How to handle Am7, the natural open chord in standard tuning?

MopMan

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I have been having trouble incorporating this chord because:

- I need a good way to support the instrument
- With all strings open, the support normally provided by my fingers on the fretboard is no longer available
- I need to use my fretting hand to support the neck of the instrument in some way without interfering with the A string
- All of the above makes it impossible for me to come into the next chord fluidly, because awkwardly moving out of my awkward neck support position makes for an awkward break in the rhythm


And making it extra challenging:

- Sometimes, the next chord I am aiming at is actually a barre chord, which requires getting my index finger back around the fretboard
- There seems to be no position in which I can place my fretting hand to both support the instrument and easily make it to this next chord without inadvertently muting the A string


Can anyone offer some advice as to how this problem is properly handled?

Thanks a ton!
 
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I don't have this problem but, I'd suggest a Para chord sling. Get about 8 feet of Para chord and double it. Tie a loop, just big enough to fit over a Tuner knob in the middle and then a knot in the loose ends about an arms length and a bit more. Put your right arm in the big loop and bring the string up over your left shoulder and put the small loop over the E or A string tuner knob.

You may have to adjust the length for the size Uke and size of you shoulders but that's the jist of it. The bottom end of the uke is supported by your strumming arm. No modification of the uke and pretty cheap. Fits in a gig bag and light weight.
 
Do you play with a strap?

This.

Or you use a different fingering. There are lots of Am7 variants available. 2030 2433 5757 998-10
Or just do Am for more options like 2000 5450 5453 9987
 
I hadn't considered using a strap for this... coming from guitar, once I learned how to hold the uke without a strap I never looked back. It seemed so liberating somehow:D Thanks for the suggestion.


Or you use a different fingering. There are lots of Am7 variants available. 2030 2433 5757 998-10
Or just do Am for more options like 2000 5450 5453 9987
I had thought about this, and it does solve my problem in a way--but I like the open voicing better in some circumstances and I want to have it at my disposal.


I don't have this problem
What's the secret? How do you hold your uke while strumming the open Am7?
 
I decided to get my uke to see what was up. I can basically hold the uke wedging it between my right arm and the lower bout of the ukulele. I can hold it up with my right hand pinky, as I only use the thumb, index, and ring fingers for fingerpicking, unless I pluck 4 strings at once, which also does not involve the pinky.

I can also rest the neck on my left hand index finger, generally at the joint where the finger meets the hand.

With the "wedge" hold (how I play), that gives me 3 options without a strap.
 
My right arm takes most of the weight, holding the uke against my body. My left hand takes the remaining fraction of weight, resting the edge of the fingerboard against the base of my index finger. As I play the Am7 I slide my hand up the neck to the right place and then roll it around to make the barre, adding thumb on the back of the neck.
 
I hadn't considered using a strap for this... coming from guitar, once I learned how to hold the uke without a strap I never looked back. It seemed so liberating somehow:D Thanks for the suggestion.



I had thought about this, and it does solve my problem in a way--but I like the open voicing better in some circumstances and I want to have it at my disposal.



What's the secret? How do you hold your uke while strumming the open Am7?

I can't put my thumb on the back of the neck due to a wonky thumb joint so I rest the neck on my forefinger's first joint and hold my fingers away from the strings. Even my thin line tenor has enough neck to hold my hand ~1/8" from the stings.
 
I checked it out and I seem o rotate my hand my a little and find that the neck, right at the first fret is supported by my index finger, and the pad of my thumb is on the top of the neck holding it. I did not know that I was doing this. I mean, I raise and lower the neck, move my hand around a lot. I never thought about it that much. I certainly am not rigid in my playing.

On further observation, if you bar the first fret with your thumb on the back of the neck, the just rotate everything, ninety degrees, you are there.
 
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I just open my fingers and the neck lays against my open hand. If you are relying on your fretting hand to hold your Uke, I reckon you are doing it incorrectly. The fretting hand should be able to move up and down the neck freely. Check out some tuition vids on holding the instrument.
 
On further observation, if you bar the first fret with your thumb on the back of the neck, the just rotate everything, ninety degrees, you are there.


Thanks, Rllink!! I tried making my barre, rotating 90 degrees around the neck and then back, and I can almost pull it off! With some practice I think I'll be able to make this work.
 
At first I didn't understand what you guys were talking about because I use beautiful hand-tooled leather straps. For you guys I removed the strap and played bareback. I jammed around with the blues in A minor. For the A minor dom7 I instinctively just moved my index finger above the nut and held the neck with my thumb at the base of the headstock and my index finger touching the strings above the nut just for balance, and obviously not hard enough to bend the strings. So that's just what I do when faced with your dilemma.
 
If you are talking about all strings open chord, I don't see much problem in that. Just move your index finger/hand hold past the nut. Then you can even wave with your hand sort of while playing the chord? And easy to move the support from the hand to more index finger if needed. Main thing is move the support past the nut.

Of course our physics may vary and what is easy for me maybe not so easy for you.
 
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