Total Noob Question about figers and fretting

Hi.
I am using the Hal Leonard Beginning Uke book. When I studied violin, the left hand fingerings were standardized, along with left hand positioning up and down the neck. Is this not true with the uke? If I want to press down the 3rd fret on the A string, can I do it with any of my left hand fingers, or is there a standard? I am not seeing this in my book in relation to individual notes...only with chords.

Thanks,
Dionne

Dinglebobbins said:

Hi.
I am using the Hal Leonard Beginning Uke book. When I studied violin, the left hand fingerings were standardized, along with left hand positioning up and down the neck. Is this not true with the uke? If I want to press down the 3rd fret on the A string, can I do it with any of my left hand fingers, or is there a standard? I am not seeing this in my book in relation to individual notes...only with chords.

Thanks,
Dionne

Click to expand...

Some chord guides give the suggested fingering, and many of the tutorial videos will highlight what fingers to use, but one of the nice things I've found (for a complete novice like me) is the fact that such things aren't cast in stone, so there are slight variations you can use depepndant on how much finger dexterity you have.

I have no tendon in the end of my little finger (snapped it as a kid) so I can't bend the tip to fret a note with it, meaning I struggle to make certain chords in the conventional way, but with the variations I have adopted as I learn, it only really restricts me playing the more complex chords.

Such is the beauty of only four strings and the freedom to adapt how you play them.....

By and large you should work out whatever fingering works for you. However, you should do so in a way that doesn't "paint you into a corner." In other words, think about the other chords that you might use with a given chord and work out fingering that lets you make smooth transitions between them.

For example, most books will show the G chord being fingered with the index and second fingers on the second fret of the third and first strings, respectively, and the third finger on the third fret, second string. There's nothing at all wrong with that, and with most music that uses the G chord that makes perfect sense for making the other chords. But, suppose you're playing a blues shuffle where you're playing G, G6, G7, G6. Now, it makes more sense to use your second and third fingers on the third and first strings and you pinky on the second string, third fret, for the G. Lift pinky for G6. Then drop index finger on the second string, first fret, for G7.

So, bottom line, do what works for the transitions you're playing!

John


John