hi to all can anybody help me please,ive had my uku a few weeks now,love it to bits,but i keep jumping and not learning anything,the thing i find hard is i can learn the chords,but then if i cannot find the strum pattern of words to the songs i move on,so ive learnt nothing yet,were is the best place for me to start<i need the chords strum pattern and words,hope somebody will give me a good tellin of and i think im trying to run before i can walk:wallbash:
lost with first songs help advice please
- Thread starter mollski
- Start date
wallyboy
Well-known member
just stick to the basics of this song ie just dduudu, they are easy chords with pratice keep at it you will be playing in no time,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z4OZ7ls5Bo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z4OZ7ls5Bo
barefootgypsy
Well-known member
Try clapping along with a song while you sing, first... then strum instead of clapping. You can build up to a more funky strum! There are plenty of tutorial websites, if you google - but here's one great page on strumming.
http://ukulelehunt.com/2008/10/22/ukulele-strumming/
http://ukulelehunt.com/2008/10/22/ukulele-strumming/
Learning strums, chords, and lyrics all at once too much for many....including me. Have to slow down, learn the chords. Uncle Rod's Ukulele Boot Camp explains this well and has good chord exercises. I know when I started, I tried to progress too quickly, before mastering the basics, be it the basics of theory, or the basics of just the one song. Some folks need a metronome if they have too much trouble keeping consistent time to "train the brain" so to speak. Keep the songs simple at first. don't start off with Beatles songs, or Eddie Vedder, or ???? They will come later and be much easier to play then.
I'm new at this too, and I understand your frustration. It may not be the right thing to do, but I started just learning some basic chords, and playing easy songs. Just doing down strums. These are easy songs that I know, and I've learned to do the chords and sing and I think it sounds ok. I'm hoping the strumming patterns will come along later. Someone here said just strum however you want, and that's what I've been doing. Someday I need to sit down and work harder at it, but for now, this is fun. Good luck!
Exactly. Strumming is rhythm, keep it simple at the beginning (and follow barefootgypsy's advice above: clap first to get the rhythm, then start strumming).
And face it: most songs cannot be recognized by strumming chords only, they always need the melody (sing it, whistle it, have someone else play it, ....) for identification.
Most important: enjoy what you're doing, don't force yourself into ukulele frustration.
+1 on this advice
Newportlocal
Well-known member
Strumming was an original issue for me. Don't be too hard on yourself. It will happen soon enough where you are strumming the way a song sounds naturally without effort. Keep hope alive! Also, my first attempt many years back I was playing songs on the web that had chords that didn't work well or sound correct. This was very frustrating. I like Scorpex to my ear they sound correct. After that I found many other good sites and songs even using guitar sites once you have the chords down works well. It will get better!
Everyone finds their own strum that works for them over time, and many times more than one style. I usually strum down with four fingers and up with my thumb. Sometimes just my index down slow in parts of the same song. Also, I grew out my nails some on my right hand. Aldrine has a uke minutes video on strumming as do others like Jake.Don't know if any of this is useful to you, but you will find what works for you if you stick with it.
Everyone finds their own strum that works for them over time, and many times more than one style. I usually strum down with four fingers and up with my thumb. Sometimes just my index down slow in parts of the same song. Also, I grew out my nails some on my right hand. Aldrine has a uke minutes video on strumming as do others like Jake.Don't know if any of this is useful to you, but you will find what works for you if you stick with it.
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Have you worked your way through the tutorials on the main UU site? I've been playing (off and on) for ages, but still found it useful to go back to basics with those videos.
I can also echo the advice about learning a lot of common chords before you go on to try and build up an arsenal of strum patterns. Fluidity in chord changes gives you the confidence you need to explore beyond the basic strum patterns later.
I can also echo the advice about learning a lot of common chords before you go on to try and build up an arsenal of strum patterns. Fluidity in chord changes gives you the confidence you need to explore beyond the basic strum patterns later.
Mercury
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Stick with songs you can hum/can't get out of your head. Most pop tunes fall into this category. Search for the chord progression, if no uke one is available, use a guitar one. This way you will quickly build a recognisable repertoire.
