EleoCasil
Well-known member
I can't seem to stretch my fingers far enough when I'm playing certain songs that I am playing by Jake, or just messing around with friends.
I can't seem to stretch my fingers far enough.
- Thread starter EleoCasil
- Start date
UKESTAR
Well-known member
Yeh....is there some sort of "finger-yoga" out there...haaha.. really though, it can be challenging sometimes playing those songs..
Fred Miu
Retired Moderator
the best thing to do to help you reach those frets that are distant away is to do warm up stretching.
take your ukulele and put your index finger on any 1st fret string, then try to reach your pinky as far down the fretboard as possible. do that and see which fret you hit. everyday to that and try to reach farther and farther.
hope this helps
take your ukulele and put your index finger on any 1st fret string, then try to reach your pinky as far down the fretboard as possible. do that and see which fret you hit. everyday to that and try to reach farther and farther.
hope this helps
davoomac
Retired Moderator
the best thing to do to help you reach those frets that are distant away is to do warm up stretching.
take your ukulele and put your index finger on any 1st fret string, then try to reach your pinky as far down the fretboard as possible. do that and see which fret you hit. everyday to that and try to reach farther and farther.
hope this helps
Yeah its good to stretch it everytime you play. Keep working at it everyday and you'll find your reach getting farther before you know it!
What songs are you playing that you need to stretch so far?
UkuLeLesReggAe
Well-known member
finger stretching ^^
I do it a few seconds before i start to play.. I have pretty long fingers though
I do it a few seconds before i start to play.. I have pretty long fingers though
Brad Bordessa
Well-known member
Use your thumb!
Try fretting the lower notes with your thumb and using the rest of your fingers to play up high. Kind of impractical, but this gives you a lot more stretch room. Benny Chong uses this technique a lot.
Try fretting the lower notes with your thumb and using the rest of your fingers to play up high. Kind of impractical, but this gives you a lot more stretch room. Benny Chong uses this technique a lot.
E-Lo Roberts
Well-known member
Hey, check it out... is that Jake hanging around in the back of this video watching the old masters??? pretty cool....e-lo....
1-5 stretch
How often do you guys see music with a five fret stretch? I have been playing around with some classical uke pieces and found a couple that had chords involving the first fret and the fifth fret at the same time. I am real noobie, so how often do you see this? I am playing a tenor... is it easier on a concert sized uke? And, on a concert sized uke, how easy is it to play at the 10th or 12th frets?
Thanks
–Lori
How often do you guys see music with a five fret stretch? I have been playing around with some classical uke pieces and found a couple that had chords involving the first fret and the fifth fret at the same time. I am real noobie, so how often do you see this? I am playing a tenor... is it easier on a concert sized uke? And, on a concert sized uke, how easy is it to play at the 10th or 12th frets?
Thanks
–Lori
With practice it gets easier and easier. It's really important to work on finger placement. When I start a new piece with notes that high on the fret board I need to go slowly and work on where to place my fingers. I find playing the ukulele to be quite a challenge but, oh so much fun.
I saw Benny a couple of months ago. what an awesome player! Nice guy too.
Does that stretching thing really work? I've got pretty small hands and I used to do stretching excercises to try to reach 10ths on the piano. It helped a little but I never got so they were comfortable - and the big ones like D-F#, Bb-D are still impossible. Maybe it works if you do it young enough or you've not been playing long. I'm in my 50s and played piano most of my life. I don't think my hands are going to change shape much now. I'll just live with whatever stretch I can manage.
UkEdman90
Well-known member
ok here is what i did when i first started playing! Its kind of like lifting weights with your fingers! haha!
what you do is get rubber bands, many of them ranging from thick to thin! take your thumb and pinky and place them tip to tip under your other three fingers. now take a rubber band and just stretch outward. DO that 10 times with 1 rubber band then add a rubber band do it 10 times, ad another, 10 times etc.! do it on each finger until they are sore!!!!! it will work! trust me!
happy uke'n!
-Don
what you do is get rubber bands, many of them ranging from thick to thin! take your thumb and pinky and place them tip to tip under your other three fingers. now take a rubber band and just stretch outward. DO that 10 times with 1 rubber band then add a rubber band do it 10 times, ad another, 10 times etc.! do it on each finger until they are sore!!!!! it will work! trust me!
happy uke'n!
-Don
cMejilla
Well-known member
that sounds excruciating. haha. i just go for the keep practicing the stretch over time.
Well, I think it's working
Well, that 1-5 stretch is getting a little easier. I can finally make that Dm shape with the added D on the first string. Thought it was impossible at first, but it is getting easier now. Tried the rubber band exercise, and it's a bit of a workout alright.
Thanks
Lori
Well, that 1-5 stretch is getting a little easier. I can finally make that Dm shape with the added D on the first string. Thought it was impossible at first, but it is getting easier now. Tried the rubber band exercise, and it's a bit of a workout alright.
Thanks
Lori
Check out Aldrines Uke Minute 16 which is the Finger stretching warm ups!
http://ukuleleunderground.com/category/ukeminute/page/6/
http://ukuleleunderground.com/category/ukeminute/page/6/
ReallyKevin
Active member
heh, finger yoga.
