UKE Terms Help Please

pdxuke

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Hi Uke Friends:

Since my music degree is in vocal music, and my main instrument is clarinet, I need some help with some stringed instrument terms.

Chords: Chords are simply that; fingering charts to help you simply strum along whilst singing the melody. Correct?

Tabs: Here I get confused. Are tabs the way one translates the fingering to play the melodic line in chords? In other words, one uses tabs to figure out how to play an instrumental version of a song where the melody and chords are played at the same time? (E.G. An instrumental only version of FIVE FOOT TWO where one can hear both the melody and chord structure played jointly.) If I'm wrong about this, what does one call what I'm describing?

Thank you!

Thom
 
Hi Thom;

Super short answer...

Chords are (technically speaking) a minimum of 3 notes played at the same time. On the uke...that means place your fingers in the correct position, then strum.

Tabs (or tablature) is a notation system. As opposed to telling you what notes to play...it gives you direction to what fret position on what string to play.

Hope it helps.
 
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