what twisted mind came up with this chord? it's not natural to jam my fingers into that contorted tangle. but, i think it's some what possible.. two chord a day, review and put things in loop, use strumming and finger picking.. do exercise.. friday is free practice, and review. glad i got me an ukulele..
Dm chord..
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Jim Hanks
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Don't like 2210? Just play x210, i.e. don't fret or strum the 4th string. Easy peasy. 
ohmless
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I find the Dm often paired with an F chord. Do the F chord shape with your index and middle finger before putting the ring finger on the C string. It will click after a bit of practice.
Kyle23
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Which fingers are you putting on which strings? I never felt this was a crammed chord. I always found the D chord to be more crammed
robinboyd
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I agree. I've never found this to be a difficult chord. Perhaps you are doing something strange with your fingers...
Canada Jim
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An F chord is also an Dm7 (with no root), so it will not sound like a dischord if you follow Ohmless's advice and go first to the F.
CasanovaGuy
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If you started off with guitar, you might be using three fingers to play Dm because it's basically an Am shape on the guitar. Try using your index finger to hold the note on the E string and bending your middle finger to hold the two notes on the strings above. For guitarists, this shape would be hoodoo voodoo because the tip of your middle finger would most likely mute the A string above it, but for ukulele players the shape is viable because there's no strings above the G string to worry about.
You might want to get used to bending your middle finger because you might play a Dm7 chord (2213) in the future, or you might want to play an FMA7 (5500) on a soprano uke, which is tough to play with two fingers if your fingers are too big. However, using three fingers might be easier if you're going from F to Dm, as ohmless mentioned.
You might want to get used to bending your middle finger because you might play a Dm7 chord (2213) in the future, or you might want to play an FMA7 (5500) on a soprano uke, which is tough to play with two fingers if your fingers are too big. However, using three fingers might be easier if you're going from F to Dm, as ohmless mentioned.
JJFN
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Practice!!!!!!
What JJFN said, practice. Maybe because I play tenors do I not have a problem with a Dm, yes, it's just like an Am configuration on guitar, something I was very used to. Doing a D with three fingers is harder for me so I do it with my index finger on the G string and my middle finger on both the C and E.
phil hague
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I just cover the paired strings with one finger.
TopDog
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I too cover the 'paired' strings with one finger.It's easy,with PRACTICE! (Yes the dreaded 'P' Word again!)
Pukulele Pete
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At first I thought I will never get this chord right. I use 3 fingers and after alot of practice it is really easy now. It just takes practice.
If you cycle through Am, F, Dm, G7, it will eventually become easier. What had me stumped for a while was the transition from Em to Dm, but brute-force practicing helped. Sometimes it's a matter of technique, but more often it's just the practice-practice-practice thing. Try to put your fingers down together (someone called it "stamping") instead of one after another, if you come to Dm from, say, Em.
Tootler
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I never really found Dm to be a problem. I tackled it by playing F and adding a finger. Em was a different issue and it was ages before I could play it reliably. It was when I saw a friend go from G to Em by putting his pinkie down on the C string that I found a way to deal with it. Even now I play Em with Middle, Ring and Little fingers. It does have a downside. Adding a 4th finger on the G string makes Em a moveable shape but I don't use moveable shapes very often anyway. I should learn to play Em with first, 2nd and 3rd fingers but I am suffering from cba over the issue.
yupe.. practice, practice, and more practice. only been 3 days since i got the ukulele.. so.. it will take time. my older son who is in high school wanted one too, so just ordered him one.
squeezing ring finger under the middle finger is for whatever uncomfortable for me. i'm more used to playing thing with middle of the finger than tip.. trying to do anything with ring finger is, come to think of it, kinda hard.
squeezing ring finger under the middle finger is for whatever uncomfortable for me. i'm more used to playing thing with middle of the finger than tip.. trying to do anything with ring finger is, come to think of it, kinda hard.
ohmless
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the E chord takes time. lots of time. If memory serves me correctly it took me about 4 months to get it nearly every time. Practice with the Eb chord(same shape but first fret for the index finger) in Peggy Sue by Buddy Holly worked for me to get the chord shape for the E chord. I always barre it though and YMMV.
Some say it is easier to barre the entire 4th fret and put your pinky on the 7th fret of the A string for the E chord(a movable C chord shape). I didn't do this in learning because you have to move to a 4th fret position to do it which was too advanced for me at the time.
Some say it is easier to barre the entire 4th fret and put your pinky on the 7th fret of the A string for the E chord(a movable C chord shape). I didn't do this in learning because you have to move to a 4th fret position to do it which was too advanced for me at the time.
ohmless
Well-known member
I got to thinking more about the Dm chord and common "mistakes" for beginners. Some of the issue might be how you are holding the neck. It is more proper of a technique to hold the rear of the neck with your thumb pad instead of the web of your thumb. I just tried the two ways and the Dm definitely had more room for the fingers when held by the thumb pad. If it helps try to imagine lightly squeezing between your thumb and the fretted fingers in a "pinch" motion. Holding your thumb like this will also help with getting the ring finger to arch over the A string better when bridging for the E chord barre shape.
Rllink
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Those alternate chords up the neck are fine some of the time, but sometimes they don't sound good. Especially if one is playing in the first position, then go up five or six frets just for one chord.
Canada Jim
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If you play the E chord as 4442, you have a redundant B note on the first or fourth string. You could muffle the first string and play 444X or perhaps a 4444 B6 chord. Depending on the song, this may work. Or 4402 (BEEB) would give you an E power chord. How about 1442 (G#EG#B)? I haven't tried all of these. Just wondering.
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