Beginner Having Trouble With Chords

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jtt041017

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I received my Lanikai LU-21 Soprano Ukulele yesterday and was eager to start playing it. After trying and failing at the guitar, I figured a ukulele would be easier and fun to try. I tuned it up gCEA with my new Lanikai electronic tuner. I tried my first song (Row, Row, Row Your Boat) with the C and G7 chords and I just can't do the G7. Can you tell me what fingers to put on which strings/frets for the G7? I keep trying and trying to do it but I have trouble especially with putting my fingers on the 1st and 3rd strings on the same fret I believe. This is my first song to try and I don't want to get disappointed already. I tried the C chord but I just don't know if it sounds right. With an instrument that hasn't been played much, do the strings sound off? Do you press down the strings all the way? Maybe I am pressing the strings too hard. Thanks! :)
 
pointer finger in the first fret -my middle finger on the C string (the third string) -my ring finger on the bottom string.

I feel like that sounds confusing so I took a picture...
Photo590-1.jpg


ALSO:
This site with variations on fingerings has been a godsend to me!!! Sometimes my fingers just don't stretch in the right way to reach notes.

http://www.ezfolk.com/uke/chords/G_Major/G7/g7.html

Good luck! Don't be discouraged!
 
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First of all, don't get discouraged yet! You have only had the uke one day! If you get frustrated put it down and walk away its supposed to be fun after all!

The strings will take time to 'settle in' as we say, in other words keep tuning it over and over, The reason so many of us delay changing strings is because the stretch and get out of tune sometimes before you can finish playing row row row your boat! This is so even for experienced players so keep tuning and keep strumming the more you play and the more they settle after a bit (depending on how much you play) you Lanikai should stay tuned..

Press down on the strings, if your fingers are turning white you are pressing to hard. Also press close to the frets but not on them does that make sense.. give yourself time it takes practice!

Have fun!
 
When tuning gCEA, that does mean low G for the top string (4), correct?
 
Try to just place your fingers on the chords but not strum first. Then practice changeing between chords without strumming. Then practice the strmming by itself without holding down the chords. And the last step is to put the two together. If that made sense.
 
I think I may have the 4th string tuned wrong. Regarding tuning gCEA, do I tune the 4th string a high or low g? Maybe that's why Row, Row, Row Your Boat doesn't sound right lol
 
dktoller said:
Well that picture confused me! Are you right-handed?

OP, have a look at this:
http://ukuleleunderground.com/2008/10/uke-minutes-25-7th-chord-shapes/ at 0:45. The Uke Minutes series is a great place for tips once you start to get the basics down.
Click to expand...

OH! Sorry! PhotoBooth (on the Macbook) flips the picture... it's like looking in a mirror. I just switched it in my first post! Thanks for catching that. haha I don't know if it is any less confusing when flipped the right way though.
 
jtt041017 said:
I think I may have the 4th string tuned wrong. Regarding tuning gCEA, do I tune the 4th string a high or low g? Maybe that's why Row, Row, Row Your Boat doesn't sound right lol
Click to expand...

It doesn't matter which G your ukulele is tuned to. The chord should still sound correct.
 
jtt041017 said:
I received my Lanikai LU-21 Soprano Ukulele yesterday and was eager to start playing it. After trying and failing at the guitar, I figured a ukulele would be easier and fun to try. I tuned it up gCEA with my new Lanikai electronic tuner. I tried my first song (Row, Row, Row Your Boat) with the C and G7 chords and I just can't do the G7. Can you tell me what fingers to put on which strings/frets for the G7? I keep trying and trying to do it but I have trouble especially with putting my fingers on the 1st and 3rd strings on the same fret I believe. This is my first song to try and I don't want to get disappointed already. I tried the C chord but I just don't know if it sounds right. With an instrument that hasn't been played much, do the strings sound off? Do you press down the strings all the way? Maybe I am pressing the strings too hard. Thanks! :)
Click to expand...

Try to turn your wrist slightly more "vertical", should do the trick. With "vertical" I mean your thumb should point up towards the cieling and not towards the head of the ukulele. A soprano has less space between the frets, so it's more like playing on the high frets on a tenor ukulele, and it's better to set some of the cords "from the side", in general. Experiment with wrist positions.

In a day or two you will wonder how this was acually a problem for you :) Good luck and have fun.
 
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I've only been playing since Christmas, so I know how this feels. You think you are never going to master that chord, but you will.. your fingers will start to remember it the more you play it, and it will start to feel less awkward and you will start to be able to hear all the strings cleanly with a bit of flaffing about and training your hand. The only advice I can give is that you keep playing that song and decide in your mind that it will improve, rather than giving up at the first hurdle .. it may sound naff now but you are never going to train your muscles memory for that chord unless you keep at it. I've been surprised at how chords I thought I was never going to get to sound good eventually just start to work out more and more!
 
Starby said:
OH! Sorry! PhotoBooth (on the Macbook) flips the picture... it's like looking in a mirror. I just switched it in my first post! Thanks for catching that. haha I don't know if it is any less confusing when flipped the right way though.
Click to expand...

I recorded a video of me playin' the Uke on my macbook pro and it did the same thing, LMAO. All my buds thought I was playing it left handed, they were impressed (even calling me the hawaiian jimmy hendrix) until I told em the truth. :-/ Ohhh well.
 
I agree with all who have posted. I've only been playing since late January 2011 with no previous musical background and I'm very happy with how much I've progressed since. I try to practice for at least an hour a day and it's not real structured or hard core. A lot of it is just doing Uncle Rod's Boot Camp exercises or doing chord progressions for the couple of songs I'm working on whenever I have a free moment (sitting in front of the TV, waiting for the laptop to boot up, while cooking, etc.). Just keep at it and it will all start coming together.
 
Starby said:
OH! Sorry! PhotoBooth (on the Macbook) flips the picture... it's like looking in a mirror. I just switched it in my first post! Thanks for catching that. haha I don't know if it is any less confusing when flipped the right way though.
Click to expand...

Now that it is flipped correctly that is the correct fingering for a G7 chord. It just takes some time to get used to reaching over some strings to fret others. It helps if you start from the beginning gettting used to fretting with the very tip of the finger instead of the pad, unless you are purposely bridging two or more strings. I.e. arch your fingers just a little more and put just the tips down on the strings.

It takes time, but you will get there - it took my 7-year-old granddaughter about five or six sessions before she started getting a clear G7 - it takes us adults considerably longer - LOL

John
 
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