Two probably stupid questions from a new guy

Bob-in-Alberta

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1. Is there any easy way to play a B flat cord? I'm having a real problem with one finger on two strings. Is there an easier alternative? I'm doing (on gCEA tuning) a tab of 3211.

2. I'm trying to learn a song that has a cord that is marked down as a tab of 2013. What cord is this? I haven't found it listed anywhere and my inquiring mind needs to know what it is called.

Thanks in advance. I'm sure that I'll have even more questions as I continue on my path to ukulele enlightenment.
 
It's Fmaj.

Here's a site with an easy way to figure out fretting for chord names, or figuring out chord names from tabs or fretting: http://ukebuddy.com/
 
1. Is there any easy way to play a B flat cord? I'm having a real problem with one finger on two strings. Is there an easier alternative? I'm doing (on gCEA tuning) a tab of 3211.

2. I'm trying to learn a song that has a cord that is marked down as a tab of 2013. What cord is this? I haven't found it listed anywhere and my inquiring mind needs to know what it is called.

Thanks in advance. I'm sure that I'll have even more questions as I continue on my path to ukulele enlightenment.
i have trouble with the Bb also. The way I play it is to use 2 fingers on the first fret it does work but when you go to a Bb minor you are stuck. You need to try and barre the first fret with your first finger.
 
Aloha,

I'm trying to answer your questions:

1. I think 3211 is the easiest way to do Bb. You can check other alternative ways from this website: http://classicalcode.com/ukulele/
2. I think 2013 is an F chord. Those are notes A, C, F, and C in that order, which form an F chord.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm also a newbie in the uke world.
 
Bb is one of the harder chords for almost all beginners.
It is the IV chord in the key of F, which is a common ukulele key.
My only advice is to keep practicing it and you will get it.
I like barring the first fret instead of index finger on 2 strings.
You can try 3210 which is a Bb7, but you really do need to learn the Bb chord.
A little practice and you will get it, don't feel rained on either. Some may not admit it, but we all struggled with Bb.
 
Aloha,

I'm trying to answer your questions:

1. I think 3211 is the easiest way to do Bb. You can check other alternative ways from this website: http://classicalcode.com/ukulele/
2. I think 2013 is an F chord. Those are notes A, C, F, and C in that order, which form an F chord.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm also a newbie in the uke world.
1. Yes
2. Yes
:)
 
That Bb is a tricky one. That same chord shape is an F chord on guitar. After playing it for years on guitar, I found it rather easy to form on the uke. I STILL get hand cramps when I play it on guitar, though.

2013 is indeed an F. You can also play it 2010, but sometimes that extra C note on the A string comes in handy.
 
The nice thing about a fretted instrument is there are many ways to play the same chord. As Sailing says, there is no way to avoid these, so one has to practice making the changes. If one devotes 10 minutes a day making the change from F to Bb and back, it will seem much easier after a week.
Also one learns to 'cheat' and only play three strings sometimes. One could play Bb as 321x. X is damping the first string.

fingers hurt, hand cramped, strings buzz....that's all part of learning the uke. Hah!
 
I think 3211 is the easiest way to do Bb, too.

Tip: when making the Bb, turn your hand such that you are holding down the 11 with the inner, or thumb-ward, side of your index finger. It makes getting the other two fingers down easier.
 
Bb is not fun when you first start out. Spend a little time on it every day and it will come with practice--it might takes weeks or months, but you will get it!

A suggestion that I learned from this board is "chord squeezing." Position your fingers on the strings and play the chord. Then release the pressure on the fret board a bit, while still keeping your fingers touching the strings. Gently squeeze your fingers down into the original position, then release. Repeat. Again. No strumming, just squeezing. This helps your fingers get used to their positions in the chord.

Also, pick another chord (F was suggested above) and practice transitioning from that chord to the Bb chord and back, over and over. Do it very slowly, taking all the time you need to make the transition smoothly. You will eventually pick up speed as your fingers get stronger and learn where to go.

And when you're done, reward yourself by playing a song that doesn't have a Bb chord in it!


 
Everyone does chords differently. You can play Bb as a bar chord where you lay your index finger over all the strings. If you have problems getting all the strings completely down you can lay your middle finger over your index, use the ring for the 2 fret on the C string and your pinky on the 3 G string (only if it feels comfortable)

Two things to consider. How high are the strings above the first fret and are they factory strings? If the strings are alot more that a business card heighth above the first fret then the fret needs some work (try the same chord shape up 3 frets and see if it plays easier). Also some new strings may make playing easier, especially if they are factory strings.

Hope this helps. Like mentioned above, the Bb is used alot so it isn't as easy to avoid as the dreaded E chord!
 
One more B flat tip---experiment with wrist position of your fretting hand. Rotating your wrist toward your body a bit lines up your first finger with the frets and can give you a little more leverage.
 
I like barring the first fret instead of index finger on 2 strings.

Big +1 here for a couple of reasons...
1) You'll see it actually pulls your hand out of position for the other chords in the key less than does just using the pad of your finger of the E and A strings.
2) You are going to end up playing a variety of barre chords sooner or later anyway - better to learn a "reusable" move from various open chords into the barre position than to spend a lot of time practicing a "one-off" position.
3) Your pinky is in a better position to pick up other notes for chord variations or melody picking.
4) It's very easy to slide up two frets for an alternate C fingering! If you need to do a fast C-Bb-C (or Bb-C-Bb, etc.) sequence you can easily do it using the barre shape.
5) It is easier to control sustain and volume with a barre chord than with an open chord.
6) Barre chords are movable - you're not learning one chord, you're learning as many of them as you have fret positions to play them.
 
It's definitely worth learning Bb 3211 as a barre chord (though for some changes playing it with the index finger holding down only the top two strings is useful, so practice both).

Try playing the same shape as a C - 5433. Is that noticeably easier? If so, your uke needs some adjustment at the nut. If the nut slots are less deep than ideal the Bb chord (or any 1st fret barre) is really difficult. Almost all entry-price ukes have this problem, so it might nor be merely inexperience on your part. Deepening the slots is not that hard, but not a job for a beginner. Experienced uke players often do this themselves, so ask around.

Bb as x565 can be useful sometimes, so worth learning this as well.
 
you can play Bb 7565 aswell, barring the 5th...
 
I have been playing daily for 1 year, and have yet to master the b-flat. Too bad it's in so many songs. I have really given up and just play a GM7 and forget about fretting the G string with my ring finger. Both chords sound so similar, that it makes little difference to me. Oddly enough, I can play the E chord with no trouble. I am female and my hands are the exact same size as Jake Shimabukuro's (we measured our hands when I met him) so hand size does not determine whether or not you can reach a chord. I would say keep plugging, but to me it just takes the fun out of playing if you have to struggle so much. Good luck.
 
Hang in there! It is getting easier for me each week!
 
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