The chords don't sound the same

Ramen Sora

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I've been following along with videos.

What am I doing wrong?
The only possibilities are...
- Not holding chords down hard enough
- Not tuned

Right? Is there anything else that can effect this?


Okay.
I recorded and...

My fingers aren't holding hard enough
Some of my strings are out of tune as well

Anyways, how long does it take for your fingers to get used to ukulele?
 
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try recording yourself and playing it back... it's possible that it sounds different because your ears are above the uke rather than in front of it...
 
You might be right about the tuning. Did you check that? Here's an online tuner if you need it.

Also, is it possible that you're using tabs incorrectly/upside-down? Sorry if that sounds absurd and I'm completely wrong, but that's the only other idea I had.

Anyway, good luck. I hope that helped. Sorry if it didn't.
 
Okay.
I recorded and...

My fingers aren't holding hard enough
Some of my strings are out of tune as well

Anyways, how long does it take for your fingers to get used to ukulele?
 
Maybe your fingers are holding too hard? They just need to press down enough to get the string to hit the fret. Any more pressure than that, and it might affect intonation.

JJ
 
Maybe your fingers are holding too hard? They just need to press down enough to get the string to hit the fret. Any more pressure than that, and it might affect intonation.

JJ

The strings on the first fret seem to be the ones I can't always nail.
I'll try holding the strings with a lighter grip, though.
 
The first fret seems to be the toughest. It gets easier with practice. You might want a repair tech look at the action. If the string height at the nut is too high it'll make even a good instrument tough to play.
 
it took me about a week of pretty solid playing to develop enough callouses on my fingers that it didn't sting after a while.
 
My little brother, when he was learning, dabbed superglue on his fingertips to toughen them up. He was learning on a steel string, and it seemed to help a lot. But I've never tried it, so I'm not totally sure.
 
also, it doesn't have to be continuous practice. sometimes, things just become easier after taking a break (dont know why but it happens)
 
My little brother, when he was learning, dabbed superglue on his fingertips to toughen them up. He was learning on a steel string, and it seemed to help a lot. But I've never tried it, so I'm not totally sure.

Ahh, I'll have to pass on that experiment lol.
 
Five years on and my fingers still have issues, mostly with busted nails. I think a couple months of regular playing usually solves the callus issue.
Checking the nut action is a good suggestion. Also, are you fretting the chord the same way the player in the vid is? (I know five C chord positions on my soprano, each of which sounds somewhat different.) And how a given chord is strummed affects its sound. For instance, a hard up strum using the thumbnail is going to sound way different than a gentle down strum with a fleshy bit.
 
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