Playing Down the Neck

So, I've been playing for a good bit but it's all been self taught and I've missed a few of the really noobie questions, this one is:
Why is it whenever I get the tab for a song, all the chords are at the very end of the uke? at least when they're tabbed chords
example what I'm talking about being
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_0zA-FnmDM
^how'd he figure out which chords he wanted at the head and which ones went farther down?

I've found a nice little collection of chords down the neck here
http://www.ezfolk.com/uke/chords/

but I never know if i should try to just throw them in and if I do how/if I should change the pitch I'm singing. I get the feeling its just a matter of trying it out til it fits your liking, but BLEH that's a lot more working going into the song. I hear that song writing is a lot of work but I was hoping there was an easier way than that.
Thanks for the help.

Sometimes it gives a nice variation if you play the inversions instead of the open chords. Sometimes I'll play the inversions while my wife plays the open chord. Another thing you cna do is play the chord in two different positions for the duration of time you are on the chord for an accent. I'll do that with A7 play it at 0100 then throw in an A7 at the 7th fret 9790.

Or I'l play the song one time through using open chords and do an instrumental with the inversions.

Citrus said:

I get the feeling its just a matter of trying it out til it fits your liking, but BLEH that's a lot more working going into the song. I hear that song writing is a lot of work but I was hoping there was an easier way than that.
Thanks for the help.

Click to expand...

You're right, it's a LOT of work.. at first. But after you go there a few (hundred) times, it'll be more automatic. You'll just kinda say, hey, I need to head south here and then do it. Keep at it, and it'll be a more fluid process.

Citrus said:

I've found a nice little collection of chords down the neck here
http://www.ezfolk.com/uke/chords/

Click to expand...

That's pretty cool, thanks for sharing! :cheers:

When you say "down" the neck, don't you mean "up" the neck?

Ukantor.

ukantor said:

When you say "down" the neck, don't you mean "up" the neck?

Ukantor.

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I believe you are correct, my lingo is off since I've never had a teacher for a stringed instrument of any kind. In any case, thank you a lot for your help everybody.

If you liked the chord chart I found, I also found a super secret chord chart, apparently chords straight out of area 51 or something.
http://www.scorpex.net/uke/secret_chords.pdf

When I played Neil Youngs Helples there are only 3 chords so to make the intro chorus and verses sound a little different I play they chords 3 different ways( 3 inversions of the same 3 chords). It looks like I'm playing a lot of chords but I only play a D A and G chords.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2S6se2TLQw

"chords straight out of area 51 or something."

They're chords Jim, but not as we know them.

Ukantor.

TokyoUketarist said:

When I played Neil Youngs Helples there are only 3 chords so to make the intro chorus and verses sound a little different I play they chords 3 different ways( 3 inversions of the same 3 chords). It looks like I'm playing a lot of chords but I only play a D A and G chords.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2S6se2TLQw

Click to expand...

nice video man, I'd have never guessed its was 3 chords.

uknator:
Where we're going, we don't need chords /random quote goodness

update:
I figured out what I was doing wrong. You see when I was trying to switch to a higher chord I was just barring the fret that I wanted to lift the chord to ie when i wanted to raise F from G2E1 by a 3rd I'd play G5C3E4A3, which is fail.
Now I'm using the right chords and all is well in the jungle, thanks for your help everybody.

side note: not having an instructor is hard, but you guys make life a little easier