Advice to beginners-learn the neck!

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Jonmiller

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My folks have now been playing uke for 6 years with a local group, after taking beginning classes and retaking them, they are still playing 1 and 2 finger chords in 1st position.

Uke has always been marketed as a "simple" instrument, "learn to play in one lesson", and that's true you can, but it is an also an honest instrument that tons of music can be played on-much more than just strumming out chords.
Learn your chord positions! If you learn one, you learn 12, they just live on a different fret and have a different name.
2) Family of chords-example. C F G Am, E7 A7 D7. Concentrate on one key at first.
Scales-Take that C chord and play the C scale up and down. Concentrate on the 1, 3,5 notes in the scale (C E G)-including the 3 different chord positions up the neck (connect the dots).
Play a melody that you know 1st with single strings then, holding that chord position-move your fingers around to find the melody.
Music, whatever instrument you learn, is like a language-once you learn some vocabulary, the world of music opens up! Honest! If I can capture a melody in my head, I can play it-in any key (some much better than others of course)-it's not talent, it's just having a little knowledge.
If you can grasp this-you are on your way!
 
Thanks for the encouragement... and the challenge.

Keep uke'in',
 
Jonmiller said:
My folks have now been playing uke for 6 years with a local group, after taking beginning classes and retaking them, they are still playing 1 and 2 finger chords in 1st position.

Uke has always been marketed as a "simple" instrument, "learn to play in one lesson", and that's true you can, but it is an also an honest instrument that tons of music can be played on-much more than just strumming out chords.
Learn your chord positions! If you learn one, you learn 12, they just live on a different fret and have a different name.
2) Family of chords-example. C F G Am, E7 A7 D7. Concentrate on one key at first.
Scales-Take that C chord and play the C scale up and down. Concentrate on the 1, 3,5 notes in the scale (C E G)-including the 3 different chord positions up the neck (connect the dots).
Play a melody that you know 1st with single strings then, holding that chord position-move your fingers around to find the melody.
Music, whatever instrument you learn, is like a language-once you learn some vocabulary, the world of music opens up! Honest! If I can capture a melody in my head, I can play it-in any key (some much better than others of course)-it's not talent, it's just having a little knowledge.
If you can grasp this-you are on your way!
Click to expand...

great advice but I am content and happy knowing what little I know. IF I went through all that, then the uke turns into work. Am I lazy or complacent? Probably but I mainly play by ear so I do experiment but I have no desire to learn all the notes/chord positions. Evenn though I know i should:)

what do you recommend folks use to practice this knowledge?
 
Learning the fret board is definitely a plus, but can be a daunting task.
At a minimum however, I would encourage all to learn the musical alphabet (A,A#/Bb,C,C#/Db,D,D#/Eb,E,F,F#/Gb,G,G#/Ab)
When you know the alpahbet and where the root note is in a chord shape you can move it anywhere on the fret board.
Being able to play chords in other than 1st position is one of the keys (IMHO) to get you off the beginner plateau and on your way to bigger and better things.
Keep in mind that there is nothing wrong with strumming open chords and singing your heart out, if that is what you want to do.
 
If the theory and "oh but that's REAL practicing!" is daunting, and I'll be honest, I know it's good for me, but I don't like the thought of doing it either, then think of it like this. Take a song like House of the Rising Sun - Am, C, D, F, Am, E or E7, Am.. and so on. But then maybe kick the D up the fretboard. I come back down to the F because to my ears it just sounds silly going higher... but to each their own.

So there you have it, applied theory. Don't think of it as theory, just try the chord higher up the neck. Do it on songs your comfortable with. Before you know it, you're starting to move out of the 5 fret comfort zone more and more. Learn songs the easy way first, and then make them more difficult as you get to know them. I agree with the OP, trying to move out of 1st position comfort zone is a good thing.
 
This may be a dumb question, but how do I know WHERE to move the chord or note to? Do I just take the same chord shape and move it higher up the neck to where ever I please? Is there someplace I can go to learn what the other chord positions and note positions are, or what the root of a chord is (or even means?).
 
Jonmiller said:
My folks have now been playing uke for 6 years with a local group, after taking beginning classes and retaking them, they are still playing 1 and 2 finger chords in 1st position.

Uke has always been marketed as a "simple" instrument, "learn to play in one lesson", and that's true you can, but it is an also an honest instrument that tons of music can be played on-much more than just strumming out chords.
Learn your chord positions! If you learn one, you learn 12, they just live on a different fret and have a different name.
2) Family of chords-example. C F G Am, E7 A7 D7. Concentrate on one key at first.
Scales-Take that C chord and play the C scale up and down. Concentrate on the 1, 3,5 notes in the scale (C E G)-including the 3 different chord positions up the neck (connect the dots).
Play a melody that you know 1st with single strings then, holding that chord position-move your fingers around to find the melody.
Music, whatever instrument you learn, is like a language-once you learn some vocabulary, the world of music opens up! Honest! If I can capture a melody in my head, I can play it-in any key (some much better than others of course)-it's not talent, it's just having a little knowledge.
If you can grasp this-you are on your way!
Click to expand...

I'm not actually sure HOW to learn the neck :/ any noob friendly advice?
 
If you are looking to move chords up the neck, get the Fretboard Roadmap book. It is excellent in teaching you how to form the moveable chords and where you can play them on the fretboard (or neck).
 
From my perspective as a singer strummer and NOT a virtuoso picker, I choose to
focus on learning chords - generally in first position but not averse to 2nd and 3rd position
when I want a higher pitched sound.

My joy is in finding a song I want to sing (and eventually share with my song circle) and
working out the background chording that helps me sing that song the way I remember hearing it.

In the beginning I used mostly major chords, minor chords and 7ths. Then I started learning the
diminished and augmented sounds, minor 7ths, etc. It's been a process, mostly by ear.

It's been pleasant and rewarding. Perhaps learning the fretboard at the beginning could have
assisted me, however, although it's a challenge, the main factor is WHY? Why learn the fretboard?

"Should" needs to be explained to me - as in 'because we should'.

Like haolejohn I'm pretty happy with what I know for now. If anyone can help me understand
precisely WHY we should or need to learn the fretboard, wow, that would be a great help in
motivating me (and probably many others) to do so.

Thanks, and keep uke'in',
 
haolejohn said:
great advice but I am content and happy knowing what little I know. IF I went through all that, then the uke turns into work. Am I lazy or complacent? Probably but I mainly play by ear so I do experiment but I have no desire to learn all the notes/chord positions. Evenn though I know i should:)

what do you recommend folks use to practice this knowledge?
Click to expand...

I tend to agree with haolejohn too. I am quite content just playing songs with the chords I need to know to play. If I had to learn the entire neck, that would not be fun and for me I would no longer have fun playing and would probably stop playing.
 
Ahhh- but think of the great intros, turn arounds, endings and instrumentals you could be adding. Sing song circles are great if one has a great voice and it's fun to sing harmonies in a small group, but it's also great fun calling out tunes and trading solos back and forth. I still encourage beginners-look beyond, it's quite rewarding and not that difficult. Grab a familiar chord shape and start moving a finger above or below-the melody is right there at those tips.
 
I got my first 'uke ~8 months ago, so I'm still a noob. But I'm seeing real progress, not only in playing more songs, but in understanding how chords are composed and where they are on the 'uke. This document shows the chord forms:
View attachment 19236

You can get a larger version by Googling "Ukelele Chord Forms".

Study it for a bit and you'll get it. You have to practice making these new chords to appreciate it.

I try to spend some time every day learning a new song/playing familiar ones, and some more "taking lessons" - playing chord families, reading simple music (so far, like Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, or Bolero), and (when I force myself) scales. The balance teeter-totters, depending on my mood. I sure am having a great time!:D
 
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As I stated in my first post, there is nothing wrong in playing all open/first position chords.
You SHOULD NOT feel like this is something you have to do, or I agree it may take the fun out of playing and to me that is number one priority.
I find I like playing up the neck when everyone else in the circle is playing position 1, it adds a depth to the group.
The fret board roadmap book is an excellent reference tool for learning chord positions.
I think another big reason for playing up the neck is for chord melodies, again not for everyone.
 
I think that it really depends on what you are looking to play for. If you just want to accompany yourself while singing, or get together in a kanikapila or campfire with friends, I think there is nothing wrong with playing only first position chords. I believe that a lot of people turned to the ukulele just because they found it more accessible and easier to play than a guitar or other stringed instrument. For those folks, I believe live and let live and let them have fun with that playing style -- if it makes them happy that is all that matters.

I do believe for other folks (like those of us who sound like wounded animals when we try to "sing") there is a great deal of value in learning fingerpicking, learning the fretboard and movable chords. And for those in that boat, I appreciate your suggestion.

I guess I just feel that the ukulele is by nature a less mainstream instrument in many parts of the world (outside of Hawaii) and part of what makes it so unique is that we all play differently -- some strum and sing, while others fingerpick melodies. Some people swear by low g tuning, others think anything but re-entrant is not an ukulele. So I hesitate to enforce rules or "shoulds" on anyone in the ukulele community. Whatever floats your boat, I say.
 
As was stated, there is no issue if someone is happy playing basic chords in first position. There are certainly advantages to learning the various positions up the fretboard. Sometimes playing in a different position may actually make fingerings and movement from one chord to another easier. It gives you more options. It can give you different (*warning- scary theory term coming*) voice leading which may sound nicer or fit the melody line better. It will give some variety when playing with groups of ukers so not everyone is thinking along at the same chord position. It can actually make things even more fun.

Knowing what note/voice is on each string can make it easier when playing unfamiliar chord types, especially those with altered tones, as you don't need a chart but just know what finger needs to be moved to form the new sound.

Start by taking some easy songs that you are really comfortable with, perhaps some 2 or three chord songs and learn them in a different position. You're on your way. There are a number of books which can help. As mentioned in another thread, the "Neck Anywhere" book is also helpful (http://www.washtubjerry.com/)
 
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My teacher is helping me with this and I'm loving it. The more you work out yourself the more you retain.

Each chord is 3 notes.

I'm starting with the Major chords. A Major Chord is the 1 3 5 notes in a major scale. For example the C Chord is comprised of C (root note), E, G.

I start just on the first three strings - not playing the 4th G string. Three strings = at least three notes - one on each string.

I seek out the C (root note) low on the fretboard, than seek out the other two notes on the other two strings, and I have C chord.

Then, move up the fret board - seek out the root chord on another string and the the other two notes, and I have another higher C chord.

Then do it one more time moving up the the fret board. Then you have three C Chords. The chord shapes you make here will apply to all the other Major Chords.

Then do this again with the F chord and the G chord. Then practice a C-F-G-C progression with these 9 new chord shapes. Then start over in other keys.

It helps me to have some 'anchors' on the fretboard. I've memorized the open notes and notes on the 5th, 7th, 10th and 12th frets. Lambchop has a good post on his (or her) blog to help memorize these notes.

It is not as hard as it sounds, but it has helped me to have a teacher.

Snowed in in Atlanta - so lots of downtime to work out these chords. I'll later move on to minors , 6ths, 7ths etc..
 
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I think the idea of should is, I'm not the OP, but this is how I think of it - is that you love this instrument and the fretboard gives so many possibilities. It would be a shame not to learn a little bit more about it. Not because you're trying to be virtuoso. I'll never be, and most of the stuff I play is 1st position, but sometimes it's nice to discover a little something new every now and then. I take it slow, with songs I know really well.

The D I use up the fretboard is the Bb chord shape. It goes all the way up the fretboard. If you do it with the highest notes at the 3rd fret, that's a C chord, and not the inverted C that is what we gCEA players play. Go up one fret (a half step semitone), and it's C#, one more, and it's D.

I dunno if it's "correct" but sonically it is, and D,F#, and A are there - forming a D chord.

One thing I've been really lazy about and there's no excuse for it, is that I still have yet to learn how to read music on a uke. I sightread about the same level as the average musician I guess. There's just no shortcut. To put the notes on the page into notes on the uke, I have to practice my scales, and that's too much like work. I freely admit my failing there.
 
J_Tay81 said:
This may be a dumb question, but how do I know WHERE to move the chord or note to? Do I just take the same chord shape and move it higher up the neck to where ever I please? Is there someplace I can go to learn what the other chord positions and note positions are, or what the root of a chord is (or even means?).
Click to expand...

there is a theory to it but I just move around until it sounds right.
 
BadLands Bart said:
I tend to agree with haolejohn too. I am quite content just playing songs with the chords I need to know to play. If I had to learn the entire neck, that would not be fun and for me I would no longer have fun playing and would probably stop playing.
Click to expand...

I bought that fretboard roadmap book TWICE and gave it away TWICE:) I am working on a song that I ended up looking at other position for chords b/c the chords didn't go well together in 1st position. I pulled out my handy dandy chord finder book and found ones that worked together.
If my brain was wired differently, I'd go for the whole soloing thing and what not.
 
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