Help please read!

electrauke

electrauke

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Ok here is my question. I play the exact same chords, strum pattern, I even make sure I tune it right but when I play a song it just does not sound right. This ha happened to me on every song I try to to play. So I was wondering is there anything that I am missing to make my song sound right and so that I can sing to the song. This is getting me frustrated so please help.
 
It might be easier for us to help you, if you can upload a video or audio so we can hear what you are trying to explain.

Are your strings old?
Are you pressing too hard or too light on your chord shapes?
Do you have a "toy" ukulele with bad sound?

Not sure what else it could be.
 
At this point, we dont even know if he knows how to tune.

Definitely upload a video, including just playing the open strings one at a time followed by a few simple chords so we can see (hear) if there are basic issues that haven't been addressed yet.
 
I wont suggest anything thats already been said, all possibilities, but from the way you say 'exact same chords' I'm wondering whether you are trying to play along with recordings? Audio or video? because if so, they may be tuned differently and things like that. I may be way off but I just wondered..If not, it may just be beginner inexperience affecting your technique, I can certainly identify with that! Dont worry, keep practicing.
 
Yes, once you upload a video, we can and will be happy to help.
 
Most likely the issue is tuning related. Make sure that you use a good clip-on tuner to tune, and tune frequently. I recommend either the Kala or the Snark ukulele tuners.

If the uke is not perfectly in tune, it doesn't matter what chords or chord shapes you play. It will sound awful.
 
We'll know more with a video. You DO plan on doing that, right?

Even having a tuner won't help if you don't know the fundamentals. I've seen posts from people who say they tune to GCEA when what they really meant was AECG.
 
DaveVisi said:
We'll know more with a video. You DO plan on doing that, right?

Even having a tuner won't help if you don't know the fundamentals. I've seen posts from people who say they tune to GCEA when what they really meant was AECG.
Click to expand...

That's true... I have a friend who had his uke tuned properly, but first "learned" to play from reading chord charts... but he was reading them backwards.
 
make sure you aren't reading the tabs upside down or something (i.e. a g chord is on the bottom 3 strings, not the top 3 strings)
 
Try playing along with instructional videos, like Ukulele Mike's (aka Music Teacher 2010) videos on YouTube. (I've included below links to a few of his many channels.) Try to find some of his early videos, which are more geared toward beginners. When you're playing along with a video, you should be able to describe more specifically why what you're doing doesn't sound like what's being played in the video. It would really help people help you if you could pinpoint how you sound different from what you expect the song you're playing to sound like.

http://www.youtube.com/user/MusicTeacher2010
http://www.youtube.com/user/BeatlesUkuleleMike
http://www.youtube.com/user/DisneyUkuleleMike

And here's a relatively easy song to try this with.

 
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