotchet beats to a bar.
4 4 86 Ukulele for Beginners
Simple time
2 4 3 4 4 4
is mainly used for marches and polka music. when the pulse is 3 crotchet beats to a bar is essentially used for waltzes.
or common time (C), is the most widely used of the time signatures and is used in a variety of music, including pop and rock.
Compound time most commonly found in 6 9 arevarious types of folk music. 88 is quite common in slower blues 12 music and is also used in 8 folk music.
Top
Stress th tip e In all tim e signatu beat res, bea
the to stressed f the bar is usua irst ll note. In time sign y a using fo atures, u 4 r b e 1 a 2 ts in ( 4 , ), 8 the third ca a bar stressed n also be , alt notes are hough these no louder o t always rm importa ore nt.
Dots and ties Understand exactly what is meant by dots and ties A dot tells you that you add half the value of the note to its original value. For example, the dotted crotchet ( .) is 1 + ½ =1½ beats. Dots can be applied to most notes, but most commonly you will find them with quavers and crotchets. A tie tells you that you should add two note values together. For example, a crotchet plus another crotchet would be two beats and would look like this: . You would most likely use a tie when you need a note to carry over into the next bar. If a minim doesn’t fit in a bar you can tie two crotchets on either side of the bar line.
Beats in a bar If we take 4 4 as an example, there are several ways in which notes can be used in each bar 01 First bar
02 Second bar
03 Third bar
04 Fourth bar
In the first bar we have used four crotchets/quarter notes, that are each worth one beat, to complete the four beats needed.
The second bar uses two minims/half notes, that are each worth two beats, which will once again total the four we are after.
In the third bar, we have used a combination of both crotchets and minims to total the four beats required.
Alternatively, we can fill an entire four-beat bar with a semibreve to get exactly the same effect, as shown below in the fourth bar.
01
02
1.
2.
03
3.
04
4.
4 4 Timing in ukulele music Get to grips with the rhythm of ukulele By far the most common time signature when performing on ukulele is 4/4, which can also be referred to as common time. This can be found in vast amount of music and is extremely common when playing in the pop or rock genre. Remember that the uppermost four represents the number of beats in a bar, and the bottom one the type of beat; in this instance it is a crotchet. For this style then we have to perform four crotchet strummed beats for each bar of music. Within the pop genre, the music is usually phrased into recognisable sections, with an even number of bars covering each section. For example, a verse may last for eight bars of four beats, whereas a chorus may only last for four bars. It is important to make sure that you can identify the pulse when playing along with a song to help maintain your timing. The first beat of each four will almost certainly be recognisable and may even be accentuated in some way (possibly with drums) to help you count. This means that you can concentrate on playing the correct chord or strumming pattern without having to worry about whether or not you are in the right place. The ukulele is regarded by many as a folk instrument, and therefore some of the songs that you may attempt will be associated with this genre. Bands such as Mumford and Sons are associated with folk, and this style of music can often use a more unusual 6/8 time signature. This tells us that there are six lots of quaver beats per bar. This time signature is quite recognisable by the feeling of triplets (where there are three notes played into one beat) within the music. Structurally, the music is similar to pop where you would expect to hear verses and choruses, with maybe a middle eight or solo section. Again, you would expect each section to have an even number of bars, but counting the beats and staying in time becomes even more crucial due the naturally fast sound of the music. You will need to practice your strumming patterns slowly to make sure you have a relaxed and even triplet feel, and not slip back into the more common four in a bar feel associated with pop songs. With perseverance, you will achieve an assured sound in no time.
Ukulele for Beginners 87
Reading music
Interpret key signatures Explore the role of key signatures in music, learn why they are needed and how to read them
K
ey signatures are shown at the beginning of a piece of music and are either a series of sharps or flats. You will see a key signature immediately after the clef in a piece of music, saving the composer from having to add them after each required note. Key signatures explain two things: firstly, the key the piece is in and, secondly, which of the notes you play as either sharps or flats. The order in which sharps and flats are placed in a key signature will always remain the same. There are two mnemonics we can use to help us remember these orders on a treble clef stave. For sharps we can use:
So, how do we work out a major key from the key signature? If there are no sharps or flats, it’s C major. For sharps, you must look at the last one in the signature. If you move it one semitone up it will be the first note and the name of the major key. The example below is D major.
For flats, you have to remember that F major has one flat (B ). For all other key signatures using two or more flats, the penultimate flat will tell you the name of the major key. The penultimate flat in this example is a B. This key signature is B major.
Last sharp
##
Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battles
Penultimate flat
G
F
E
#### # # # D
C
B
A
Changing to minor It’s all relative The sound of the piece of music will tell you if it is a major (happy) of minor (sad) key. You can work out the name of the relative minor key to a major key by looking at the sixth note of the scale. A
relative minor will have the same key signature as its major key. This example of C major shows A as the sixth note, so C major’s relative minor is A minor.
For flats we can use: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father
E
D
B
C 1st
A
G
F
“Key signatures are shown at the beginning of a piece of music” 88 Ukulele for Beginners
6th
Keys
Identifying key signatures
#4
01 Key signatures using sharps Sometimes you might see a sharp (#) in the key signature. It will be either placed on a line or on a space of the stave. This tells you to raise the note by one semitone.
02 Key signatures using flats Alternatively there may be a flat ( ) sign at the beginning of the music. Again, this can either be in a line or space, but this time you lower the note by a semitone.
03 Adding naturals into key signatures You may see a natural sign ( ) in a key signature. This happens most often when a piece of music changes key. This sign cancels either the sharp or flat used in the previous key signature.
04 Using accidentals in a piece of music Some musical notes may contain either a sharp, flat or natural sign in front of them that may be different from the key signature. This tells you to change that note according to the sign.
4
4 4
#4 4
#4 4
Key signatures in action Here is a recap on what we have learned so far
###4 4
#
Key signature A key signature will be found at the beginning of a piece of music or can be changed half way through
Naturals A natural sign will cancel either a sharp or flat on a note within a piece
A sharp A sharp can be found in a key signature or next to a note and raises a note by a semitone
A flat A flat can be found in both the key signature or next to a note, lowering it by a semitone
“A key signature appears immediately after the clef in a piece” Ukulele for Beginners 89
Reading music
Rests and repetition Like most instruments, rests and repetitions are key to learning the ukulele. Here’s some information and exercises to help you understand them
A
s with most instruments, understanding the basics and musical notation is key when it comes to playing your ukulele. Two elements you’ll need to wrap your head around are rests and repetitions. Luckily, these are relatively easy to understand. In addition to notes, songs may also contain silences, also known as ‘rests’. When these occur the idea, as you may have figured out, is to play nothing at all. In its simplest form it’s a musical pause. With this said, though, rest notes are just that – notes –
and still carry with them a rhythmic value instructing you on how long, or for how many beats, you need to pause for. This could be a ‘whole rest’ – which lasts for four beats, a ‘half rest’ – which lasts for two beats – or a ‘quarter rest’ – which lasts for one beat. It’s important to ensure any and all sound ceases when you see a rest note, including any sustain that may ring out from your ukulele. Repetitions – although being a different instruction altogether – follow a similar concept. Directing you to repeat a sound or sequence, the
idea is to replay it in the same manner as you did first time round. Often highlighted by two dots placed atop of one another at the end of a bar, if a piece contains a single repetition then the whole piece should be repeated from the start. If there are others located at the start of a bar, then this indicates where the repeat should begin. After a while, and some practise, this will all become second nature and before you know it, you’ll be noticing and responding to rests and repetitions like you would to any musical note.
Resting and pausing How do these symbols work when you’re playing? As with most pieces of music, it’s important to take note of rests and pauses when they arise in order to either match the piece you’re trying to play, or add a little something extra to the composition you’re putting together yourself. This is even more crucial if you’re playing with others, especially if it’s a big band setup. To get used to incorporating rests and pauses into your playing style it’s all about practise, and the best way to start is with a very simple exercise
like the one on this page. Start by setting a moderate tempo by tapping your foot for a count of four. Then, when you’re ready, down-strum on the first note – in this case D7 – on each beat, making sure that you insert a pause as indicated. From there, you can switch up to the appropriate chords as and when necessary, before ending on G7 and holding that for a count of two. Then, keeping the same steady rhythm, start again from the beginning.
As the rests appear at different points in the patterns, make sure you know when to expect them and pre-plan for when you should take a break before starting the exercise. This will help prepare yourself for what’s to come. Should you find yourself struggling with it, decrease the tempo and start again until you find a pace you can work at. As you get more confident, increase it to what you consider to be an achievable level.
D7
G7
4 4 F
G7
4 4 Decide upon a tempo and play each chord as a downstroke pausing for the rest notes as and when appropriate. If it’s too tough to start with, stick with just the one chord until you feel confident enough to add in more.
90 Ukulele for Beginners
C
G7
Reading repetition in music Follow this simple tutorial to understand what to look out for with repetitions 01 Learn the pattern Play the example for a count of four focusing on just the C chord to start. Maintain the same tempo and repeat the phrase from start to finish until you’re comfortable with it.
02 Observe the notation The repetition signs at the start and end of the passage indicate that you have to repeat the pattern when you get to the end. Try this now.
C
03 Shake things up
04 Finish the song
Once you are comfortable with the pattern, try adding in a G chord on the second and fourth beat as shown in the example below. Don’t forget the repetition!
Using everything you’ve just learned, follow all the notation, including the chord shift, in order to master the pattern. Then, go right back to the start and play again from the C.
G
G
ª & ©ª
ª & ©ª
What are rests?
How to use rests in music
Sometimes in music we need times of silence. These are represented by different symbols called rests There are several different types of rests. Each rest relates to its note equivalent. This chart shows the most common types.
Type of rest
Note
You know what they look like, but let’s use them…
Length of rest
In a piece of music, where the time signature is 44 the rests in the chart to the left can be used in this way:
4 beats
01 Crotchet rest
“There are several different types of rests. Each rest relates to its note equivalent”
Crotchet/quarter rest for one beat. 2 beats
02 Quaver rest Quaver/eighth rest for half a beat.
03 Minim rest
1 beat
Minim/half rest for two beats (note it sits above the line).
04 Semibreve rest
1/2 a beat
Semibreve/whole rest for one beat (note this rests underneath the line).
01
4 4
03 04 02
Ukulele for Beginners 91
Reading music
Introducing musical scales Discover what is meant by a scale and why practising scales can become important to helping you perform music
S
cales in music are a series of notes that are arranged into a specific sequence which can be either ascending or descending. They usually start and end on the same musically named note, separated by an octave (the distance between eight musical notes). Scales will follow a set pattern of either semitones (half-steps) or tones (whole steps). The three most common forms of scales are major (a happy sounding scale), minor (a sad sounding scale) and chromatic (a scale whose sound is ambiguous and is made up entirely of semitones). Learning scales on ukulele is important for a number of reasons. It will enable you to learn your fretboard quickly, which will become very important when performing music in various keys. They will also help to strengthen your fingers and increase their agility, which will improve your ability to be able to play solo passages.
The circle of fifths A visual and easy way of remembering the key of a scale is to use the circle of fifths. This circle shows the relationship between the 12 tones of the musical scale. To work out how many sharps (#) or flats ( ) a key signature should have, follow the circle clockwise; major on the outside, minor on the inside. For example, if we look at A major, the key signature would have three sharps (these being F, C and G). The inside part of the circle shows us the relative minor (orange letters); in this case it would be F# minor.
Your fretting hand Let’s look at where your fingers should be placed… When learning the ukulele you will often find that the fingers of the fretting hand are referred to with numbers. Each of these numbers are used to visualise where to place your fingers on the fretboard of the ukulele. The indicated number will be shown inside a coloured circle. 0 represents an open string.
“Visualise where to place your fingers on the fretboard of the ukulele” 92 Ukulele for Beginners
2 1
Major C
F 1
B E A
2
3
D A E 2 D G Minor B # F # 3# A C# 4 # E
F B
D
5
E G# D# 5# 6 6#
G F#
0
3
G 1#
C
4
#
1 4 2
T 3 4
B ## ## # #
## ### ####
## ##
#
The major scale
Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
This page will lead you through the major scale, what it should sound like and how to play one
T
he major scale is one of the most popular scale types. You might also see this referred to as the Ionian scale. This scale produces music that has an essentially ‘happy’ sound. It comprises a specific sequence of eight notes using tones (whole notes) and semitones (half notes). The major scale will always follow this sequence; from the example of the C
major scale you can see the semitones will always fall between the third and fourth notes, and the seventh and eighth notes. Major scales can be used in many musical styles, including the rock and pop. This page will show you how to play a major scale. For this particular example, we’re going to be using the A major scale.
Top tip Know the distance
One fret m a ukulele ovement on is of a semit the distance o movemen ne and the t two frets between is a tone.
C major scale
Tone
Tone
Semitone
Tone
0
Semitone
Tone
Tone
0
0
1
1
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
1
1
2
2
3 4
C
2
D
E
1
3
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
F, G
A
B, C
01 C major, third string
02 C major, second note
03 C major,
04 C Major, notes four and five
05 C Major, first
second string
string
06 Cmajor, final two notes
To begin playing the C major scale, play the open third string which will make the note C with GCEA tuned ukes.
Place your middle finger on the second fret of the third string to create the D note of this scale.
Playing the open second string on the ukulele is the note E which is the third note in the sequence.
Your index finger on fret one of the second string is an F, and your ring finger on fret 3 is the G.
The next note to play in the scale is an A, and to play this you need to pluck the open first string of the uke.
Middle finger on fret 2 of the first string gives the penultimate note B, and ring finger on the third fret makes C again.
Give it a try
C
E
F
G
0
1
3
A
B
C
0
2
3
4 4
Now it’s your turn to try the major scale… This example demonstrates the C major scale. Both the tab and standard notation are included. Choose the form you are most comfortable with and try playing along to the audio.
D
T A B
4 4
0
2
Ukulele for Beginners 93
Reading music
The minor scale
Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
Now we take a look at the minor scale, how it sounds and how it is made up compared to the major scale
T
here are three different types of minor scales which include the harmonic and melodic, but here we shall be looking at the natural minor scale, or as it can be referred to as the Aeolian Scale. Similar to the major scale, it is made from a series of semitones (half notes) and tones (whole notes), but you will see that the placement of these
Top ti
distances is noticeably different. The natural minor scale will always use the following pattern. This time the semitone falls between the second and third notes, and the fifth and sixth notes. Minor scales can be used in a variety of different musical styles but create a completely different mood. We will now use A minor as our example for the scale.
p Learn It’s not ju sounds st the
pattern o tones and f makes sc semitones that ales difere nt, it’s the soun Major sca d of the scale. les ‘happy’ so will produce a und minor a ‘s with the ad darker so ’ or und.
A minor scale
Tone
Semitone
Tone
Tone
Semitone
Tone
Tone
0 1
2
2
1
5
2
6
3
3
4
4
A, B
3
1
2
7
6
9
7
10
4
8 9
8
C
D, E
02 First set frets
03 New fret
The first note of the A minor scale is an A. This is your open first string. Your middle finger is then placed on fret 3 for the B.
For the next note in the scale, place your little finger on the third fret and play. This will produce the third note of C.
positions
04 Same as before
Next, move down the neck to frets 5-8. Your index finger is on fret 5 for D and middle finger on fret 7 for E.
As with frets 1-4, you will need to place your little finger on fret 8 to produce the F note of the scale.
Play through the positions carefully Now try to play the complete scale. Listen to the audio sample and see how it differs from the major scale. Choose the notation you are most comfortable with and try playing along to the audio.
94 Ukulele for Beginners
2
11
11
12
12
13
F
01 First notes
Give it a try
10
4
G
A
05 Nearly there
06 Final Note
The penultimate note of the sequence is played in fret positions 9-12. Place your middle finger on fret 10 for the G of the scale.
We reach a full octave in the scale by reaching the A again. Your little finger should be place on fret 12 to play this final note.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
0
2
3
5
7
8
10
12
4 4 T A B
4 4
The major pentatonic scale
Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
Found in music all over the world and great for improvising
T
he pentatonic scale, as the title would suggest, is a scale made up of five notes per octave instead of the usual seven as found in heptatonic scales (such as either the major or minor scale). These scales contain no semitones (half steps) and, as such, can be played in any order without clashing. At first look, the major pentatonic scale can
C
G
D
A
look like an incomplete major scale. However, this scale is made up of the first five consecutive pitches from the circle of fifths (a musical idea of showing the relationship between the 12 notes of the chromatic scale and their key signatures). By rearranging the pitches to contain themselves within an octave, we end up with the major pentatonic scale.
E
C
D
E
G
A
C
Starting on C, these notes are a fifth apart
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
1
1
2
2
3 4
2
E
3
C
D
01 Play the third string
02 Third string second note
03 Second string
04 Second string second note
Start off by plucking an open third string. This will produce the note of C, which is the first note of this scale.
Your middle finger is placed on the second fret of the third string giving you the D of the pentatonic scale.
Another open string is required for the next note. By playing the second string open, this will give you an E.
Place your ring finger on the third fret of the second string producing the G of the sequence.
Give it a try
C
D
A
C
05 First string Our final open string is the first and highest string. By playing this string, it will give you the penultimate note, the A.
E
G
0
3
06 First string second note To finish, we return to the opening note. This is C, achieved with your ring finger on the third fret of the first string.
A
C
0
3
3 4
Play the C major scale with these tips Practise your finger positions slowly before you attempt the complete scale. Remember that the root of the scale is C, although with the pentatonic scale this is less important than in other scales. Use the knowledge you’ve gained so far and give it a go!
G
3
T A B
3 4
0
2
Ukulele for Beginners 95
Reading music
The minor pentatonic scale
Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
Like the major pentatonic scale, the minor version is made up of five notes, although its construction is very different
A
s mentioned in a previous section, minor scales can exist in various forms; however, the minor pentatonic scale is loosely based upon the natural minor scale. In the instance below, the root note of the minor pentatonic scale is A (first note), with the rest of the scale being made up of the third, fourth, fifth and seventh notes of the A natural minor scale (ABCDEFG).
A
C
E
D
Closely compare this scale to the blues scale across the page and you will notice that they are extremely similar, with the exception being the exclusion of the sharpened fourth (or flattened fifth) featured in the blues scale, which in this instance would instead be an F# (or Gb). With this in mind, it is reasonable to assume that the minor pentatonic scale is most commonly used in both blues and jazz music, and you’d be right – although, like its major equivalent, it can also be effective in several types of folk music and is also found in similar world scales. In this section, we will show you how to play the A minor pentatonic scale in great detail, and let you have a go at it yourself afterwards.
A
G
3 4 0 1
6
1
1
5
2
2
6
7
3
3
7
8
10
4
4
8
9
11
A
3
C
D
02 Moving up
03 Next frets
Start with the first string on your ukulele, which is the note A. This is played as an open string, with no fingers on the frets.
To play the C of the scale, place your ring finger on the third fret of the first string (the same string that was played in the first step).
Move down the neck to frets 5-8, and place your index finger on the fifth fret on the first string to produce the next note, D.
Give it a try
9
10
2
11
4
12
G
A
04 Same movement
05 Last set of frets
06 Rounding it off
As with the second note, your ring finger needs to be placed onto fret seven for the note E.
Your middle finger will need to move onto fret ten for the G in the minor pentatonic scale in A.
To bring the scale full circle to the A again, your little finger needs to go onto fret 12 of the first string.
A
C
D
E
G
A
0
3
5
7
10
12
3 4
Are you confident with your finger positions?
96 Ukulele for Beginners
9
E
01 First note
The minor pentatonic scale is very similar to the blues scale detailed across the page and will become very familiar to you very quickly. Follow the tab or notation carefully to get the correct notes.
3
8
T A B
3 4
The blues scale
Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
The blues scale is very similar in sound to the minor pentatonic, but with some interesting additional notes to give it a distinct sound
T
his scale is a hexatonic (six-note) scale made primarily of the minor pentatonic scale. The difference between the two scales is the use of so-called ‘blue notes’, which are notes played at a slightly lower pitch, typically a semitone, than their major equivalent. Notice that the blue notes which are used in this example are the C (flattened third), D# (sharpened fourth/flattened fifth), and the G (flattened seventh). The blues scale is often used with the 12-bar
# #4 #4
Blue note
Blue note
Blue note
blues chord sequence and blues music in general, although it is also often found in jazz music. In addition, it can be heard in some conventional pop music, so is a useful one to know for the ukulele. We will now show you how you can play the A blues scale that Progress gent This scale is easy to lea ly is shown here. rn on you have mastered the ce minor pentatonic sca le, and a perfect place to start improvising a melod y. Over a typical blues chord sequence, all of the no tes will sound ‘right’.
Top tip
“This scale is made up primarily of the minor pentatonic scale”
0 3
1
1
5
1
7
2
2
6
2
8
10
3
3
7
9
11
11
4
4
8
10
12
12
3
9
9
2
10
4
A
C
D, D
E
G
A
01 Blues scale, first note
02 Blues scale, second note
03 Blues scale,
04 Blues scale, note five
05 Blues scale, note six
06 Final note of the scale
To begin, leave the first string open and play as shown above to produce the A note of the blues scale.
Your ring finger should then be placed on the third fret and the string played to make the note C.
With your ring finger placed on fret seven of the first string, this will produce the E note of the scale.
The G note of the scale is played by placing your middle finger on the tenth fret of the first string and playing.
As with most of the scales, the A is played with the little finger on the 12th fret of the first string.
Give it a try
Your index finger needs to be on fret five for the D, and your middle finger on six for the D#.
A
C
D
D
E
G
A
0
3
5
6
7
10
12
4 4
It’ll sound similar to the minor pentatonic scale As always, play through the scale slowly at first to gain confidence. Try this scale both ascending and descending, to improve your technique in preparation for improvising.
notes three and four
T A B
4 4
Ukulele for Beginners 97
Reading music
Play solos Soloing on any instrument can be one of the most challenging things to do in music, but performed well, is ultimately one of the most satisfying
Top tip
I
n essence, a solo is a short instrumental break in a piece of music. This can either be individual or shared between performers. It can be planned in advance, or, as in most cases, improvised, where the soloist ad libs and makes up the melody on the spot. In order to perform a good solo, there are a number of things that you must be aware of. You will need to know what key your piece of music is in, the scale that will work well for your performance, have a good sense of rhythm and know how to emphasise certain notes. Try to think of soloing like a story. It needs a good beginning, some substance to the middle section, and a conclusion at the end. Make sure you know when the solo should finish; there is nothing more frustrating for both a band and audience than a seemingly endless solo! Remember that the solo is meant to be a part of the song. The solo itself will generally appear at the moment where a song has been built up to the pinnacle of its tension and expectation. The ukulele solo is reminiscent of a guitar solo, emphasising elements of the main melody while expanding upon this through improvisatory techniques to make it more interesting.
Not just the scale
So you have found the that works for your so scale trick is not to just pla lo. The y thi up and down, as a sca s scale le is not a solo. Make it intere sting. Move by steps, but include some interv al jumps too.
Solo tips Some pointers to help you improve your solos 01 Choose the scale There are many different types of scales that can be used as solos, each working well with differing keys and chords sequences. If your piece mainly consists of major chords, then the major scale of the opening chord will work well. Alternatively, you could use the major pentatonic scale, which is also effective over major sixth chords. The minor pentatonic scale could be used for both blues and rock songs. The key is to experiment.
02 Devise a riff
03 Rhythm and timing
04 Practice and experiment
A riff is just a short idea that is repeated, so don’t be afraid of repeating ideas. Some of the best solos will repeat a phrase several times, although not always using the exact same notes. You can expand upon your original riff by introducing additional notes. Although a riff can be a good way of starting a solo, make sure that you do not overuse it!
A good sense of rhythm and timing is vital in any type of soloing. A contrast in rhythmic ideas is just as important as performing the correct notes and can make your solo much more interesting. Make sure that you don’t repeat the same rhythm throughout and remember, silence in music can be just as powerful as a complex sequence of notes.
This may sound obvious, but practising is the most effective way of improving the solos that you produce. It does not matter if this is by yourself or with your group, as both will have their benefits. Experiment with different scales and modes in your practice, using different style, to help make you a more successful performer.
98 Ukulele for Beginners
Super solo techniques
Learn your fretboard A solo can be spoilt by a performer looking continuously down at their instrument, making sure that their fingers are in the right frets. Practise your scales and modes so that your finger movements become natural, eliminating the need to look down
Make use of these easy methods to help improve your improvising
Solo in different styles Expand your repertoire and try soloing in styles that you may be unfamiliar with. This will enhance not only your understanding of that particular genre, but will give you some additional ideas and sequences to try in other styles
Start with something familiar Before trying your own solos, it may well be beneficial to try an existing solo to help you understand how an effective solo should sound. Either find the original track or a backing track and play along in time, taking note of some of the more interesting ideas
Use a metronome So you have learnt to play a solo. This can be spoilt by a performance that is out of time with the group. Try practising with a metronome to help you recognise where your solo should fit. You should be able to find metronomes either online or as an app
Learn scales and modes This is the key to effective soloing on the ukulele. Make sure that you learn the intervals for not only major and minor scales but also other modes, to make your solos sound colourful. Experimentation is key
Find a backing track It is great to improvise by yourself, but it’s even more effective if you can find a backing track to play along with. There are many commercially available that will give you a rhythm section with a sequence of chords to perform along to
Using modes to solo As you progress, employ modes to add interest to your solos Another type of scale that can be used other than the traditional major and minor variants is a mode. There are seven modes in total, each having its own uses for effective soloing. A table Type Of Mode
No. of /
showing each of the modes based on the scale of C is shown below. A simple way to understand modes is to start on a note within the desired scale and play to the
Lydian
1
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
Ionian (Major)
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
Mixolydian
1
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
Dorian
2
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
Aeolian (Natural Minor)
3
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
Phrygian
4
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
Locrian
5
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
same note an octave higher without or . For example, C to C would be the Ionian mode, D to D the Dorian, E to E to Phrygian, and so on. Each mode is based upon a diatonic scale, comprising eight notes, starting and ending on the note with the same name. You should notice that the Ionian mode is based on the major scale, with the Aeolian on the natural minor. So why use modes instead of standard scales in your soloing? One major benefit would be if you were to land on a note that would sound incorrect in a major or minor scale – if you are clever enough, you could adapt it to suit a mode. For instance, landing on a B would suit the Mixolydian mode; an F would be the Lydian mode. When you have learnt the intervals between each mode, they are quickly adaptable to different keys, making soloing easier. If presented with a series of chords, it is simple to associate a mode for it to add colour to your solo repertoire.
Ukulele for Beginners 99
Reading music
Ukulele improvisation Contrary to popular belief, improvising isn’t simply a case of making it up on the spot…
W
hen the lyrics of a song you are playing pause for an instrumental break, you will get the perfect opportunity to test (and show off) your ukulele virtuosity with a good solo. The next two pages are going to deal with soloing and improvising to help you fine-tune your skills. Picking up your ukulele and making something up on the spot may sound quite daunting at this stage, but improvised solos usually follow some form of preparation. Improvisation is about the practice of inventing, which could mean riffing in front of an audience and seeing where it takes you, or preparing something
off the cuff prior to a concert so that you still have guidelines to follow. A mode is key term when improvising, and refers to a sequence of notes that fit into a recognisable pattern depending on how far apart they are. This is unlike scales, which are a sequence of notes that progress at set intervals according to the key. Modes work on melodies, so can often be learned by instinct and having or perfecting a good musical
ear rather than off the page. Another way to create a solo is to build it around scales. Using specific scales will ensure that all the chords you play will sound good together. Start off by selecting your notes from the major pentatonic scale, which is usually used in bright, happy-sounding songs (usually pop and country music), and the minor pentatonic scale, for dark, bluesy ones (which are often heard in rock).
“Improvisation is about the practice of inventing”
Top tip
Superb solos
Limber up
Try keeping your ing ers and limber by exercisin strong g with a spring grip, an them d make sure they are not too you’ll be slow and sta cold or rt ma mistakes. And whate king ver you do, don’t crack your knuckles!
Four essential tips to this method 01 Know your chords If you’re going to be improvising based on the chords being played, it stands to reason that a decent knowledge of these figures is going to help. Try to learn variations on the basic chords like minors, sevenths and suspended chords. It’s worth the effort, as you’ll then be able to focus more on inventing solos than worrying about where your fretting fingers should be while trying to build certain chords.
02 Know your modes You will often find yourself playing within a mode just by feeling, but learning them is very useful too. The main modes are Ionian (major scale), Dorian, Mixolydian, Phrygian, Aeolian and Locrian. Don’t be scared by the Harry Potter-esque names; it’s just a reminder that they are based in Greek traditional music. Learn the modes that fit to the chords and which work best with different styles of music.
03 Get that feeling As mentioned, modes can be learned through feeling alone and you’ll often stumble across them without even meaning to. Play along to instrumental music and focus on the spaces you 100 Ukulele for Beginners
feel are necessary in between the notes you are playing, making a note of what intervals these are. As you develop your ear, you will start to instinctively know how many frets up or down you need to travel to get the note you want. As always, practising regularly will help in the long run.
04 Amp it up Most ukulele players favour an acoustic ukulele over an electric one, especially when they are first starting out. But once you get the hang of following chord charts on an acoustic, soloing on an electric ukulele can sound brilliant, and be heaps of fun.
Improv practice tips Use these easy methods to help improve your improvising
Don’t look now If you’re feeling especially brave, why not try it blind? It’s easy to see the notes you’re playing, but when improvising you’ll be going on sound, not sight. Try and see where the notes come to you from instinct and sound
Improvise to other styles Conversely, try improvising to music you hate. It will open up whole new phrases on the ukulele that you may not have found before, and being outside of your comfort zone is a good learning tool
Free playing A strange but good trick is to zone out and play ukulele while watching the TV or a film. You’ll find that when you’re not concentrating, the notes come to you. Almost like free writing, but with music instead of words
Play along To get a feel for vertical improvising, why not practise to the music you love? It will feel familiar because you know and enjoy it, and you are relaxed in your comfort zone
Try dance music Dance music may be repetitive, but it’s a good way of focusing on improvising over minimal chord changes instead of something more complex
Stay in time Keeping in time is just as important when you’re improvising as it is when you’re following chords. Continue counting in your head if it helps
Ukulele for Beginners 101
102 Ukulele for Beginners
Play in the style of…
Discover how your favourite artists produce their distinct sound, and learn how to make it on your own ukulele
Give it a try Look out for this logo on each page, as it means that an audio file is available online to help you master a certain ukulele technique.
104 Traditional Hawaiian 106 One Direction 108 Green Day 110 Mumford and Sons 112 Amy Winehouse 114 Ed Sheeran 116 Bruno Mars 118 Nile Rodgers 120 Foo Fighters 122 Kanye West 124 Taylor Swift 126 The Smiths 128 Bob Marley 130 Elvis Presley
“Originally called the machete, it was renamed ukulele, which in Hawaii translates as ‘flea jumping’, inspired by the high-pitched sound” Ukulele for Beginners 103
Play in the style of . . .
Traditional Hawaiian
Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
T
he ukulele was only introduced to Hawaii at the close of the 19th century. A small guitar-like instrument was introduced by the Portuguese and it very quickly became popular within Hawaiian culture. Originally called the ‘machete’, it was renamed ukulele, which in Hawaii translates to ‘flea (uku) jumping (lele)’. This was because the high-pitched strings gave the impression of a jumping flea. The majority of songs performed in Hawaii during this time would then be accompanied by a ukulele. Traditional Hawaiian ukulele music is recognised by its combination of both simple and elaborate strumming patterns, interspersed with fingerpicking. They may not be household names, but
© Charles Haynes
In this section, we explore the sound of traditional Hawaiian ukulele music, looking at key artists who moulded the sound into its distinctive style two of the most renowned Hawaiian ukulele performers are Eddie Kamae and Herb Ohta Sr. Eddie Kamae is widely thought of as one of the greatest ukulele players of all time. Together with Shoi Ikemi, he formed the Ukulele Rascals, the first known professional all-ukulele group. Just one of his inventive methods included plucking all four strings simultaneously, which gave the group a unique sound. Herb Otha met Eddie Kamae when he was just 12, and become his student, learning all he could from the ukulele legend. He has since become known as one of the most versatile ukulele players, and records music across various genres including jazz, pop and traditional Hawaiian songs.
Inspirational works © Janine from Mililani
Different stylings from two ukulele pioneers
Song For Anna
Yesterday and Today
Artist: Herb Ohta Sr Year: 1973 Label: A&M Records
Artist: Eddie Kamae Year: 2009 Label: Hawaii Sons Inc
This album of classic Hawaiian music has sold more than 6 million copies across the globe since it was released in 1973. It blends together the traditional combination of ukulele and voice with the more romantic aspects of orchestration.
Some of the first recordings since the 1980s, this album incorporates both traditional and pop aspects of Hawaiian music. His now slightly deeper vocals work well with the compositions. He shows fondness for the history and style used in them.
104 Ukulele for Beginners
How should you play? The sound of traditional Hawaiian music has evolved a great deal over the years and it now incorporates more popular styles from a host of genres. In its most traditional sense, Hawaiian music on the ukulele would involve virtuosic playing from the performer, combining complex strumming patterns with finger-picking. You can incorporate this into your own playing with practice and by experimenting with strumming rhythms. Sliding between the notes and/or chords is also very common. Rather than carrying the full weight of the tune, the ukulele is usually an accompanying instrument for songs sung with authentic lyrics in Hawaiian.
Give it a try
Play in that authentic Hawaiian style
“Originally called the ‘machete’, it was renamed ukulele, which in Hawaii translates to ‘flea (uku) jumping (lele)’. This was because the high-pitched strings gave the impression of a jumping flea” Ukulele for Beginners 105
Play in the style of . . .
One Direction
Give it a try Audio files
Pop music first materialised in the 1950s and 1960s, often borrowing elements from other styles. Here we look at the boy band influence on this genre
O
ne Direction, more commonly known as 1D, are a British-based pop boy band, originally comprising five members. They initially auditioned on The X Factor as separate solo artists, but after failing to reach the boot-camp stage, it was suggested that they continue as a group. They finished in third position but shortly after were signed to Simon Cowell’s Syco Records for a reported £2 million contract. Their debut single was released in September 2011 and reached number one in the charts. It was the most preordered single in Sony Music Entertainment history. Their first album Up All Night was released globally in 2012 and topped the charts in 16 countries including the US – making them the first British band to do so with their debut album. To date, a total of four albums have been released by One Direction, with their concert DVD and Blu-ray This Is Us beating Michael Jackson’s
UK sales record by shipping 270,000 copies in just three days. In 2012, an American band filed a lawsuit claiming they had already registered the ‘One Direction’ name. The outcome eventually saw the American band changing theirs to Uncharted Shores. On 25 March 2015 it was confirmed that Zayn Malik would leave the band, although it was made clear that they would still continue making music as a four-piece. One Direction are one of British music’s real success stories, with fans across the world. They have perhaps the biggest and most enthusiastic fan base since the Beatles, and although they don’t tend to use ukuleles, you can play along in their style with ease.
©Alamy
Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
“One Direction are one of British music’s real success stories, with fans across the world”
Inspirational works
©Fiona McKinlay
Some other major vocal boy bands
Nobody Else
Millennium
Artist: Take That Year: 1995 Label: BMG/Arista
Artist: Backstreet Boys Year: 1999 Label: Jive
Their last album before the group disbanded in 1996, this features the track ‘Back For Good’, which remains their most successful song to date. The album has gone double platinum in the UK, and the band continue to release new material.
This is the Backstreet Boys’ third album. It contains their most commercially successful song, ‘I Want It That Way’, which some would consider their signature song. It was nominated for five Grammys and had four top 40 singles in the US charts.
106 Ukulele for Beginners
How should you play? One Direction’s sound is mainly characterised in their first album, Up All Night, which has influences from a wide range of musical sub-genres, including electro-pop, dance pop and pop rock. Their most widely recognisable (and first successful) song, ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ draws on pop-rock influences with its heavy use of powerful guitar-based chords and riffs. When playing this type of chord, it’s a good idea to experiment with using a pick for a stronger sound. There are soft felt picks that are specifically designed with use for ukulele, but experiment and find a type that suits you. To master the style, strum with confidence!
Play in the style One Direction Although the chords used within the performance may well be simple, some of the strumming patterns can be complex in nature but add to the overall effect of the piece. The opening idea contains a ‘chunk’ within the strumming pattern and switches between an off-beat idea in bar 2 to changing the chord to the on-beat in bar 4. It is suggested that the opening four-bar strumming pattern should be as follows :
| ¶µ chnk ¶µ chnk | ¶¶¶¶ | ¶µ chnk | ¶¶¶¶ | At bar 9, the pattern changes to a simple repeated | ¶¶¶| and continues by adding a ‘chunk’ in the second beat from bar 13, remembering that it becomes syncopated (off beat) in bar 14. The crotchet (ƈ) triplets before the last chord can be played as down beats.
Give it a try
Wow your fans with this one
Top tip
Keep it simple
The pop genre does no overcomplicate itself t wi challenging chord seq th uences. Basic chords such as C, G have been the fou F and ndations of many of the most popu songs, from the Beatl lar es to Bruno Mars.
Ukulele for Beginners 107
Play in the style of . . .
Green Day
Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
F
American pop punk band who brought edgy yet popular punk to the masses in the late 90s
ormed in 1986, Green Day has become one of the most successful punk bands in history. Starting out in high school and honing their sound over nearly a decade before their first major label release, Dookie, it’s fair to say they inspired a generation of young listeners. Dookie is an album full of chunky, punky, riffs and rhythmically infectious vocal lines. The line up consists of Tré Cool on the drums, Mike Dirnt on the bass, Jason White (who became a regular member of the band in 2012) on rhythm guitar and Billie Joe Armstrong on both lead guitar and vocals. Their later work moved away slightly from their bratty brand of punk, and started to play more on pop sensibilities and tracks like ‘Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)’ and ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’ (from the rock opera album American Idiot) quickly became international anthems and remain memorable standout tracks.
On these tracks, Billie Joe took to his acoustic guitar, still with bursts of powerful strumming, but now also delving into more sensitive picked parts, which captured the imagination of even more listeners among the mainstream public. The ukulele doesn’t feature within their small line up of instruments. However, the percussive and melodic nature of their music, especially on those more ballad-style tracks, means their tunes are welcome in any ukulele strum-along. The pop-punk ballad style is also a great starting point for any budding ukulele song writer. With gentle picking patterns and confident strumming it has everything a ukulele player could possibly want. Read on to learn how you can copy Green Day’s unique sound on your very own ukulele.
“The pop-punk ballad style is also a great starting point for any budding ukulele song writer”
Inspirational works The key to Green Day’s powerful punk sound
Ramones Greatest Hits Artist: Ramones Year: 2006 Label: Rhino Entertainment You can hear the inspiration for Green Day’s stylistic powerful and chunky riffs here. Of course, the Ramones did it first, but you won’t find the more delicate ballad style tunes that Green Day became known for on this energetic album. 108 Ukulele for Beginners
(What’s the Story) Morning Glory? Artist: Oasis Year: 1995 Label: Creation Records Billie Joe allegedly joked he’d ripped off ‘Wonderwall’ for one of their more poppy songs. The similarities between Oasis and Green Day are minimal, but you can hear their influence in Green Day’s ballad tunes.
Add a little pop sparkle The ballad style pop-punk songs are perfect for the ukulele. Simplistic chords with very subtle variations are great to get you going, for example taking a simple C chord and adding a finger to create a more pop-like sparkle. Rhythm is key, you need lots of tied rhythms and power behind them. Picking has a big part to play too; be sure to keep it rhythmic and simplistic since even the most gentle picking can have a powerful sound.
Top tip
Play in the style Green Day This piece focuses on the more ballad-style approach found in songs such as ‘Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)’ and ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’. It is split into two sections: a rhythm part and a picking part. It uses a typical simplistic chord structure to carry the chords and the addition of subtle changes to those chords. Don’t be alarmed by their fancy names. To get the rhythm be sure to keep your wrist moving evenly up and down, even when you’re not meant to make contact with the strings, and pay attention to first bar where the strumming pattern is notated. The picking pattern is an almost constant down and up motion, so keep it steady and listen to the audio to help.
Chord sequence
Fancy taking things further to craft your own punk ballad? Try forming a chord seq uenc the basic chords and e from adding another inger to cre ate a new chord, or even taking a inger away to revea la new note.
Give it a try Add a little Dookie to your uke
Ukulele for Beginners 109
Play in the style of . . .
Mumford and Sons
Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
The indie folk genre is relatively new to Britain, with young musicians demonstrating their own folk traditions together with an indie aesthetic small and medium venues in both the UK and US, with their first EP Love Your Ground and other pieces forming their first album Sigh No More. In 2012, the band released their second album, Babel, which debuted at number one in both UK and US album charts. Their third album, Wilder Mind, demonstrated a change of direction for the band, moving towards a ‘heavier’ sound, incorporating a fuller drum kit and making far greater use of electric guitars as opposed to the more traditional folk instrumentation. Folk lends itself perfectly to the portability and ease of playing that the ukulele offers. It is one of the best genres for beginners, as it is a natural place for the ukulele to be musically.
© Ty Johnson
M
umford and Sons are a British folkrock band who formed in 2007 during what has been labelled as the ‘West London Folk Scene’. The band consists of four members, all proficient musicians on both conventional rock instruments as well as traditional folk ones such as banjo, mandolin and resonator guitar. The band name comes from the idea that Marcus Mumford was the most visible member of the group, while also invoking a sense of a family business name. In 2008, the band completed its first tour of the UK and performed at the Glastonbury Festival for the first time. Throughout 2008 and 2009, Mumford and Sons continued to play to
Inspirational works
© James Minchin III
Two bands with a similar sound to Mumford et al
Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down Artist: Noah and the Whale Year: 2008 Label: Mercury/Vertigo The band’s debut album reached number five in the UK charts. It is full of catchy melodic tunes and beautifully emotive lyrics, and makes great use of the instrumentation within the band’s folk-pop repertoire. 110 Ukulele for Beginners
Remedy Artist: Old Crow Medicine Show Year: 2014 Label: ATO This is the ninth album by the legendary American folk band, and also features collaboration with folk pioneer Bob Dylan. It reached number one on the US folk albums billboard and won the 2015 Grammy for best folk album.
How should you play? The folk-rock sound first became prominent in the 1960s and was originally pioneered by the American band The Byrds. It combines the sounds of folk music, including some instrumentation, with the ideas of conventional rock music. This is usually a mixture of simple chord accompaniments with a clear and clever use of melody and chordal structure. Chords can either be modestly strummed to accompany vocals and other lead instruments, or more ambitious ukulele players can adopt complex finger-picking patterns which could sound like the use of banjo, which is a common instrument used in the genre.
Mumford and sons Remember, the opening click beats are deceptively slower than the rhythmic feel of the piece overall, as they are clicking the start of every three-quaver pulse. You need to be prepared to move quickly between the chords, so it may be necessary to change your chord before the end of the phrase. The opening strumming pattern should be as follows to allow ample time for the change:
The folk-pop genre do es have to be based solel not y conventional four-bea on t rock music. Try playing in 6/8, which splits beats int o two lots of threes, as felt within the piece given here.
¶¶µ¶ µ ¶¶µ¶ µ This continues throughout the opening and returns at the end. The finger-picking is simple to perform: when the chord is first formed, pluck the top string with your thumb, moving up through the next three strings in order and returning again down to the thumb. You will find it easy to pick up your own strumming pattern for the middle idea.
Give it a try
© Andrea Sartorati
Play in the style
Top tip
What is 6/8?
Play some folk on your ukulele
Ukulele for Beginners 111
Play in the style of . . .
Amy Winehouse
Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
Jazz encompasses a wide variety of styles, from the legends such as Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong to more contemporary artists like Paloma Faith and Amy Winehouse Jazz Orchestra featured female singer in 2000 and regularly sang at the Cobden Club. Her first album was entitled Frank and was a nod to her upbringing in jazz music, in particular the works of Frank Sinatra. Bar two covers, Winehouse co-wrote every song on the album. Her follow-up album Back to Black was released in 2006 and was completed in just five months. It was number one in the UK charts and went on to win Amy international recognition. During her career, she won numerous awards, including five Grammys – making her the first British female artist to achieve that accolade.
© Festival Eurockéennes, V. Gable
A
my Winehouse was an English singersongwriter best known for her deep soul vocals. She has performed within a number of genres, including soul and R&B, as well as being heavily influenced by jazz music. She died in 2011 due to alcohol poisoning. During the early part of her life, Winehouse was exposed to the sound of jazz through many of her paternal uncles, who themselves were jazz musicians, and her paternal grandmother. She bought her first guitar aged 14 and started writing her own music within a year. She became the National Youth
“Winehouse was exposed to the sound of jazz through many of her paternal uncles” © Napalm filled Tyres
Inspirational works Sinatra and Vaughan both influenced Winehouse
Come Dance With Me Artist: Frank Sinatra Year: 1959 Label: Capitol This was Frank Sinatra’s most successful album and was in the American Billboard charts for two and a half years. In 1960, it won the Grammy award for Album of the Year, as well as the Grammy for Best Vocal Performance. 112 Ukulele for Beginners
Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown Artist: Sarah Vaughan Year: 1954 Label: EmArcy One of Sarah Vaughan’s favourites among her many works, this album was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. It has been described as being one of the most important jazz vocal recordings.
How should you play? Simple strumming patterns are evident in Amy Winehouse’s early album Frank, although the chords themselves are constructed with some complexity. As with most jazz music, there are elements of syncopation within the chord patterns, where the notes themselves fall on the off-beat. There is an indication of ‘vamping’ with the rhythm section, giving the music an improvised edge, but keeping to a repeated chord sequence. It’s important to ‘learn’ various rhythm patterns to enable you to vamp both fluently and confidently. Check out the pages on soloing (page 98) for more advice on how to play off the cuff.
Give it a try
Play some jazz on your ukulele
Ukulele for Beginners 113
Play in the style of . . .
Ed Sheeran
Give it a try Audio files
Ed Sheeran has quickly become recognised as one of the most accomplished solo artists in world music, expertly fusing numerous styles for a distinctive sound
E
d Sheeran is an English singer/songwriter who rose to prominence during 2010. He naturally blends acoustic genres of pop, hip hop and folk to give his music the characteristic sound that we associate with him. He began writing music in 2005, releasing his first album, The Orange Room. He moved to London in 2008 to pursue his career further. His second album was released in 2009, with his critically acclaimed Loose Change album following in 2010. This was to feature his debut single, ‘The A Team’. Sheeran started along the road to fame by playing open mic nights in Los Angeles after flying out there, and was spotted performing by the actor and musician Jamie Foxx who offered him the use of his studio. His fan base grew through thousands of people watching his performances via YouTube. Sheeran gained international recognition in 2011 and released ‘The A Team’ as a digital
download in the UK. It became a top ten hit in numerous countries, and began a string of hits for Sheeran. He has co-written songs for a several high-profile artists including One Direction and Taylor Swift (who he is great friends with). He has won various awards throughout his career, including Best Solo Male Artist at the Brits in both 2012 and 2015. His album + topped the UK albums chart in the first week, selling 120,000 copies. It would then go on to be certified triple platinum, selling over 900,000 copies.
“Sheeran started along the road to fame by playing open mic nights in Los Angeles”
© Ben Watts
Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
© Ben Watts
Inspirational works Sheeran cites Rice and Dylan among his influences
O Artist: Damien Rice Year: 2002 Label: 14th Floor This was the first solo album to be released by acoustic artist Damien Rice. He made the album without the backing of a major recording label and reaped the rewards. Several of the songs have gone on to be used in films and TV shows. 114 Ukulele for Beginners
Bringing It All Back Home Artist: Bob Dylan Year: 1965 Label: Columbia This was the fifth studio album by the legendary folk artist Bob Dylan, and is one of his most celebrated. It was ranked at number 31 in Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 greatest albums of all time.
How should you play? Ed Sheeran is very percussive in the way he plays guitar, with many of his hip-hop tracks looping various hits of the guitar. Using the thumb, he gives a mellow tone to his strumming, with the fingertips or nails providing an accented chord. The pattern can be followed by palm-muting of strings or additional ‘slaps’ on the body of your instrument. He demonstrates a very loose feel to his performances, playing what feels right for the song.
Give it a try
Play along and pretend you’re Ed
Ukulele for Beginners 115
Play in the style of . . .
Bruno Mars
Give it a try Audio files
B
R&B music has continued to develop over the years, using the technology available at the time. Numerous popular artists are associated with this genre
runo Mars was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is one of six children in a family of musicians. He began performing on stage at a very young age and was exposed to a diverse mix of musical genres when he was growing up, including R&B, hip hop and reggae, with Elvis Presley also having an impact on his musical persona and performance techniques. Mars moved to Los Angeles at age 17 to pursue his musical career, and was signed by the legendary label Motown Records, which subsequently dropped him a year later. In 2009, he signed with Atlantic Records and became recognised as a solo artist by lending his vocal talents to tracks by B.o.B and Travie McCoy, for whom he co-wrote the hooks to the songs. His first studio album was released in 2010 entitled Doo-Wops & Hooligans, which contained a number of hit singles including ‘The Lazy Song’
and ‘Grenade’. A second album, Unorthodox Jukebox was released in 2012 and achieved number-one status in the US album charts. Bruno Mars is very popular both in the US and the UK, and indeed across the world. His third album includes collaborations with top producers Mark Ronson and Jeff Bhasker. His single with Mark Ronson, ‘Uptown Funk’ won a Brit award for British single of the year and was number one in the UK for 14 weeks. His funky pop style suits the ukulele perfectly, and he has been known to play a ukulele during live performances.
“He began performing at a young age and was exposed to a diverse mix of genres”
© Brothers Le
Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
Inspirational works Two of the most influential artists for Bruno Mars
R.
Talking Book
Artist: R. Kelly Year: 1998 Label: Jive
Artist: Stevie Wonder Year: 1972 Label: Tamla
In his youth, Mars’ musical style moved more towards R&B from listening to the likes of R. Kelly and Keith Sweat. This was R. Kelly’s third album and contains the very commercially successful single ‘I Believe I Can Fly’.
Growing up, Bruno Mars would listen to musicians who had high voices, including Freddie Mercury and Stevie Wonder, influencing his own singing style. This is Wonder’s 15th album and is part of his ‘classic period’, when you can hear him using this style.
116 Ukulele for Beginners
How should you play? R&B is a genre of music that incorporates numerous elements from other musical styles, including soul music. With contemporary R&B, it is not uncommon to find the music itself exceptionally polished by a record producer, but will also incorporate a combination of synth backings, including drum machines, with an occasional horn section (this incorporates brass and saxophone instruments). During more recent times, R&B music has continued to develop with the innovations of the time, including the development of electronic music, but maintains its roots with smooth, soulful vocal arrangements.
Bruno Mars The opening strumming pattern is simple but effective, so long as you practise playing the ‘chunk’ slowly at first before performing at the correct tempo. Follow the opening pattern, which repeats up until the end of bar 16:
¶ chnk µ
¶ chnk µ
The chnk
This is a simple techn ique for producing a percussi ve sound. At the end of strummi ng chord, mute the string a s to obtain an instant cut-o f by quickly placing your palm across all of the strings.
© Brothers Le
Play in the style
Top tip
The second strumming pattern disposes of the chunk beat altogether, instead throwing in a syncopated rhythm to change the feel. The pattern is as follows:
¶µ ¶µ
µ ¶µ
In keeping with much of Bruno Mars’s music, you will find that this piece only contains three of the most basic chords for ukulele. These are the C, Dm and F chords, making the strumming patterns all the more important.
Give it a try Play some contemporary R&B on your uke
Ukulele for Beginners 117
Play in the style of . . . Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
G
Nile Rodgers The co-founding member and lead guitarist of Chic is a disco and funk guitar master, and you can copy his sound
regory Rodgers, or Nile Rodgers as he became known, is a bona fide disco and funk rhythm machine. His work with the legendary disco band Chic essentially defined a genre of music. Chic formed in 1976, and their tunes such as ‘Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)’ (1977), ‘Everybody Dance’ (1977), ‘Le Freak’ (1978), ‘I Want Your Love’ (1978), and ‘Good Times’ (1979), are dance floor fillers to this day. These tracks are driven by Nile’s infectious and surprisingly melodic strumming style. As disco fell out of fashion in the late Seventies, Rodgers and the backing band continued to contribute to influential music of the time, both by playing and producing music. Nile Rodgers’ production work on Diana Ross’ ‘Upside Down’ is a great example of how successful he was beyond Chic as a producer. Even with disco out of fashion, his original Chic riffs were still
also being sampled by a new wave of hip-hop artists too. More recently his collaborations have become the centre of focus, in particular his most recent work with Daft Punk and Pharrel Williams. The likes of ‘Get Lucky’ are again built around Which hand? Nile’s characteristic Focusing on just your right hand sound and technique. for strumming is a co mmon Although Nile is mistake. To create so me a guitarist, the syncopation listen to serious the syncopated and and practice squeezi track ng the chord (with the frettin percussive nature of g ha nd) in time with his playing lends itself the music. to the ukulele, creating a truly unique sound.
Top tip
“The syncopated and percussive nature of his playing lends itself to the ukulele”
Inspirational works Two albums that inspired Nile’s early career
Funkadelic
Roxy Music
Artist: Funkadelic Year: 1970 Label: Westbound Records
Artist: Roxy Music Year: 1972 Label: Island Records
In the early days Nile Rodgers was cutting his teeth in the house band at the Apollo theatre and backed the likes of Funkadelic. They were a clear influence to him and provided a classic sound that has lasted through the ages.
This album is a bit of a wild card, but also essential in the Nile Rodgers journey. He’s gone on record stating how influential this band was. Although not so ‘funky’ their whole package obviously gave Nile some food for thought.
118 Ukulele for Beginners
Relax, take it easy Playing funk and disco on the ukulele is all about being natural. A relaxed wrist is essential. To really master this style spend time working on strumming evenly down and up, whilst keeping your wrist as relaxed as possible. This will help lay a foundation for making things funky. Once you’ve reached a point of total relaxation its time to introduce your fretting hand, by experimenting with squeezing the chord and then relaxing to mute the chord you can create some serious groove.
Play in the style Nile Rodgers This piece uses two chords, so familiarise yourself with these shapes first, then approach the first two bars. These are based around the idea of ‘squeezing’ the chord to create the rhythm. You will be playing all downstrokes, but to create the syncopation, ‘squeeze’ and release the chord to create the stabs. The later bars are more focused on the right hand strumming pattern, so be sure to stick to it. You will notice the introduction of an additional finger in each bar; this is typical of Rodgers’ approach. Note how the rhythm doesn’t change but the addition of the extra note creates a sense of melody.
Give it a try Get started with this funky little tune
Ukulele for Beginners 119
Play in the style of . . .
Foo Fighters
Give it a try Audio files
T
With elements of grunge, the Foo Fighters’ brand of rock may not bring to mind the uke, but you can play their style with practice
he Foo Fighters formed in Seattle, the home of grunge, in 1994. The band’s singer Dave Grohl first rose to fame as the drummer in the iconic grunge band Nirvana, the influence of which can still be heard in his current band (and in lots of other bands, like Green Day and Blink 182). Grohl admits that the musical style of Nirvana’s late vocalist Kurt Cobain has rubbed off on him in a huge way, as Cobain taught him the importance and beauty of music being stripped down to its minimalistic core. Beyond the vocals, Nirvana’s influence can also be heard when you analyse the dynamics of Foo Fighters’ music. There are quiet verses before bridges plunge suddenly into
deafeningly loud choruses. Of course, the latter is difficult to achieve on a ukulele, which is probably why the instrument has never featured in their music. However, it is possible to get a feel for their style on the instrument. Foo Fighters use a lot of suspended and seventh chords in their music, again giving a false sense of relaxed security in their verses before charging into a power-chord-fuelled chorus. One of the techniques they use to accentuate dynamics is palm-muting the strings; something which can be done on a ukulele with practise. The rhythmic strumming of Grohl’s guitar playing is unsurprising, given that his first instrument is a drum kit.
© Stig Nygaard
Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
“Quiet verses and bridges plunge suddenly into deafeningly loud choruses”
Inspirational works Here are a few artists that have inspired this band
In Utero
Tenacious D
Artist: Nirvana Year: 1993 Label: Geffen
Artist: Tenacious D Year: 2001 Label: Sony
This album is arguably the most influential to Foo Fighters, as it contrasts greatly with Nirvana’s highly polished previous release Nevermind (1991). The raw recordings further enhance the dynamics of the band’s energetic, manic style.
Dave Grohl plays drums on every studio release for Tenacious D. Dynamics play a huge part in their music; Kyle Gass plays acoustic guitar so the comedic lyrics sung by Jack Black (also a star of many movies) can be easily heard.
120 Ukulele for Beginners
How should you play? To play the ukulele in the style of the Foo Fighters isn’t that easy, but there are a number of techniques that you can apply. To achieve the differing dynamic values of the band’s style, try palm-muting the strings. Lightly rest your hands on the strings with your strumming hand while forming the chords with your other hand. Strum eight times for every bar in the chorus and bridges, with emphasis on the first and sixth beat. When you reach the chorus, release your hand from palm muting and play the chords openly. Dave Grohl will sing the verse and bridge quietly but clearly and increase the volume for the chorus.
Play in the style Foo Fighters The piece of music below has been written in the style of the Foo Fighters. This means that the playing style and the lyrics are based entirely on their music. The vocal melody and song title are all inspired by ‘Best of You’ from their album In Your Honour (2005). The verses and bridges are made up of suspended and sixth chords, which imitate the expectant yet relaxed theme of the original song. The song’s structure uses the basic verse-bridge-chorus setup that the Foo Fighters use in most of their Ramp itohup d music. Grohl is clearly inspired by bands like the itating Gr l’s relaxe im er Aft e, dg Beatles and the Bay City Rollers, which makes bri d an s rse ve style in the siastically his vocals melodic and flowing. The melody is play the chorus enthu a deep e Tak s. simple and clear, with lyrics that are easy to hear ord ch en with op go for and understand. Channel Dave Grohl and the breath and then really with t Foos by creating your own lyrics and playing the it! You’ll be rocking ou t like jus deiance in no time, chorus chords loudly! k the nicest man in roc himself.
Give it a try Start off gently, then rock out!
© Ryanw2313
Top tip
Ukulele for Beginners 121
Play in the style of . . .
Kanye West
Give it a try Audio files
K
From dropout to graduate and self-proclaimed genius, love or hate him, Kanye West’s music has left its mark on an era
anye first made a name for himself as a producer for Roc-A-Fella records, working with artists such as Jay-Z, Alicia Keys and Ludacris. In 2004 he finally fulfilled his dream of becoming a rapper with the release of his debut album The College Dropout, achieving instant critical and commercial success. He also drew acclaim for breaking away from the gangster persona dominating the industry at the time, instead rapping about themes of family, materialism and personal hardship. Kanye’s early works make broad use of soul samples as well as extensive collaboration with contemporary artists, a trend he has maintained throughout his career. Each new
album release has seen Kanye West evolve as an artist, and whether it has been for good or ill, it has maintained his position as a driving force of hip-hop. Recent times have seen him move away from rapping with the release of 808s & Heartbreak, before returning from a hiatus to produce what many consider to be his best work, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, which builds upon aspects of previous releases. Many find it hard to separate the persona from the artist, which has led to him becoming a very polarising figure in the public eye. However, this cannot diminish his place as one of the most successful artists of all time, selling over 120 million records worldwide.
© rodrigoferrari
Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
“Each new album release has seen Kanye West evolve as an artist” © rodrigoferrari
Inspirational works Sampling styles and bringing it together
The Blueprint
Wu-Tang Forever
Artist: Jay-Z Year: 2001 Label: Roc-A-Fella
Artist: Wu-Tang Clan Year: 1997 Label: Loud/RCA/BMG
Considered by many to be one of the best hip-hop albums of all time, it would be the record that made Kanye West’s name as a producer, and would begin one of the most influential hip-hop partnerships of recent times.
Repeatedly stating the impact they’ve had on his style, Kanye cites the Wu-Tang producer RZA as one of his biggest influences, drawing specifically on his methods of extensive sampling and the inclusion of skits.
122 Ukulele for Beginners
How should you play? Hip-hop can vary greatly from artist to artist, whether it’s in the genres and eras they decide to sample or the way they produce their songs. The one thing that ties them together is the beats, so when you’re reproducing the sound on a ukulele you should try to reflect this. You can emphasise the kick of the beat by hitting just the C and E strings, and use full, strong downstrokes for the snare, which will almost always fall on the second and fourth beats of a bar. Listening to hip-hop and playing along with recordings will help you to hear where the emphasis needs to be. However, lyrics are often the focus, so adding your own vocals will help complete the sound.
Play in the style Kanye West
Top tip
Change it up Varia
tion and layering is to making a hip-hop key tra interesting. On the uk ck ulele this is done by switc hing up strumming patterns , mi in a bar of picking or xing a sh rif, or even dropping ort the rhythm completely.
Give it a try Get a hip-hop sound on your ukulele
© Kenny Sun
This piece draws upon Kanye’s earlier work and his style of sampling jazz and soul records. Both seventh and major seventh chords are used to create a loop with a jazzy feel, in a fashion that demonstrates the possibilities to vary a beat within a simple framework. The first line lays out the progression in its base form, played with emphasis on the second and fourth beats of the bar. This is then built upon in the second line, adding mutes and additional strums in a way that feels more natural to play. The third line demonstrates a classic change up, dropping the first beat of the opening bar; finally, the fourth line shows syncopation, switching to the off-beat.
Ukulele for Beginners 123
Play in the style of . . .
Taylor Swift
Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
T
aylor Swift was born in 1989 in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. At the age of 14, after moving to Nashville, Tennessee she became the youngest ever artist to be signed by Sony Music. So far in her career, she has won a huge array of awards and has sold over 40 million albums all over the world. She also has a huge and loyal fan base, who refer to themselves as ‘Swifties’. Most of Taylor Swift’s lyrics are a narrative of her own life experiences: breakups, friendship, love and life as a young American woman. She has many fans worldwide and her catchy songs are enjoyed by millions. Even if you’re not a huge fan of the country-pop genre, it’s hard to dislike
Swift due to her happy-go-lucky personality and for the time she takes out of her busy schedule to engage with her fans in any way she can. She is incredibly positive and does a huge amount for charities and good causes, which is a refreshing sight to behold in the narcissistic world of the entertainment industry. As Swift herself says, “Haters gonna hate”! Although the ukulele does not appear in any of Swift’s music, her simple writing style and use of mainly major chords suit the uke down to a tee. Country music was traditionally written to be played on acoustic instruments, and these traditional songwriters are the artists who inspired Swift as a child.
“Her simple writing style and use of mainly major chords suit the uke down to a tee”
Inspirational works
© XDavid Brown
Swift was inspired by female country singers
Fly
Jolene
Artist: Dixie Chicks Year: 1999 Label: Monument
Artist: Dolly Parton Year: 1974 Label: RCA
Swift grew up listening to strong, female country singers. Three-piece country group Dixie Chicks are one of her favourites. They formed in 1989 and are highly successful in America, with this album alone selling over 10 million copies.
Dolly Parton is arguably the most influential woman in country music of all time. It’s no surprise that Swift idolises this feisty, independent woman. In her opinion, Swift believes Parton “is an amazing example to every female songwriter everywhere”.
124 Ukulele for Beginners
How should you play? The ukulele, with its similarities to the sound of a banjo, is perfect for playing country-style music. To play in the style of Taylor Swift, the key is to let the ukulele do its thing and put lots of emphasis on your vocals. Play around with vocal melodies and add your own embellishment. You can also use the ukulele as a tool to try out new harmonies or alter lyrical phrasing. Strum the chords with extra emphasis on the back beats to keep the pop feel. Swift’s lyrics work as a narrative; she enjoys telling stories with her music, so try adding your own personal touch to the tune by creating your own lyrics to accompany the melody.
© taylorswift.com
Use your ukulele to get a country-pop sound from the high-profile pop princess Taylor Swift
Play in the style Taylor Swift
Top tip
Break it up
th only one Play the irst verse wi ch chord, ea of rt sta strum at the copated syn a following on with rest. the t ou gh ou thr rn patte ique hn tec m tru e-s Repeat the on and s, oru ch in the second-to-last last the in r we po l ful th play wi to chorus. This will help break up the song.
Give it a try Tell your story in country style
© taylorswift.com
This original composition is a fun and easy song to play; there is never any need to overcomplicate pop music. Swift’s lyrics work as a narrative and she uses her music to tell a story, so aim to add your own personal touches wherever you can, whether that’s flourishes to the notes or rhythm, or your own lyrics to fit the tune. You can even stray from the original melody or altering the flow if the mood takes you. The most important thing when channelling Taylor Swift is to have fun and enjoy making music. She often works with talented friends such as Jack Antonoff (from the US band Fun), who produced some of the tracks on her album 1989, and stars like Ellie Goulding and Karlie Kloss for her videos. Channel Swift and get your friends involved too!
Ukulele for Beginners 125
Play in the style of . . .
The Smiths
Give it a try Audio files
T
One of the UK’s most important and influential Indie bands, The Smiths can be translated into a great ukulele tune
he Smiths are a band who brilliantly demonstrated the power of a singer and guitarist writing team. The partnership of singer Morrissey and Guitarist Marr, helped shape an iconic list of songs. Forming in 1982 in Manchester, The Smiths, are a band that blend infectious arpeggio guitar parts with emotive vocal lines. Their debut album, simply titled The Smiths, was released in 1984, and included the single ‘This Charming Man’ which reached number two in the UK album charts. The same year they released several non-album singles including ‘How Soon is Now’ and ‘Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now’, which alongside some public controversies inspired press coverage and scandal in the media helped take them to the masses. These singles are to this day indie anthems in their own right. The band split in 1987, due
to a relationship breakdown within the band, although Morrissey and Marr have continued to compose and perform separately. The formative years of Marr and Morrissey working together are still regarded as hugely important in shaping the indie music landscape. Marr’s style of blending lead and rhythm guitar together by creating mesmerising arpeggios that were both syncopated and melodic have inspired a generation of guitarists, and can do the same for a ukulele player.
“The partnership of Morrissey and Marr helped shape an iconic list of songs”
Inspirational works These albums were essential for The Smiths
New York Dolls
Turn!Turn!Turn!
Artist: New York Dolls Year: 1973 Label: Mercury Records
Artist: The Byrds Year: 1965 Label: Columbia Records
Morrissey had written a book on the New York Dolls (released 1995), and Marr was clearly a big fan. Their mutual appreciation for the band literally brought the band together. Without the New York Dolls, would we have The Smiths?
Johnny Marr’s jangly guitar parts are strongly reminiscent of the work of The Byrds. This famous American rock band focused more on arpeggios instead of more traditional strumming, and highlighted rhythm and melody in equal measure.
126 Ukulele for Beginners
Learn to pick your arpeggios To recreate Johnny Marr’s sound, you need to become comfortable with picking arpeggios, or in simpler terms: picking individual notes within chords. Using a plectrum or your fingers is fine. The tricky part is creating the syncopation and groove that Marr does. The best way to achieve this is by playing along with tracks, this will help you get the feel for things. Reading notation can be really helpful, but syncopated rhythms can look very daunting so don’t be afraid to rely on your musical ear.
© Alamy
Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
The Smiths
Top tip
© Alamy
Play in the style
Create a system Fo
r arpeggios it’s impo The piece we’ve written out in the tabs below establish a system, for rtant to for you is reminiscent of The Smiths’ track ‘This picking evenly up an example, Charming Man’. Although we do stick to a two d do your plectrum or sticki wn with chord pattern, there are another two basic ng same ingers for each to the shapes in the characteristic intro and outro. The str This helps create conti ing. nuity E minor and G slightly change throughout the and commit patterns exercise. This is simply achieved by removing your to memory. finger from the A string when needed, helping to create a sense of melody. Rhythmically, it will really help you to listen to and play along to the track (which you can find on filesilo.co.uk). Notice how the rhythm stays the same throughout the main theme; it simply builds from five notes to eight notes to help you get to grips with things. Take it very slow and listen carefully.
Give it a try See if you can give The Smiths a run for their money
Ukulele for Beginners 127
Play in the style of . . .
Bob Marley
Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
name synonymous with reggae, Bob Marley was at the forefront of spreading the musical style the world over with its themes of social commentary, love and spirituality. Born in Jamaica, he grew up in the Trench Town neighbourhood of Kingston. This area that would become a hotbed of reggae talent and, later, civil unrest that would greatly influence Bob Marley during the latter stages of his life. Born out of ska and rock-steady in the early 1960s, reggae brought in elements of rhythm and blues and soul in a style that combines thick, heavy bass lines, off-beat rhythms and iconic tight snare-drum beats. In the early Seventies, Bob
Marley and the Wailers would start to make their mark with the release of the albums Catch a Fire and Burnin’. The following years would see the original Wailers line-up split due to a refusal of some members to tour. Bob Marley’s new band made its international breakthrough in 1975 with the release of the single, ‘No Woman, No Cry’ along with the album Rastaman Vibration in 1976. The same year would see gunmen assault Marley in his home, which would lead to his selfimposed exile in the UK and the eventual release of Exodus, the album that would stand as his legacy upon finally succumbing to cancer in 1981 at the age of 36.
“A style that combines heavy bass lines, offbeat rhythms and tight snare-drum beats”
Inspirational works Marley was inspired by these reggae pioneers
Return of Django
In the Dark
Artist: The Upsetters Year: 1969 Label: Trojan
Artist: Toots and the Maytals Year: 1973 Label: Dragon
The in-house band of dub producer Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, with whom the Wailers would work to produce their early albums before moving to Island Records. The title track ‘Return of Django’ is considered one of the earliest examples of reggae.
Considered one of the most influential bands in reggae, Toots and the Maytals were one of the first to achieve success outside Jamaica with the single ‘54-46 That’s My Number’. A vocal group, they combined ska and rock-steady styles.
128 Ukulele for Beginners
How should you play? Reggae is a great genre to play on ukulele as the higher-pitched sound pairs very well with off-beat rhythms. The main defining aspect when playing reggae is the rhythm that you use for strumming. The classic reggae rhythm comes from strumming on the off-beat; playing in 4/4, you would strum on the even beats, 2 and 4. Another key aspect is the way in which you strum, dubbed the ska stroke (after the sub-genre of reggae music), which is where you use a muted upstroke on the 1 beat, followed by a short, sharp downstroke on the 2 beat to create a fun bouncing rhythm. Listen to bands such as Madness and The Specials to hear this beat.
© Ueli Frey
A
A short life with a long legacy, defining both the music and culture that made Jamaica known to the world
Palm muting is an ess skill for performing ska ential strokes on open chords like Am Played using the off-beat strumming pattern, this piece also This is achieved by res or C. ting the includes muted strums played on-beat, allowing you to keep a side of your picking hand on the strings by the bri constant rhythm when strumming up and down. An important dge of the ukulele to preve thing to note is that the piece is played in triplet timing, whereby nt the strings ringing the downstroke will be slightly longer, and the upstroke slightly out. shorter, than an eighth note. This is difficult to express in writing, so listen and play along to the example and you’ll quickly pick up the timing of this simple technique that’ll add that classic reggae bounciness to your playing. To achieve the percussive muted strokes, simply relax your fingers when playing the chord so that they rest atop the strings; for chords with open strings, use palm muting instead to achieve this effect.
Bob Marley
© Eddie Mallin
Play in the style
Top tip
Mute chords
Give it a try Start strumming in that reggae style
Ukulele for Beginners 129
Play in the style of . . . Give it a try Audio files Listen to the audio guides and follow along on your ukulele
Elvis Presley A true American heartthrob, icon of a generation, and the man who would become known as the King
A
legend of his time, Elvis Presley captivated a generation in a career that personified both the absolute highs and lows of stardom, leaving a legacy as one of the most iconic figures of the 20th century. Born in Tupelo, Mississippi in 1935, he rose to fame during the rock and roll boom of 1950s America, with his high-energy, sexually provocative performances that would see him become the bestselling solo artist of all time. He captured the hearts of America with his charm, charisma and good looks, yet also in his versatility as a performer, garnering commercial success in a range
of genres, from pop to gospel and rockabilly to blues. Whether singing the high-octane ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, or the serenading ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’, Elvis brought a glamour to his music that has been hard to reproduce, though many have tried. His eventual fall from grace would start with his separation and divorce from his wife Priscilla in 1973, an event from which he would never truly recover, as epitomised in the classic song ‘Always On My Mind’. In his troubled state of mind, Elvis became dependent on sedatives, which, combined with his deteriorating health and intensive touring, would lead to his tragic death in 1977.
“He captured the hearts of America with his charm, charisma and good looks, yet also in his versatility as a performer”
Inspirational works Gospel greats and blues legends inspired Elvis
The Statesmen Quartet Sings with Hovie Lister Artist: The Statesmen Quartet Year: 1958 Label: RCA Victor Gospel music enraptured Elvis Presley from a young age, and none more than The Statesmen Quartet and Hovie Lister, whose concerts he would regularly attend. 130 Ukulele for Beginners
Gospel Train Artist: Sister Rosetta Tharpe Year: 1956 Label: Wing Dubbed ‘the original soul sister’, Tharpe’s combination of gospel singing and early rock accompaniment was instrumental in developing rock and roll. With her commanding stage presence, she was an early influence on Elvis.
How should you play? The beauty of the blues as a musical style is its simplicity and the freedom that it gives you as a musician to improvise and express yourself. At a basic level, blues progressions are based on the first, fourth and fifth chords of a key; using the key of C as an example, this would be C, F and G. Learning scales is fundamental for improvising around progressions, so have a go at some of these to help improve your ability to play around with the blues. The C blues scale is made up of C, Eb, F, Gb, G and Bb, with Gb being what is known as the blue note. Turn to page 97 for more on the blues scale.
Elvis Presley Known by many as ‘the King’, Elvis paved the way for the blues, bringing the genre into the public eye and creating many of the popular songs known and loved in the 1950s, Sixties and Seventies, and many that have even been covered by modern artists. His style has influenced so many artists that you should have no trouble picking it up. The piece is in the key of G, opening with a simple G D C G (1st 5th 4th 1st) blues progression played in a slow arpeggio that is a lot like those found in Elvis’s ballads. Simple embellishments are used in the fourth and eighth bars, though feel free to experiment with your own improvisations on the A string, as playing it open, as well as on the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th fret will all fit with the song. If you’re playing the strumming section, try to imitate the crescendos that are used in the choruses of Elvis’s ballads, with the rhythm combining an alternating bassline with a slow-building chord progression. Try to play the first downstroke of each bar so that each string rings out independently.
Give it a try
© “Elvis Presley 1970” by Ollie Atkins
Play in the style
Never felt more like playing the blues
Ukulele for Beginners 131
132 Ukulele for Beginners
Helpdesk Some pointers and reference pieces to help you look back at what you’ve learned and take your learning further, including burning questions and all the chords you need
“The important thing is to stick with it, even if you find some parts difficult. It is important to master the basic techniques before you move on to the trickier things such as solos, otherwise you risk developing a bad technique”
Give it a try Look out for this logo on each page, as it means that an audio file is available online to help you master a certain ukulele technique.
134 Your questions answered 148 Your glossary 150 Chord charts
Ukulele for Beginners 133
Helpdesk
Your questions answered Getting started So you’ve just bought a ukulele and want to know what to do next? Well here we guide you through the basics The learning timetable I have no musical background and have recently considered picking up a ukulele for the first time, so I was wondering how long it would take me to be able to play properly? That all depends on how you define ‘properly’. Some things can be learned quickly – such as the ability to strum along to simple songs – but the more complex stuff, such as the more dextrous fretwork, will take much longer. After picking up a ukulele for the first time you will be aiming to play basic chords, not necessarily memorised but fretted and strummed, after about a week. The next two
No pain, no gain weeks will be spent mastering and memorising the basic chords to the point where you can play one or two songs without having to look at the fretboard while you strum and switch between chords. After two months you should have learned and mastered the ability to play some of the more complex barre chords, then in the next month mastered finger picking – the ability to play individual strings. Then, depending on how quickly you learn and how much you practise, you’ll move onto riffs within about four months and put everything you’ve learned thus far together to be able to improvise riffs and solos within a year.
People often say that the biggest problem when learning stringed instruments is the pain in your fingers. Is this true? Will my fingers hurt when I first start learning to play ukulele? If you’re completely new to ukulele and have never fretted a string before there will undoubtedly be some level of discomfort involved. During the first week or so, the tips of your four fretting fingers will feel tender and sore as you press down on the strings, and your fingers may ache at being contorted into positions they aren’t accustomed to, but the discomfort will subside fairly quickly. By playing for at least 30 minutes every day, you will soon develop calluses on the tips of your fingers. Though this may sound worrying, it essentially just means that the skin is hardening up over time, and once this string-playing evolution occurs, you’ll find that you will be able to fret the strings with no discomfort at all for the rest of your playing days. Your fingers will adapt to pressure
You could be rocking solo licks in under a year
134 Ukulele for Beginners
“One of the important things to remember is that although it may look like one, a ukulele is not a toy”
Ukulele choice
Other equipment
I was thinking of picking up a cheap ukulele for myself and my child to learn on. What sort of ukulele should I buy?
I’ve just bought my first ukulele, what other kit do I need to go with it?
One of the most important things to remember is that although it may look like one, a ukulele is not a toy and should be treated like any other instrument when you’re scouting for one to buy. Make yourself aware of the various types of ukuleles and the various price points offered by various manufacturers and then weigh up how serious you are about learning and this will perhaps dictate how much you want to spend. Kala make a wide range of ukuleles are various pricepoints (wwkalabrand. com), as do other companies such as Lanikai, many of which come in bright, cool designs that are especially appealing to children.
Common problems What are the common problems that new learners encounter? The most obvious one is a feeling of frustration and a desire to pack it in! Whether this stems from the discomfort newcomers feel in their hands when adjusting to the demands of fretting strings and forming chords, or the feeling that you aren’t progressing as quickly as you’d like, the important thing is to stick with it and know that you will get the hang of it soon. It is important to master the basics before moving on to trickier things such as solos, otherwise you risk developing bad technique.
The great thing about ukuleles is that they’re lightweight, fully portable instruments that you can effortlessly take anywhere. Most will come with some sort of bag, but you can upgrade this to a padded gig bag or even a hard case if you’re worried about damaging your instrument. We would also recommend investing in a tuner. Clip-on tuners are very handy for ensuring that your instrument stays in tune and they’re good at blocking out ambient noise to get the job done. You can also pick up free or inexpensive tuning apps for your smartphone – as long as you’ve got something to hand to check the tuning prior to playing, you’re sorted. Other bits of kit are optional. For example, you could pick up a capo to change the playing key of your ukulele to make it easier to play and sing along to certain songs and you can get yourself a pack of picks to make strumming and finger-picking easier on your digits. You may also want to invest in a book or two to help keep your interest up. There are many guide books and chord books available that make it easy to learn something every time you pick up your instrument.
The more accomplished you get at playing the ukulele, the more trained your ears will become at telling if it is in tune or not. There are several ways to tune the ukulele to itself, the adjacent string method, as favoured by guitar players or the nonadjacent string method. We will talk you through the second method here, but bear in mind that you should only use this method if you don’t have a conventional tuner and only intend to play alone. This method refers to the standard GCEA tuning. For this method to work the player must choose one string to arbitrarily assign as being ‘in tune’, such as the E string. Now, using the E string as reference, hold this down at the third fret and it will give the note G. Play the open G string and the E string at the third fret and adjust the G string so that the tone matches. Once the G string is in tune, move on to the A string. The second fret of the G string will produce the A pitch, so adjust the A string to match this. Finally, the third fret on the A string will produce the C note, so adjust the A string to match. Use one reference to tune all your strings
Tuning up I was recently given a second-hand ukulele as a gift and I would like to start teaching myself to play. How do I know if my instrument needs tuning and how do I go about tuning it? Ukulele for Beginners 135
Helpdesk What is a metronome? I have read about using a metronome while practising. What is a metronome and how can it help my playing? A metronome is a device that counts time by producing regular sounds. This is a useful tool when you need to practise at a certain tempo or if you’re trying to increase your speed on the ukulele. The tempo of a metronome is measured in beats per minute (BPM) and metronomes come in three forms – mechanical, electrical and software. A traditional metronome is a triangular device that holds a metal ticker with a slider through which you can adjust the speed. Most modern metronomes are electronic, but follow the same basic principle and use electronics and quartz crystal to maintain the beat. Metronomes are useful for practising scales and increasing your speed. You may only be able to play a scale at 90bpm at first, but by practising with a metronome and increasing the tempo at which you practise every day with, say 5bpm, you will train your fingers and brain to play quicker. It is also possible to get metronome apps for your smartphone that work just as well as the more traditional models.
Improve your speed with the help of a metronome
“Metronomes are useful for practising and increasing speed”
Positioning your ukulele strap I am just starting out with an electric ukulele and want to know how high I should set my strap?
Attach to the pin on the end of your ukulele if it has one (as in the picture above). If not, you can use a shoelace to attach the strap to the uke’s neck. 136 Ukulele for Beginners
You don’t want the ukulele set too high or you’ll be tied up with tension trying to play appropriately and it will hurt your hands, so adjust the length.
The opposite is also true – strap your ukulele too low and you’ll have a hard time getting your hands in the right positions to fret and pick.
Your ukulele You’ll want to know all about your instrument as you learn to play it, so here we examine different types of ukuleles and how to maintain them Changing the strings
There are lots of ukuleles to choose from
How often should I change the strings of my ukulele? I have heard conflicting answers but am unsure as the strings on my ukulele have been on there for a couple of years at least, so how do I know if they need changing? Ultimately, your ears will tell you when they need replacing. Over time, dirt and oil from your hands will build up on your strings, causing them to become tarnished and start to sound dull and lifeless. Washing your hands prior to playing will help prolong the life of your strings, but other factors, such as the natural stretching of the string over time, will require you to change your strings regularly. You will know if your strings need changing if you have a harder time than usual getting your ukulele in tune (and, in turn, keeping it in tune), if the tone of your ukulele starts to sound flat or if the strings begin to discolour. So, if you play often, you may need to change the strings every several months. There are also a few common factors to take into account to determine how regularly your strings need to be changed. For example, players who sweat more will need to change strings more often, people who smoke or play in smoky venues will need to change their strings more often, and folk who play aggressively and dish out more punishment on their strings will need to change them more regularly than gentler players. When buying new strings, be aware that they come in varying gauges (which is the thickness) and you will find that the lighter-gauged strings are much easier to fret.
Ukulele brand What brand of ukulele do you recommend for beginners and how do I know what to look for when buying? One of the best things about learning to play ukulele is that it isn’t an expensive instrument to learn. You can pick up a decent ukulele for around £40/$50 – so even if you find that you don’t like it (which is unlikely) then you won’t have paid out an excessive amount of cash. As you go up in price range, the overall quality of the instrument will improve and you’ll be dealing with ukuleles built with solid wood rather than laminate wood or plastic. Different woods have different tonal characteristics, some woods are rarer and more prestigious than others, which could also affect the price range and some of the more expensive ukuleles may be handmade and feature finer finishings, such as pearl inlays and better tuners. Essentially, the more you pay, the better the quality and craftsmanship involved. In terms of brands to go for or avoid for beginners, let the price points rather than the manufacturer guide you, at least until you get to a certain level of expertise where you’d want to splash out on a more elaborate instrument. We can, however, recommend the following ukuleles for beginners; Makala Dolphin Soprano (a great allround instrument for a bargain price), Lanikai LU-21 Soprano (a laminated wood instrument that looks the part), and the Kala KA-T Mahogany Tenor (ideal for players with larger hands.
For a couple of reasons. Most new ukuleles leave the factory strung with generic-type strings, which are fine for tinkering with in the shop, but if you want a clearer, richer sound then you’ll be amazed at how different a decent set of brand-name strings will sound. After all, the existing strings could have been on there for years and be worn out and corroded – and just imagine how many other sets of hands have had a good twang on them before you! Ukulele strings lose quality gradually over time the more they are played and tuned down and up again, so if you want your ukulele to sound as good as it possibly can, then a new set of strings will make all the difference for your instrument.
Types of ukulele What are the different types of ukulele available and what sort should I go for an a beginner? Ukuleles come in four sizes – soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. A soprano ukulele is usually about 21 inches in length and is generally the most popular ukulele for beginners and is famous for its jangly sound so often associated with ukuleles. Concert ukes measure 23 inches in length and produce a more fuller sound. The frets are also more spaced out meaning it is better for large-handed players. Tenor ukuleles measure 26 inches in length and boast a much broader sound, largely thanks to more frets, so you are able to reach higher notes on the fretboard when playing it. Finally, the baritone ukulele measures 30+ inches in length and is tuned to DGBE, which is the equivalent to the tuning of the bottom four strings on a guitar. The result is a much deeper sound.
Why change the strings? Replace your strings regularly for the best sound
I have heard that it is a good idea to replace the strings on a newly-purchased ukulele as soon as you buy it. But if the whole thing is new then why should I do this?
Choose the highest quality ukulele you can afford
Ukulele for Beginners 137
Helpdesk
“Your arm should swing up and down in a steady motion, never pausing”
Techniques Once you’ve mastered the basics and grown accustomed to your instrument, it’s time to develop your playing further Improving your strumming My sense of rhythm is appalling and, as such, my basic strumming technique is all over the shop. Do you have any good tips or tricks for bringing new vibrancy to my strumming? One of the main ways to bring new life and energy to otherwise routine songs is using an interesting strumming pattern. To practise your strumming, form a G7 chord on your fretting hand and then strum down and up on the strings while counting out loud, “one and two and three and four” – the numbers being a downward stroke and the “and” being upward. This will help you keep to a steady time. Also it is wise not to strum too hard as this will cause the strings to rattle. Think of your elbow as being the top of a pendulum – your arm should swing up and down from it in a steady motion, never pausing at any time. 138 Ukulele for Beginners
I’ve heard of artificial harmonics – what are they? I have heard of a technique called artificial harmonics. Is there such a thing as natural harmonics, and how do I produce the artificial kind on my ukulele? Natural harmonics are created when your finger is directly above the desired fret and you are barely touching the string. Immediately after picking the string, come away from it and it should ring quite a bit higher than normal. Artificial harmonics are when you strike the string with the picking hand’s thumb as you cross the string with your hand. This is usually done in a downward motion and depends on where you are picking. To do this, grip the tip of your pick so that when you strike the string it catches your thumb and you will hear a harmonic generated over the initial note. This technique
sounds best on an electric ukulele but can work on an acoustic ukulele too. Take time to practise this strumming technique and you’ll be able to added a pleasing extra dimension to your playing that your audience will really dig. Bring out harmonics for a twist on the usual notation
Fingernail maintenance What’s the best way to groom my fingernails for ukulele playing?
It is important to keep both hands limber
Ukulele players like to keep the nails on their fretting hand short and those on their strumming hand long. The reason for this is because the nail is 50 per cent responsible for the tone and volume of their instrument and also aids speed and accuracy while playing the ukulele. So while having long nails is by no means essential, it can certainly help – and they don’t have to be too long. The ideal length can be determined by holding your hand flat in front of your face with the palm facing inwards. If you can just see the nails protruding over the top of your fingertips your nails are the perfect length for easy finger picking.
Exercising both hands Why is it important to develop the technique of both hands for playing? If you are concentrating purely on your fretwork, a lot of the subtleties of playing the ukulele are lost. Both hands are equally important and if you want to become a more accomplished player you shouldn’t ignore practising and developing techniques for your strumming hand. As such, never rely on a pick alone to strum the strings, make sure you use your fingers to get a feel for them and work on a few arpeggios to give your playing hand a thorough work out at the start of each session.
Thumbs up? I have heard plenty of conflicting views on the correct position of the thumb on your fretting hand while playing. So where exactly should it be?
Make sure your ukulele is in good shape when you play with others
Some think the thumb should be pressed against the back of the neck and others say it’s fine to rest the flat of the thumb on top of the neck. Either is fine really – you should position your thumb in a place that aids your playing. The latter method does mean that the thumb can be used as a fretting tool.
What are ghost notes? I have heard the term ghost notes. What are these exactly and how would I go about playing them on my electric ukulele? Think of ghost notes as notes that are felt but not heard. Ultimately, ghost notes are artificial harmonics. These are harmonics that are generated by picking a string with both your pick and your thumb. This causes the note and a harmonic (an octave above the note) to sound. This can be done on any ukulele, electric or acoustic, although most people are familiar with this technique through playing an electric ukulele. Depending on your tone settings, amp and effects, ghost notes can cause quite an intense, eerie sound and are good for fleshing out your compositions and adding more depth to the sound. In terms of your ukulele settings, the best way to set things up is to plug your instrument into the amp and sit as far away from it as your cable will allow. Now, starting with one dial on your ukulele, experiment by tweaking it a little and then playing a chord. Take note of the sound and then move the dial some more to get your preferred result. Don’t forget to experiment with the dials on your amp too. Small, subtle adjustments can make a big difference to the sound that comes out and, if you are a performing ukulele player, you’ll want to ensure that your uke is set to the levels that make it sound best prior to taking to the stage. Ukulele for Beginners 139
Helpdesk Stopping unwanted noise I have started playing solos on my electric ukulele and am having a hard time keeping all the lower strings from ringing out while soloing on the higher ones. How can I mute unwanted noise? There are a couple of methods, the most popular one being to try muting the other strings with the palm of your picking hand. However, we have discovered down the years that the most reliable technique for muting unwanted noise if you accidentally hit the other strings while soloing is to use the thumb of your picking hand. Basically, the thumb rests on all of the lower strings – lower down than where the pick is. For example, if the pick is currently playing a note on the E string, then the thumb would be muting (touching) the C and G
strings. The A string would be muted by one of the fingers on the fretting hand, usually the first finger. Practising this thumb-muting technique can be frustrating at times and may feel slightly unnatural at first. The biggest problem to overcome is the new positioning of your picking hand. If you are used to muting with the palm then it will undoubtedly feel awkward to reposition your picking hand so that it is more parallel with the strings. The best solution is to stop trying to rest the palm on or near the bridge of the ukulele. Yes it will feel strange and alien at first but the more you practise using this technique, the easier it will become. Ultimately, once your develop this technique you will be able to play with more confidence and it will greatly enrich your sound as the intended strings will ring clearer.
“The biggest problem to overcome is the new positioning of your picking hand” Skilful soloing I am struggling to improve my soloing skills and wondered if you had any tips to help?
We know that speed isn’t everything, but set a metronome at a tempo you feel comfortable with and practise some scale runs, triplets or quadruplets. Increase the tempo gradually to push your boundaries. 140 Ukulele for Beginners
Ensure you nail the accuracy. The only way to do this is to go through the passage slowly playing every note until you have them all correct and ingrained into your visual and muscle memory. In short, don’t rush.
A useful exercise is to pick four notes and play them in a different sequence repeatedly to help improve your speed and stretch your fingers. Often you can find great melodic lines by just fooling around in this way.
“The flexibility that being able to read music affords you shouldn’t be underestimated”
Reading music There is no law that says you have to be able to read music to play ukulele, but it can definitely prove beneficial to your playing Learning to read I am a complete musical novice who has just picked up a ukulele and I was wondering if I should learn how to read music to help improve my playing? While learning to read music will undoubtedly stand you in better stead moving forward and developing, it is by no means essential – some of the greatest players of all time can’t read a note. That said, it’s really not hard, and by doing so you will be able to learn new songs and develop much quicker. For example, by reading music you aren’t just limiting yourself to ukulele music, you can get some really good ideas and arrangements from being able to read piano music. One of the best things about music is the way in which you can borrow certain elements from different disciplines and adapt them for your own purposes. This could be borrowing an
arrangement from piano sheet music or adapting horn parts or fiddle tunes to use and reinterpret in your own musical arrangements. The flexibility that being able to read music affords you shouldn’t be underestimated when you are considering the benefits of putting in the time and effort. Ultimately, though, whether you decide to learn to read music or not, you should continue to enjoy playing ukulele on whatever terms.
Terrifying terminology I know nothing about ukulele terminology – can you tell me what chords, scales, barre chords and power chords are? A ukulele chord is a collection of tones or notes played together at once. By fretting (pressing down on) the strings in certain places, ukulele chords are formed and you play them by strumming all the
strings at once. For example, if you press down on a string and pluck it, the sound that comes out is a note. If you are pressing several strings down at once and strumming them then the sound that is played is a chord. A scale is a collection of notes in ascending or descending order. If you want to progress on to playing solos and riffs, scales are the perfect place to start because they strengthen your fingers, develop picking technique and help co-ordination. Barre chords require you to press down on multiple strings with your index finger on a single fret. They are more difficult to play since they require more strength and effort from your fretting hand. A power chord, in most cases, is nothing more than a barre chord where you only play two or three strings instead of strumming all of them together. Know what you want to hear out of your ukulele and then focus on that specific area of expertise. Ukulele for Beginners 141
Helpdesk Persevere for perfect barre chords
Struggling with barres I have been playing ukulele for a while and am now starting to learn barre chords. However, I am struggling to contort my hand into positions that don’t feel natural, so is there an easy way to learn barre chords? In a word, no. Barre chords are notoriously hard, but there are a couple of handy pointers you can take note of. If you look at your index finger, it has a slight bend in it, which leaves the middle of the barre hard to press down. Rotate your finger slightly so that the knuckle is facing the top of the ukulele and this will flatten the finger, making it considerably easier to barre the strings. You will need to develop muscles that you have probably never used before, so keep at it!
More tips for barre chords How can I strengthen my fretting hand to better prepare myself for playing barre chords? One of the main issues with barre chords is that they require quite stretchy fingers and so a good, basic exercise to stretch your fingers is by simply stretching them as far as you can for a few seconds. Hold your hand out in front of you and stretch the fingers out as far as they will go and then clench your hand into a fist. Repeat this a few times every day and you should definitely feel a marked
“When playing barre chords, be aware of what the thumb on your fretting hand is doing”
improvement before too long. When playing barre chords you should also be aware of what the thumb of your fretting hand is doing. With the ukulele (much more so than with guitar), you can place your thumb wherever you want, even wrapping it around the neck to aid in your fretting. But this is not the case when playing barre chords. You will need to place your thumb against the back of the neck, allowing the possibility for your fretting fingers to reach further around. This is especially important because you want to only fret the string you want to fret and not cause other strings to buzz by touching them accidentally. Like with all aspects of ukulele playing though, practice makes perfect and then more you practice and develop your barre chord fretting, the easier it will undoubtedly become.
Beginning with barre chords Which barre chord shape should I begin learning and how should I practise switching from chord to chord?
The first shape you should learn is A major because it is one of the easiest. You can play the A chord by fretting the G string at the second fret and the C string at the first fret, however it is also possible to play this barred. 142 Ukulele for Beginners
Stretch your index finger out across all four strings of the second fret and press down tightly so that all of the strings ring true, then fret the E string with your middle finger at the third fret and the G string with your ring finger at the fourth fret.
Barre chords can offer a variation in tones and can make a piece of music more interesting. They can also be moved easily along the neck whilst keeping the same hand position. That way, similar chords can be easily played.
Practising Practice is vital if you want to progress as a ukulele player, so here we look at ways that you could improve your playing over time Practice makes perfect I don’t seem to be getting any better; how much time should I spend practising? The obvious answer is however much time you can spare, but we’d recommend at least half an hour a day to condition your fingers and make sure you don’t forget anything. If you know some chords then you already know enough to strum quite a few simple songs and play some simple riffs. You also know enough to start writing and playing some of your own songs, so there are plenty of avenues open to you. The important thing to remember is not to run before you can walk. Familiarise yourself with a few chord structures at a time and then work on making the transition between them sound as seamless as possible – getting good, clean contact on the
strings so that they don’t buzz and swift movement without looking at what your fretting hand is doing. As soon as you have mastered a decent array of chords you’ll be able to start playing songs, which is immensely satisfying because you have a clear gauge on how far you will have progressed as a player. Once you can play songs you can also start improvising and adding little licks here and there to flesh them out beyond the chords.
Basic songs I would like to learn some songs. Could you recommend some easy ones? There are loads of easy songs to play on the ukulele that only consist of a handful of chords. For example, you could try ‘You Are My Sunshine’, by Jimmy Davis. Using just the C, F and G chords you can instantly
strum out this recognisable classic. Or how about ‘I’m Yours’ by Jason Mraz? This song is made up of four easy chords – C, G, Am and F. And the best thing about it is that once you get used to this chord progression you will be able to use it to play many more songs as well. The strumming pattern may take a little getting used to, but that is why YouTube was invented, right? You will find a great many tutorial videos that show you the basic chord patterns and demonstrate the various strumming techniques required to give the song its identity. You should also make a point of visiting websites such as Ultimate Guitar Tabs. The name suggests it specialises in the guitar tabs and chords but it also caters for ukulele players and virtually any song, new or old can be found here along with detailed instructions on how to play it. With a little scouting around you can bolster your set list in no time.
“Don’t run before you can walk. Familiarise yourself with a few chord structures at a time”
Ukulele for Beginners 143
Helpdesk Professional help In your opinion, what is the best method for learning ukulele? Do I need a tutor or can I get by using books or DVDs? You can get by quite happily using books or DVDs; in fact, we would heartily recommend doing so to begin with so that you can get accustomed to your instrument and ascertain if you like playing and wish to continue. However, we have found that books and DVDs, while beneficial for helping you learn chords and strumming patterns, are no long-term substitute for a professional tutor. A good teacher can further your development quickly over a short space of time and prevent you from developing bad technique,
which could hamper your playing further down the line. So if you can afford it, book lessons with a tutor, otherwise just continue enjoying your instrument, as you no doubt have been.
What are arpeggios? I have often heard of the term arpeggios being used in relation to guitar playing as a good way of warming up, but I don’t know what they are or even how they should sound. Please can you enlighten me? Ukulele arpeggios are indeed a useful and worthwhile limbering up exercise, but they can help you in the long term, too, by giving your solos some melodic and vivid parts.
“Arpeggios are built up as regular chords, but instead of letting all strings sound at once, you are hitting one string at a time”
Arpeggios are built up as regular ukulele chords, but instead of letting all of the strings sound simultaneously, as you would normally do with chords, arpeggios are played by letting each note sound one at a time. For example, if you fret a chord – any chord – then a good, simple arpeggio can be played by picking each string in succession. To warm up your picking hand, fret a basic G chord and use each finger of your picking hand to pluck a string. So, your thumb would pluck the C string, then your index finger would pick the E string and your middle finger would pick the A string. Run through the sequence of notes and then reverse your playing back through it, and so on. Repeat this sequence a couple of times and then change the chord with your fretting hand while continuing to play the sequence for a nice, smooth transition. Not only is this a great way to loosen up your fingers prior to a session, but it is also a useful exercise to help you get accustomed to picking individual strings. As you get more proficient at finger picking arpeggios, the less you will have to look down at your ukulele as you play.
Recording Professional studio recording will be out of reach for most beginners, but you can get great results by recording at home Digital acoustic recording I love playing my ukulele and I want to record some tracks with it. However, I want to edit them using a computer and obviously I can’t plug the ukulele into my machine directly because there are no pickups. How can I record acoustically on the computer?
Apogee ONE is a great option for acoustic and electric recording 144 Ukulele for Beginners
It really depends on your budget. The cheapest option would be to buy a USB desktop mic and plug it into your computer. Make sure you stick the mic near the soundhole of the ukulele (but not so close that your fingers get in the way) and record what the mic hears into your favourite audio editor, like GarageBand or Audacity. A decent desktop mic can be picked up for around £25/$39, or your computer may have one built in (but keep in mind you won’t have much flexibility of movement if this is the case). Another option is to use a USB audio interface with a built-in mic. If you use a Mac, the Apogee ONE can be bought for around £120/$180 second hand and comes recommended. The method of recording your acoustic ukulele is the same, but you will notice a great difference in the quality of your recording. You can also record through the microphone of your tablet or smartphone and then export the recordings to your computer software.
Mix it up What is mixing, and is it important? After you’ve finished recording all your ukulele and backing tracks, you will need to mix them together to make it sound good, usually into a two-channel stereo. The bad news is that entire books have been written on this topic, so it’s not an easy matter to get to grips with. To start with, you should edit the volume of each individual track until you’re happy with the sound they all make. Once you’ve got that, you can start to pan your tracks to the left or right speaker if you feel it adds to the mix.
Sounding different I just nailed the perfect take on my ukulele, but it sounds dreadful when I play it back – what am I doing wrong? The solution is usually a lot simpler than you may think. If you’re recording through a microphone, make sure it’s not too close to the soundhole or amp, or you may get an unwanted distortion effect. Also, be sure to check the volume of the track on
the computer – if it’s +10dB it probably won’t sound quite right. In many recording programs, you can opt to monitor your ukulele through headphones as you go. This way you can hear what your recording will sound like. Also, this will mean you can listen to a backing track without the mic picking it up. If you don’t wear headphones, yet still monitor your ukulele, you run the risk of creating cacophonous feedback, which will be captured by the mic!
Tablet recording Is recording using an iPad really a viable option for a decent result? It certainly is, but you will need your fair share of apps and accessories for it to work, like the iRig that we covered earlier in this book. Many popular artists are using iOS’s diverse range of music apps to create great sounds for their albums, but few are recording their entire record on the tablet. The iPad does have a few things going in its favour, though. One is its portability, which means it can be taken anywhere with your music still on it. If you want to lay down a track in your lunch break then there’s no better way of doing so, and iCloud support means you can carry on where you left off when you get home.
If your ukulele recording looks like this, you may want to adjust the position of your microphone
Backing tracks My playing is improving and I feel I’m ready to join a rock band and record for a bigger sound. However, I’m struggling to join one, and I’m living in a small apartment, so I have no room for other instruments. Can I make a backing track for my ukulele using a computer? Most definitely! In fact, these days, it’s far easier and cheaper to record synthesised instruments on a computer. All you need are some instrument plugins, many of which can be freely downloaded from the internet. If you’re on Windows, you will probably want a VST; if you’re on Mac, you’ll want a VST or AU (audio unit). How you install these plug-ins depends on your audio editor, so search the program’s help files for assistance. When your plug-in is installed you can use a MIDI keyboard to play what you’re looking for. If you don’t have a MIDI keyboard, don’t worry, as many editors enable you to control the VST with your computer keyboard. It must be said, however, that digital instruments are in no way a substitute for the real deal, but they do help those of us with limited resources.
Ukulele for Beginners 145
Helpdesk Can I use effects pedals? I am keen to expand my ukulele sound and wanted to know if I could use effects pedals more commonly associated with electric guitars on my electric ukulele? Effects pedals do indeed come in many varieties. From neat little stomp boxes to full-on rackmounted effects pedals, there’s lots to choose from. However, only some of these effect sounds are practical for ukulele players who still want a relatively traditional sound. The if you wish to experiment with pedals then the good news is that some can indeed be used to compliment the traditional sound of your instrument, but not all – so let us give you a few pointers on what we think works best. Delay is probably the first effect that comes to mind when using a ukulele. Many professional players employ a little delay when performing or recording and this effect essentially records the notes that you play and then repeats them back after a specified amount of time (rather like an echo). Reverb is another type of ‘echoey’ effect but instead of repeating back clear individual notes like the delay pedal, the reverb unit creates a wash that
sounds like the notes being held longer. This is a particularly good effect if you need a space filler without over-populating your track with notes. Then we come to EQ. An equalisation pedal is perhaps less of an effect and more of a soundshaping tool that allows you to raise or lower the level of individual frequencies. An EQ lends itself particularly well to the ukulele as it can reduce harsh treble frequencies or a muddy low-end to produce more interesting sounds from your instrument. EQ pedals are controlled with frequency bands, which are operated with sliders to adjust how much you cut or boost he frequency. Experimenting with these sliders provides an exciting array of parameters to play with and, thus, a varied tonal palette for your ukulele that you will undoubtedly have great fun playing around with. Finally, a chorus pedal can work well, in moderation, with a ukulele. It delays the notes you are playing for a few milliseconds and de-tunes the delay track, modulating the pitch that is detuned and making for some interesting, fat, swirling sounds. You can experiment with other effects but be aware that they will probably take the sound of your ukulele far away from the traditional sound.
Sharing As you create music, you may wish to share it with others – but how do you go about doing so? Feedback needed I’ve recorded a few basic riffs and played them to my friends. They’re really into them, but I want to get more feedback on them before I develop the pieces into a full-length song. What’s the best way to do this? The internet makes it relatively easy to obtain feedback on your work. You could upload the riff to a forum that specialises in the genre of music you play, but these are often frequented by advanced amateurs and professionals, so their advice may not be too helpful if you’re a beginner. A better bet would be to find beginner-focused websites and forums, as these will contain many like-minded individuals willing to help out and provide feedback. They’ll also be able to offer feedback on your recording methods as well as your playing, so you can improve in several key areas. If you receive constructive negative feedback, make sure you use it to improve your recordings. If you own an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, a good way of getting feedback is to use an app such as Riff Raters. Riff Raters enables you to upload 20-second riffs to the app, which can then be rated out of five by members of the Riff Raters community. If your 146 Ukulele for Beginners
riff is rated highly enough, it will reach the feature top 25, where it will gain you even more exposure and feedback. The full version of Riff Raters costs £1.49/$1.99, but you can see how it works with a free Lite version. Although you won’t be able to record and upload your riffs, you can see how the process works and listen to the different riffs that others have uploaded.
Upload your riffs to get a range of feedback on your work
Upload a song Are there any good websites to upload a song to? I don’t want to spend anything in the process. You’re in luck, as there are several! The one that we would recommend is SoundCloud, which is a fantastic website to share your music on. Although it has many premium pricing options (from €29 to €500 a year), the free service gives you two hours of music to upload, so unless you’re a songwriting maniac, you probably won’t run out any time soon! You can either share your track to every social networking service under the sun, or you can opt to share it to a SoundCloud group. If you share it to a group, make sure you pick one with interests similar to your genre, as you’ll get far more listens and more accurate feedback that way. Listeners can also favourite and comment on your track. A slightly more surprising option to get your songs on the web for free is YouTube. You can just upload audio to the site. Once your track is uploaded, add it as a video response to a popular track that’s similar to yours. This will ensure you get some listens and likes. Many modern artists have been discovered thanks to technology such as this, so could you be the next?
Up for sale How can I get my work up for sale on the big digital distribution services like iTunes? I’m working on writing a full album and I want to know that when I’m done I can make some money from it! You’re best off looking at services like CD Baby and TuneCore, which will upload your music to all the major players in digital distribution, like iTunes, Amazon MP3 and Spotify, as well as selling it on their own site. Some services will charge a one-off fee and take a cut from each sale, while others will charge a yearly fee and let you keep all the profits. However, once your music is on these services, the real work begins. Because of their major popularity, it’s highly unlikely that people will just stumble upon your music. You’ll need to consider using social networking services like Twitter and Facebook to get the news out there.
Getting heard I know internet radio is incredibly popular, so how can I get my music on a station? I know I won’t be able to get on national radio, but there are so many stations out there and I’d love to be played on one. Instead of sending your demo into DJs like in the old days, there are a few websites that enable to you upload your music for the chance to be on their radio. One such site is www.amazingtunes. com. By uploading your music, you stand the chance of being played on their very own Amazing Radio, which is on digital radio. It doesn’t matter what genre you play either, as they have DJs who specialise in indie, ambient, folk and loads more varied stuff in between.
You can use various services to get your music on iTunes If you get selected to be played, you’ll receive an email from the DJ telling you what show you’ll be on – so be sure to tell everyone you know and everyone they know to listen in! Besides those people that you do tell, you’ll never know who else might be listening. A slightly less direct way of getting on the radio is through www.slicethepie.com. At Slice The Pie people can listen to and rate your music, and if they
really like it they can choose to invest. If you get enough fans investing, you will be in with a chance of being played, as well as having enough financial backing to take a giant leap and record your first album. As ukulele playing is still something of a departure from more conventional guitar-based music, you’ll have to work hard to create a truly unique sound, but you can rest assured there are like-minded people out there who will enjoy it.
Facebook fans How can I get my band and music on Facebook? I want fans not friends!
Rather than sign up as a person by using the text fields, click Create a Page for a Celebrity, Band or Business below them.
Click Artist, Band or Public Figure, select Musician/ Band, name yourself, then agree to the terms and conditions and click Get Started.
Now link it to your personal Facebook account if you so wish, and you’ll have the chance to start adding fans and promoting your music! Ukulele for Beginners 147
Glossary
Glossary A B
E F
Bridge
Fingerboard
The bridge is found towards the base of your ukulele. It supports the strings, allowing them to vibrate and produce a pitch.
The fingerboard tops the neck of the ukulele and is divided up into notes. The size will differ depending on the type of ukulele.
C Chords A chord is group of notes that are played together simultaneously, working either in harmony or with dissonance. These can be strummed or plucked.
t#BSSFDIPSE A barre chord is a chord where a finger, usually your index finger, is used to press down multiple strings at the same time.
Finger-picking Finger-picking is when you use the fingers of your strumming hand to pick individual strings of the ukulele, rather than strumming all of them at the same time.
Fret Frets are the gaps left on the fingerboards that are separated by strips of metal. These vary in size to allow you to play different pitches.
G H
t#BTJDDIPSET These will be the first chords that you will learn on ukulele and will consist of mainly open strings or easy fret positions. They will be major or minor.
t$IPSEQSPHSFTTJPO A chord progression is a series of chords that relate to each other, requiring you to move from one to the next. This gives a piece of music its harmonic movement.
Chnk A chnk is where you have strummed a chord on your ukulele and immediately dampen with the side of your thumb.
D
Harmonics A harmonic is achieved when a note is played, but not fretted, at various parts of the ukulele string.
Headstock The headstock is at the very top of the ukulele. Its main purpose is to house the tuning pegs, holding the strings in place at the head of the instrument.
I J K
This headstock of the ukulele is where you will find the tuning pegs
Key signature A key signature is found at the beginning of a piece of music. This will tell you which notes of the music will be played as sharps and flats.
L M Major This is a term that can be applied to either a key signature or chord that will make the resulting idea sound ‘happy’.
Minor The opposite of major, it will make the key signature or chord being performed sound ‘sad’.
N Nut The nut is a small piece of hard material (usually plastic) that supports the strings at the end closest to the headstock.
O Octave
“Finger-picking is when you use the fingers of your strumming hand to pick individual strings of the ukulele” 148 Ukulele for Beginners
This is the distance of one note to the next of the same name. It is 12 semitones apart, or a note 12 frets higher on your ukulele.
P
Plectrum A plectrum is a small, usually triangular device, which is used to strum the strings of the ukulele. It can either be made of felt or plastic.
Q R S Scale A scale is an organised set of notes and can be played in an ascending or descending sequence. The two most popular types are the major and minor scales, with the sequence always remaining the same regardless of the note you start on.
Slide A slide is a technique where you move your fretting hand up or down from one note to the next without plucking or strumming again.
Strumming Strumming is the technique of using the nonfretting hand to strike all of the ukulele strings at the same time to play a chord. This can either be a downstroke or upstroke.
:PVDBOFJUIFS TUSVNUIFTUSJOHT UPHFUIFSPSGJOHFSQJDL
Syncopation
t%PXOTUSPLF A downstroke is the strumming technique where the non-fretting hand moves from the string closest to your face to the one furthest away.
Syncopation is where the rhythms being strummed are being played off the beat, or filling in the gaps of the pulse.
T
t6QTUSPLF An upstroke is created when you strum from the furthest string up to the one closest to your face.
t4XFQUTUSVN A swept strum is very similar to a downstroke except the finger ‘digs in’ a little to the string, especially at the start of the stroke. It is shown by a vertical wiggly line. :PVDBOTFUUIFUFNQP POBNFUSPOPNF
Tablature
piece of music. It will tell you how many beats there are in a bar, and what type of beat it is.
Tremolo Tremolo strumming is where you rapidly repeat a single note or notes in quick succession.
Tuning
Tablature, or tabs, is a form of notation for ukulele players that uses numbers and letters. It requires no previous knowledge of formal musical notation.
Tuning is making sure that each string is pitched to the correct note for the type of instrument. Standard soprano ukuleles use C6 tuning, which is the notes G C E A.
Tempo
Tuning peg
Tempos are indicated at the beginning of a piece of music to tell you how fast to play. It can either be a number (BPM) or, commonly, an Italian term.
A tuning peg is a device that is used to hold the string in place at the headstock. It can be loosened or tightened to change the pitch up or down.
t"OEBOUF This is a moderately slow tempo, with an English definition of ‘walking pace’. It is usually around 100 beats per minute.
t"MMFHSP Allegro is a fast Italian tempo term meaning quick or lively. It is around 120-140 beats per minute.
t"EBHJP This is a slow tempo indicator, but not as slow as largo. It is around 60-70 beats per minute.
Time Signature A time signature is found at the beginning of a
U V W X Y Z Ukulele for Beginners 149
Chord list Major chords Get a happy sound with these shapes Basic major chords are incredibly popular in Western music, probably because many of them are easy to play and they give your songs a happy feel. These chords contain the first, third and fifth notes in the corresponding major scale. It’s worth noting that the ‘major’ isn’t often referred to when you see these chords written down.
Key 1 Index 2 Middle 3 Ring 4 Little X: Don’t strum this string
A G
A#/B E
A
1
1 2
C
G
C
A
1 1
1
2
B E
2
2
G
3
4
4
4
5
5
5
C#/D 1
C
1 1 2
3
A
1 1 1
G
C
G
A
1 1 1
G
C
E E
A
1
3
3
4
4
4
5
5
5
E
1
1 2
C
2
A
G
C
3 4
1
1
1 2
2
3
A
G
C
3
A
G
1
2
E
A
3
2
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
3
C
1
3
150 Ukulele for Beginners
2 3 4
G#/A E
1 2
A
1
G E
E
2
F#/G
F G
C
1
3
5
2
G
2
4
1
5
2
4
A
4
1
1
E
2
D#/E E
C
3
3
D E
A 1
2
3
C E
1
3
G
C
1
3
1 2
3
Minor chords The best way to get a sad sound A basic minor chord will give you a much sadder sound than a major chord. This is because the third note in the major scale is ‘flattened’ in pitch by one semitone. For example, ‘E’ is the third note in the C major scale (CDEFGAB), and this is flattened by a semitone to E to give a C minor chord its distinct melancholy sound.
Key 1 Index 2 Middle 3 Ring 4 Little X: Don’t strum this string
Am G
C
A#/B m E
A
1 2
G
E
Bm A
1 1 1
1
2
C
2
G
3
3
4
4
4
5
5
5
C#/D m G
C
E
1 1 1
4 5 6
G
1 1 1
3
3
C
G
A
3
5
G
C
E
Em A
1 2
2
G
3 4
4
4
4
8
5
5
5
F#/G m
1
1
E
A
2
2
4
C
E
1
1
2 3
G
2
G
C
2
3
3
G#/A m E
2
A
1
1
3
A
1
Gm A
E
2
7
C
C
1
3
Fm
A
4
3
G
E
1 1 1
3
1
2 3
C
2
D#/E m E
1
1 2
A 1
Dm A
Cm E
1 2
3
C
2
G
C
E
1
1
2
4
A
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
2
3
3
4
Ukulele for Beginners 151
Chord list Dominant seventh chords Improve your progressions with seventh chords The chords we have seen so far consist of the first, third and fifth notes of a scale, so the next step is the seventh. A dominant seventh chord (shown simply as ‘7’) is formed with the first, third, fifth, and flattened seventh notes of a scale. ‘B’ is the seventh note in the C major scale (CDEFGAB), so C7 can contain C, E, G, and B .
Key 1 Index 2 Middle 3 Ring 4 Little X: Don’t strum this string
A7 G
C
A#/B 7 E
A
1
1
G 1
C
1
E
B7 A
1 1 2
G
C
C7 E
A
1
1
1 1
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
C#/D 7 1
C
E
1 1 1
G
C
A
2
1 1 1 2
G
4
5
5
5
1
1 2 3
3
1 1 1
2
A
G
C
3
4
4
5
5
152 Ukulele for Beginners
G
2
2 3
4
E
A
2
3
4 5
C
G#/A 7 E
A
1
1
1
C
1
G7 A
1 2
3
E
G
3
2
F#/G 7 E
E7 A
2
4
F7
E
2
4
C
3
1
3
G
C
A
2
1
3
E
1
D#/E 7 E
1
2
2
2
D7 A
C
1
2
G
2
G
2
G 1
3
C
3
4
4
5
5
A
1 2
2
3
E
3
4
Major seventh chords Tricky to achieve, but they’re worth the effort Major seventh chords (maj7), are similar to dominant seventh chords, but they include the natural seventh note in the major scale, rather than a flattened one. For example, Cmaj7 would feature C, E, G, and B, rather than the B from the dominant, as B is the seventh note in the C major scale. Using a major seventh chord will give your tunes a warm, happy feel.
Key 1 Index 2 Middle 3 Ring 4 Little X: Don’t strum this string
Amaj7 G 1
C
E
A#/B maj7 A
1 2
G
C
E
Bmaj7 A
1 1
1
2 3
G
C
E
Cmaj7 A
1
G
1 1
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
C#/D maj7 1
C
E
1 1 1
G
2
2
4
5
5
Fmaj7 C
E
G
2
2
3
3
4
3
2
C
E
E
2
5
1 1 1
E
A
1 1 1
3
7
3
8
Gmaj7 G
C
E
G#/A maj7 A
1 2
C
6
4
A
1 1 1
3
G 4
5
C
Emaj7 A
1
3
A
1
2
D#/E maj7 A
1 1 1
G 1
2 3
2 3
F#/G maj7 A
1
5
E
3
4
G
C
1
2 3
2
Dmaj7 A
E
1
2
G
C
G 1
1 1 1
C
E
A
1
2
3
3
4
4
4
5
5
5
3 3 3
Ukulele for Beginners 153
Chord list Minor seventh chords Jazz your songs up with some m7 chords Minor seventh chords (m7) use the flattened seventh note seen in dominant seventh chords as well as a flattened third note found in basic minor chords. So Cm7 would contain C, E , G, and B . E and B are the third and seventh notes respectively of the C major scale, and they are both flattened here to create the m7 chord.
Key 1 Index 2 Middle 3 Ring 4 Little X: Don’t strum this string
Am7 G
C
A#/B m7 E
A
G
C
E
Bm7 A
1 1 1 1
G
C
Cm7 E
A
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
C#/D m7 G
C
E
G 1
2
2
3
3
1 1 1 1
5
1
C
1
A
G
2 3 4
3 4
5
5
2
G
4
4
2
5
5
3
E
1 1 1 1
Em7 A
1
G
4
E
A
2
3
3
4
4 5
G
2
C
2
2 3
C
G#/A m7 E
A
1 1
1
1
A
2
Gm7 A
3
4
154 Ukulele for Beginners
E
1 2
3
C
E
1
2
4
A
C
1
F#/G m7 E
2 3
1 1 1 1
D#/E m7 E
1
Fm7 G
C
C
1
Dm7 A
1
4
1
G
2
G 1
C
3
4
4
5
5
A
1 2 2
2
3
E
3
Suspended chords Add subtle variations with suspended shapes So far, all the chords we’ve looked at have featured the third note of their corresponding major or minor scale. Suspended chords (sus) don’t, usually replacing it with either a second (sus2) or a fourth (sus4). So Csus4 would feature an F (the fourth note in the C major scale) instead of the E found in a major chord. Here’s a list of sus4 chords.
Key 1 Index 2 Middle 3 Ring 4 Little X: Don’t strum this string
Asus4 G
C
A#/B sus4 E
A
1 2
G
C
Bsus4 A
1 1
1
2 3
E
2
G
3
4
4
4
5
5
5
C#/D sus4 1
C
E
1 1
G
2
3
4
5
1 2
C
5
G
E
4
5
5
3
3
4
E
Esus4 A
G
4
C
E
A
1 2
3
3
4
4
2 3
5
G
2
3
4
C
C
E
G#/A sus4 A
1
2
2
2
Gsus4 A
1
1
4
C
A
4
1
3
5
A
2
3
G
4
E
5
F#/G sus4 E
1
1
3 4
2
4
C
1
D#/E sus4 A
4
Fsus4 G
E
G
3
1
3
4
3
C
1
2
2
1 1
3
Dsus4 A
A 1
2
3 4
Csus4 E
1
3
G
C
G 1
1
C
E
A
1
2
3 4
3
4
4
5
5
2 3 4
Ukulele for Beginners 155
Chord list Sixth chords Increase your repertoire with these next-level chords Sixth chords ten to consist of a major triad with the interval of a sixth added. They have a root tone, then a third, then a fifth, and finally a sixth to finish it off. These chords often have a jazzy sound and as such are often used to round off jazz performances. The major sixth is the most common form, consisting of a major triad with a major sixth.
Key 1 Index 2 Middle 3 Ring 4 Little X: Don’t strum this string
A6 G
A#/B 6 E
A
1
1 2
C
2
G
C
B6 A
1 1
1
3
E
2
2
G 1
C
C6 E
A
1 2 2
2
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
1
C
E
1 1 1 1
G
C
E
A
1
1 1 1 1
G
C
E
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
2
E
A
1
1
1 1 1 1
F#/G 6
F6 C
E
4
3 4
5
5
G
1
2
2 3 4
E
A
3
1 1 1 1
G#/A 6
G6 A
C
E
A
1
2
4
156 Ukulele for Beginners
C
1
2 3
3
G
C
E6 A
2
G
G
A
3
D#/E 6
D6 A
E
2
3
C#/D 6
C
1
3
G
G
G 1
1
2
C
E
A
2
1
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
3
4
Ninth chords Build your skills and work out those fingers with more chords These chords often involve barring and are more complex than other chords, so shouldn’t be attempted until after you’ve mastered the basics. Here, the chord encompasses the interval of a ninth when they are arranged in close position with the root in the bass. These chords typically include a major seventh and a triad.
Key 1 Index 2 Middle 3 Ring 4 Little X: Don’t strum this string
A9 G
C
A#/B 9 E
A
1
1
G 1
3
2
C
E
B9 A
1
1
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
5
5
5
C#/D 9 G 1
C
1
E
1
3
3
C
2
A
G
1
1 2
3
A
3
3
3
3
G
C
E
1 1 1
1
2
2
3
3 4
5
5
5
5
F#/G 9 E
A
1 2 3
1 3 3 3
G
C
E
G 1
2
2
4
4
5
5
1 3 3 3
C
E
A
3 3 3
G#/A 9 E
A
1 2 3
C
1
G9 A
1
3
4 G
4
F9
1
E9 A
4
C
A
4
4
G
E
5
1
1 2
C
2
D#/E 9 E
1
2
2
G
C9 E
1
D9 A
C
1
2
2
G
G
C
E
A
1
4
1
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
2 3
4
Ukulele for Beginners 157
tr Sp ia ec l o ia ff l er
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Play in the style of…
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