Ukulele lesson. First things first, I'm not a professional ukulele player nor a musician. So my blog is mostly on sharing of what i have learnt so far as well as some additional study to further understand things. Why? Anyone would have the curiosity to ask things like:-
"Why does my fingers got jumbled up when switching in between chords?"
"How do I play like that guy?"
This happened to me in the beginning...
Did a lot of searching and YouTUBE-ing to get it right.
But still tangled up sometimes.😇
"How do I play like that guy?"
Of course I'm not that good yet..
But I know one thing for sure is to PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE....
As the saying goes "Practice Makes Perfect"
I have a colleague who told me; "I'm too busy to practice."
Well, as a working adult, we should know how to allocate our time well.
So my recommendation is, at least 10 to 15 minutes a day of your time.
"How do you know that alternate chord is there?"
Yup~! I'd like to know that too.
From this post header, it's a lesson #000 so basically, it's going to be a simple basic things to know before you really get it started on the ukulele journey.
Lesson #000
As usual I won't go through any of this. But you can click on the header text and it'll link you directly to WIKIPEDIA for some basic information like History, Construction, Types & Sizes, Available Tuning, etc.
Parts Of The Ukulele
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| Parts of the Ukulele |
Yes. My PEAVEY Composer Ukulele has a loop sided sound hole and an extra one on the side.
Tuning The Ukulele
From my previous blog "Ukulele - I'm Learning It", I own a PEAVEY Composer Ukulele. It comes with a standard G-C-E-A tuning. I'm still a beginner, so we'll stick to this standard tuning at the moment.
Please do take note that it is also important to know which type of tuning you are at, as it helps when you are buying a new set of strings.
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| Strings & Frets |
- Identify each of the string positions and its related tuning pegs / machine heads.(Refer Strings &Frets diagram above)
- Ensure that you have a tuner on hand. You can either use a Chromatic Tuner (Physical Device) or the Tuner from Google App Store / Apple Store depending on your phone. (Example shown below DaTuner (Lite) / Chromatic Tuner (Physical Device)). Either way works fine for my case.
- Clip the physical device tuner on the edge of the headstock per the below picture. Switch it on and toggle the option to Ukulele if it's a multi options model. If you are using the phone app, launch the app and place as close as possible to the sound hole.
Now you are ready to start tuning. Refer to point number 4 Physical Device Tuner if you are using the physical device chromatic tuner. Refer to point number 5 Phone Applications Tuner.
Clip Tuner to the edge of the Headstock - Physical Device Tuner: Begin plucking each string and turn the tuning pegs until you achieve the required key/note before moving on to another string. If it is in tune, the indicator will positioned itself in the center and blink GREEN (this happens for my tuner) to indicate it is in tune. Tighten the string if it is under tune, loosen string if it is over tuned. Pluck a few more times to finalize the tune that it is correct then you can move on to the next string.
Chromatic Tuner (Physical Device) - Phone Applications Tuner (DaTuner-Lite): Begin plucking each string and turn the tuning pegs until you achieve the required key/note before moving on to another string. If it is in tune, the indicator will positioned itself in the center and blink GREEN to indicate it is in tune. If it is not in tune, it will show ORANGE with the bar indicator below the distance of the tune is from with reference to the frequency tone (shown bottom right corner of the picture). Tighten the string if it is under tune, loosen string if it is over tuned. Pluck a few more times to finalize the tune that it is correct then you can move on to the next string.
DaTuner (Lite) (download via App Store)
How to Hold The Ukulele
There are many opinions and tips all around the internet on what's the best way to hold it. You can do either sitting or standing.
I've read this sentence all around the net; "When you are standing you can hold it against your chest and keep it there with your strumming arm."
I still couldn't adjust myself to playing while standing.
As for sitting down, I rests the ukulele's body on my lap, and the strumming arm on the ukulele. This is what I can manage for the time being.
One thing for sure is that don't hold it too tight. The sound that is being generated by the body / soundbox will be dampened.
Practices / Excercises
- Practice makes perfect, spend at least 10 to 15 minutes a day at least or anytime of the day to practice on any simple music that you like. Make sure that it isn't too complicated cos that will make you demotivated. Playing at long hours for practice is a pain and tiring as well.
- Play it slow and steady, and most importantly, accurately. Practice on how to avoid the buzzing and muting sound. Then only speed up to the tempo.
- Find exercises for strumming and fingering which help to change chords. Not to forget the scales is a must for practice too.
- If it still doesn't sound right, find YouTUBE for practice. Listen, pause and try, then replay.
- Relax & Have fun. Don't stress yourself. If you stressed yourself, then you aren't enjoying it anymore.
Grooming
Yes. Last but not least, GROOMING. Please make sure that the fingernails are cut short especially for the fretting hand. This is to get a nice clean sound when fretting using the finger tips.
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