Question on Uncle Rod's Practice sheets

keymoo · May 13, 2011

I have a question on Practice Sheet #1 in the scale of C. G7 is marked to be played as 0212. That doesn't make sense to me because then the 2nd fret on the 2nd string would be pressed. Same thing for the C° - that is marked as 2323 - how can that be so? Same for the E7, how can that be played with 1202? The second finger can't be on the first and third strings at once but not the second can they?

Is my sheet finger numbering wrong?

Confused.

Gmoney · May 13, 2011

The numbering is right. Its a common source of confusion that when listing chords as a "string" of numbers, the FIRST number listed is for the 4th string, the "G" string. So that G7 is indeed 0212. The strings are numbered starting w/teh string nearest the FLOOR but when enumerating string & fret position, it starts with the string further from the floor.

Hope this helps!

JT_Ukes · May 13, 2011

the number refers to the fret to be pressed on each string.. not the finger to use...

Mandarb · May 13, 2011

Gmoney said:
The numbering is right. Its a common source of confusion that when listing chords as a "string" of numbers, the FIRST number listed is for the 4th string, the "G" string. So that G7 is indeed 0212. The strings are numbered starting w/teh string nearest the FLOOR but when enumerating string & fret position, it starts with the string further from the floor.

Hope this helps!

The "first" string is the one closest to the ground and the "fourth" string is the one closest to the player when holding the uke. And as JT_Ukes stated - tabs represent the frets to be pressed down not what finger to use.

Here is a thread about how to read tabs.... http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?809-How-to-Read-Tabs-Thread

Dominator also posted a video with Aldrine about how to read tabs which can be found in the archives on the main page.

Gmoney · May 13, 2011

Actually, Mandarb, if we were talking tabs here, I would agree w/you, but the OP was specifically talking about Uncle Rod's boot camp & the apparently common practice here & elsewhere to list a chord as a "string" of 4 digits w/each digit representing the FRET # to press such that a G7 == 0212 which if you were strictly "talking TAB" would be just the opposite as G7 == 2120

Heck, even Jake Shimabukuro tweets chords like Uncle Rod does in the Boot Camps.

JT_Ukes · May 13, 2011

if you read the OP you will see he is confused on how his 2nd finger can be on the 2nd and 4 th string but not the 3rd.

he was misreading the 0212 as 1st finger on 3rd string 2nd finger on strings 2 and 4..

he needs to underdtand that the numbers do not indicate which finger to use, but which fret to use on each string.

JT

keymoo · May 13, 2011

Thanks for the replies. Well the numbers seem redundant because the circles tell you which fret to press. Some sheets I've got (for example How To Play Blues Ukulele book) have the same numbers, but the numbers refer to the fingers to use. It's all very confusing!

Mandarb · May 13, 2011

Gmoney said:
Actually, Mandarb, if we were talking tabs here, I would agree w/you, but the OP was specifically talking about Uncle Rod's boot camp & the apparently common practice here & elsewhere to list a chord as a "string" of 4 digits w/each digit representing the FRET # to press such that a G7 == 0212 which if you were strictly "talking TAB" would be just the opposite as G7 == 2120

Heck, even Jake Shimabukuro tweets chords like Uncle Rod does in the Boot Camps.

I think we are saying the same thing - 1st string (A), 2nd string (E), 3rd string (C), and 4th string (G). It is the visual aspect that can be confusing when looking at a tab sheet....

strings are noted below

------------------(string A)
------------------(string E)
------------------(string C)
------------------(string G)

a G7 looks like this on TAB

----2-------------(string A)
----1-------------(string E)
----2-------------(string C)
----0-------------(string G)

The numbers represent the frets that should be pressed down....so I would play the G7 noted above with my index finger on 1st fret (string E), my middle finder on the 2nd fret (string C), and my ring finger on the 2nd fret (string A). The 4th string (string G) is played open.

Hope this helps the OP and clears up any confusion.

Gmoney · May 13, 2011

yep - we are saying the same thing - Here's how they are shown in the Boot Camp:

So, its more of a representation of a chord chart view of things.

Mandarb · May 13, 2011

Gmoney said:
yep - we are saying the same thing - Here's how they are shown in the Boot Camp:

View attachment 23697

So, its more of a representation of a chord chart view of things.

Cool. Glad to see we are on the same page.

hotnuma · May 13, 2011

This chord chart is interesting since you have fingers positions, finger one is the index and number four is the pinky :

http://www.kiwiukulele.co.nz/Kiwi-Ukulele-Chord-Chart.pdf

The numbers on Uncle Rod's Boot Camp are the strings/frets position but not which finger to use.

Also keep in mind that there is several ways to do a chord, for example, a D can be done with only one finger, as a partial barre chord, a Dm, E or G can be done with only 2 fingers.

John316 · May 19, 2011

That's great info, thanks! The whole numbering thing had me confused also. It's all starting make a bit more sense now.

Question on Uncle Rod's Practice sheets

keymoo

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Gmoney

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Mandarb

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Gmoney

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keymoo

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