Chords by a beginner

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tooney

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Hi everyone. I started playing the ukulele about three weeks ago so am new to this forum. I've heard good things about this site.

My question is about barring frets. To play a B minor chord "bar the second fret and put the third finger on the 4th fret." It would be inappropriate of me to tell you just exactly what my chord sounds like. Let's just say that no matter how hard I try I can't get clear tones. Is this something that comes with practice? Any tips for how to get those sweet notes? Thanks.
 
tooney said:
Hi everyone. I started playing the ukulele about three weeks ago so am new to this forum. I've heard good things about this site.

My question is about barring frets. To play a B minor chord "bar the second fret and put the third finger on the 4th fret." It would be inappropriate of me to tell you just exactly what my chord sounds like. Let's just say that no matter how hard I try I can't get clear tones. Is this something that comes with practice? Any tips for how to get those sweet notes? Thanks.
Click to expand...

yep...


practice.
 
It just takes practice. You can also place your middle finger on top of the index finger for additional pressure.
 
Take your time, it'll come. Wait 'till you syart trying to make an Em quickly. Lol
 
Thanks, folks! I was getting afraid my hands weren't built for this. Practicing, I can do. Am starting to get some nice callouses. Even if I stink, I can do more now than I could 3 weeks ago. HA - checked out the thread on the Em chord. Like playing Twister!!!

Glad to know you're all here.
 
tooney said:
I can do more now than I could 3 weeks ago....
Click to expand...

Are you playing attention to yourself? See? You can do it. It really is just a matter of practice.
 
That's what I try to concentrate on, Sukie - that I am progressing, and it's not the speed of my progress, but that I keep moving forward and I enjoy it. I just needed to make sure that it's a matter of practice and that I'm not digitally challenged! :)
 
Try to make sure you thumb slides down to be under neath the finger you a barring with. I had the same problems with barred chords when I began 6 months or so ago. I found I wasnt getting the 'pinch' right as my thumb stayed up around the nut at the back of the headstock so I got dead strings when I strummed.
 
Aloha Tooney,
Yup everyones right practice....you need to build the strength in your fingers and flexability
in your fingers, hand, and wrist....practice and time will resolve those issues...and make
sure you press hard enough on the frets to get them sounding right!!!!Good Luck and keep
them strings vibrating!!! Ukuleles are forever Uke On!!! MM Stan.....
 
As all have said, practice. I advise folks to practice barring across frets for a few minutes every practice session.
With GCEA tuning strumming open is a C6 chord, at the 5th it is F6, 7th it is G6.
It is a touch thing, too loose and you get duds, too tight and you cramp.
Make sure you uke is perpendicular to the floor, if you can see all the fret board you are making it difficult to fret.
If the action on your uke is too high (string height of the fret board) that may be causing difficulty as well.
So keep up the good work, sounds like you have made great strides in a very short time.
 
I just "cheat" and play Bm as X222. ;-)

The fourth string is just doubling the first string anyway.

JJ
 
My first bit of advice would be to experiment with your thumb placement behind the neck. Holding your thumb properly makes a world of difference in your ability to arch your fingers correctly for fretting chords cleanly. When I'm barring the Bm chord my thumbprint is centered on the back of the neck, "rolled" slightly to the left, directly behind the metal part of the 2nd fret.

I would also follow Uncle Rod Higuchi's "disposable" method for learning songs. You can download that for free here. His Ukulele Boot Camp practice sheets are also helpful.

In our uke ministry we play a couple of songs that go from G to Em quickly. One of my students decided it was easiest to just hold that G chord and add the pinky finger to the C string 4th fret. Lo and behold, everyone else liked it too.
 
Thanks for the 'endorsement' RevWill.

Just keep at it and in the next 3 weeks you'll be strummin' along without a hitch, ... well almost.

The neat thing about playing and practicing the uke is the oftimes 'delayed' satisfaction that comes
a couple of days (if you practice daily), or a week or 2 (if you only practice occasionally) later when
you begin to notice that you no longer have the same concerns about forming and changing chords
in time with the music.

It's a wonderful discovery and it's all (make that ALL) due to your diligent practice!

Want more wonderful discoveries? Keep practicing.

Keep uke'in',
 
cdaviszwo said:
Try to make sure you thumb slides down to be under neath the finger you a barring with. I had the same problems with barred chords when I began 6 months or so ago. I found I wasnt getting the 'pinch' right as my thumb stayed up around the nut at the back of the headstock so I got dead strings when I strummed.
Click to expand...

Huge help - THANK YOU. Just tried it and it sounded much better.
 
SailingUke said:
As all have said, practice. I advise folks to practice barring across frets for a few minutes every practice session.
With GCEA tuning strumming open is a C6 chord, at the 5th it is F6, 7th it is G6.
It is a touch thing, too loose and you get duds, too tight and you cramp.
Make sure you uke is perpendicular to the floor, if you can see all the fret board you are making it difficult to fret.
If the action on your uke is too high (string height of the fret board) that may be causing difficulty as well.
So keep up the good work, sounds like you have made great strides in a very short time.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the encouragement and kind words from all of you! I'm loving this little instrument as much as I hoped I would. Just making noise automatically calms me down. Then managing to find a chord w/o looking is uplifting! Changing where I hold my thumb in back, and the position of the fret board has made a huge difference - can you hear my (almost) sweet D major???? ... there goes that pesky E string....

Coincidentally, I added barring to tonight's practice session! The fellow from Hawaii Music Supply on YouTube suggested picking each string at each of the first 4 frets - said doing it daily will help with forming your chords if you stick with it, so also do that.

This is a wonderful forum. Thanks.
 
Want more wonderful discoveries? Keep practicing.

Great words - I just put that up on the refrigerator. :)
 
And Aloha to you too, MM Stan,

I think you'd be pleased to see the marks in my fingers tonight. LOL
 
tooney said:
Hi everyone. I started playing the ukulele about three weeks ago so am new to this forum. I've heard good things about this site.

My question is about barring frets. To play a B minor chord "bar the second fret and put the third finger on the 4th fret." It would be inappropriate of me to tell you just exactly what my chord sounds like. Let's just say that no matter how hard I try I can't get clear tones. Is this something that comes with practice? Any tips for how to get those sweet notes? Thanks.
Click to expand...

I bar the second fret for strings C, E & A. Then I put my ring finger on the G string 4th fret. For me, it seems a little easier to play especially when you start learning the moveable chords!
Try it you might find it a little easier!!!
 
I hold down my pointer with my middle finger, like was said, and hold the fourth fret with my pinky. It's more comfortable, and can make a lot of changes that much easier where it's become automatic.
 
Try double barring i.e bar down with finger one and hold that down with finger two. Finger three holds down the B note. Simples
 
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