Music Theory

Ok, So I feel comfortable to say I understand the basics of music theory as it relates to the Ukulele.

I understand how Chords or formed though the use of scales and all the fun stuff.

One question I do have though relates to something I vaguely remember seeing on a different thread.....but I forget which thread or I might not have to ask this question.

are their names for chords when you play them in a different spot then their "standard" position? ex. G Major is 0232....but if you play it as 7776 is there a way of identifying/saying it as that particular G Major without writing out the chord like I just did?

Unfortunately not. When you're talking like chorale music or piano, there are inversions.

Root : Root on bottom
1st : 3rd on bottom
2nd : 5th on bottom
3rd : 7th on bottom (if a 7th chord)

But what I do on guitar and uke is specify what fret its on. like "6th fret G" (7776) or "Open G" (0232)

I would disagree with mmorris; I think we can use the inversion names on uke just the same as we would for any other instrument or written music.

As mmorris mentioned, it all has to do with what note is the bass note (or on the bottom) of the chord.

For example (in re-entrent tuning):
The C chord
root position is 0003
1st inversion is 5433 (the bass note is E - produced by the C string 4th fret)
2nd inversion is 0787 (the bass note is G - produced by the open G string)

Unfortunately, some of the inversions could be created using different fretting - but it will still be called a root position, 1st or 2nd inversion based on what note is in the bass.

I think an easy way to identify chords is to refer to them by position. Which is mostly if you just divide up the fretboard, ever 4 frets is a position.

For Example,

G 1st Position would be 0232

G 2nd Position would be 7775

G 3rd Position would be 12 11 10 10

Now I am confused. I thought G 1st would be 2320???
Based on strings being 4321 top to bottom or is this based on something else? Help please...

papplehead said:

I think an easy way to identify chords is to refer to them by position. Which is mostly if you just divide up the fretboard, ever 4 frets is a position.

For Example,

G 1st Position would be 0232

G 2nd Position would be 7775

G 3rd Position would be 12 11 10 10

Click to expand...

I agree with this.

uncle tom said:

Now I am confused. I thought G 1st would be 2320???
Based on strings being 4321 top to bottom or is this based on something else? Help please...

Click to expand...

that sort of numbering is done left-to-right as if you were looking at a chord diagram. (i.e. facing at the fretboard while holding the uke in front of you with the headstock up.)

don't worry, you're not the first (and probably not the last ) to be confused by that. it's not really intuitive, especially if you know that the strings are numbered in the other direction.

(I love standards... there are so many to choose from!)

Howlin Hobbit said:

that sort of numbering is done left-to-right as if you were looking at a chord diagram. (i.e. facing at the fretboard while holding the uke in front of you with the headstock up.)

don't worry, you're not the first (and probably not the last ) to be confused by that. it's not really intuitive, especially if you know that the strings are numbered in the other direction.

(I love standards... there are so many to choose from!)

Click to expand...

What he said.

GCEA
0232

Yeah, I get confused by words and how we use them too. If someone is talking about a chord, and mentions 2nd position, I automatically think they're talking about the 2nd position inversion, and not 2nd position, higher on the fretboard. And sometimes they are talking about inverting the chord and sometimes not.

just for my own use, I will notate as follows:

'G7' = (open) 0212

'G7 superscript (2)' = 4355

'C7' = (open) 0001

'C7 superscript (2)' = 3433

'superscript' means writing a '(2)' above and to the right of the '7' in G7 or C7.

I'm NOT making a Theory statement, just a way for me to remember that I want a higher voicing for the G7 or C7 at that point in the song.

I also notate my diminished chords as '1 superscript 0' = 0101 or (first diminished fingering), '2 superscript 0' = 1212 or (second diminished fingering), and '3 superscript 0' = 2323 or (third diminished fingering), since I do NOT know the correct name to give the fingering in specific keys. So rather than calling ALL 2323 chords either C dim or A dim, I write '3 dim' or '3 superscript 0'.

My idiosyncratic mnemonic method.

Keep uke'in',

Thanks for the info!