Tough learning certain chords.

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ArtOfDavid

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I'm trying to learn White Sandy Beach by IZ. Forget the finger pickings, just the strum is enough for this newbie. I spent all day at the beach today trying to get the Bb and Bb7min to sound right. I keep getting something that sounds like I'm holding the strings with the palm of my hand as I did (and still do at times) learning to strum.

I'm now red as a lobster and can only get one in about 20 tries to sound like something musical.

Being a beginner and a perfectionist is tough (you should see what I go through with my art and I've been painting for over 10 years).

Thanks to UU and the videos Aldrine puts out.
 
Barre chords take quite a while to master. Just keep trying and you'll gain strength and limber up. Just don't let yourself get frustrated. Move on and come back.

Welcome!
 
Practice, practice, practice! You'll get it. Just be patient and really pay attention to WHY you are having trouble making the chords sound right. Each one is like a 3d block that your mind has to get used to building anew each time.
 
Arh. I remember when I first had the same trouble playing guitar.
What worked for me was to stop trying so hard. Eventually it all worked out.
I tried to use some time every couple of hours, getting a barre chord down. At first it was a pain, but after some time I got it down.

It wont just come magically to you. It's a bit like riding a bike for the first time. At first it's hard, but once you got it, it's as easy as any other chord.

Be patient - and sooner or later, before you know it, you can do any barre chord without any trouble!
 
There's Ukelele Mike's Barre Chord Exercises...good for developing your feel for barre chords:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CO7zryA668

and I found this vid on finger stretches & exercises for classical guitarists also really helpful:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSrfB7JIzxY



I've been doing these daily and they are helping a lot, after a couple of weeks my barre chords are getting there. Just go easy to begin with...a few minutes a day
 
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Be sure you're getting a good angle with the finger you use to apply the barre.

Your finger should be parallel with the frets; your thumb should be opposite your finger on the back of the neck (lightly "pinching" your uke's neck). It may help to rotate the wrist of your fretting hand toward your body (easy to do by moving your elbow toward your torso).

Practice barre chords a little everyday. Don't overdue it. Eventually, they'll sound great!
 
One word:

Practice.

Nothing else works. Eventually you get used to the shape, the fingering and it becomes so much easier.
 
Patience, Practice and Perserverce....things don't come overnight if you are not a natural.....expect always to take a certain time to master..if it was that easy we'd all be masters
 
Bb is my enemy right now, so I have no advice, just sympathy. One day these will seem easy, or that's what I tell myself at least.
 
I know the best advice is to plug away until you learn them, but try as I may (for 2 years) I cannot get a proper sound from the correct way to form a Bb. I do not fret the A string at all and just fret the G,C, and E strings. When you are playing along, the sound is almost the same. Not one person, even seasoned ukulele players, have ever noticed. As far as the Bb7 goes, just barre the entire first fret with your index finger and the C string with your middle finger. Hope this helps. And oh yeah.... playing every day helps alot.;0)
 
Yeah, I'll keep at it. I'm just impatient. I practice as much as possible and doing drills of switching between two chords helps.
 
"playing every day helps alot.;

It sure does. I had the Bb down pretty good and then didn't play for a week or so and almost was back to square one. I'm curious about how much lapsed time it takes for the muscle memory. I'm thinking that for me, it probably takes at least a year. We're all wishing for shortcuts, but there are none.
 
There are tough chords...what you find is that with time and practice chords that were tough are now easy and you have a new set of chords that seem tough. :)

I look at it this way...if learning an instrument were too easy there would be no challenge and thus no reward. Do you get a warm glow of accomplishment from starting your CD player or MP3 player? Of course not...you may enjoy the music but there is no personal accomplishment involved. Playing an instrument adds that element and it is worth a little suffering along the way.

John
 
OldePhart said:
There are tough chords...what you find is that with time and practice chords that were tough are now easy and you have a new set of chords that seem tough. :)

I look at it this way...if learning an instrument were too easy there would be no challenge and thus no reward. Do you get a warm glow of accomplishment from starting your CD player or MP3 player? Of course not...you may enjoy the music but there is no personal accomplishment involved. Playing an instrument adds that element and it is worth a little suffering along the way.

John
Click to expand...

I'm with John, the challenge is a lot of the fun. I do get discouraged sometimes and have to remind my self to just keep trying, don't give up. I've only been playing about 3 and 1/2 months and I have improved. I can play D, E, and Bb but I can't change those chords fast enough or I can change fast enough but then I don't get the chord right. I'm still hopeful that eventually I will get it. Don't give up, if I can improve anybody can!!
 
It about the journey, enjoy each new aha moment when you learn or notice something you can do today you couldn't do before...it not sometimes about expectations and more to do with aha moments
Keep pluggin' along... sometimes over practicing hours can come strenuous and redundant without any perceived gains .... Remember this 3 years from now.." AHA MOMENTS'' we all get them :)
 
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mm stan said:
It about the journey, enjoy each new aha moment when you learn or notice something you can do today you couldn't do before...it not sometimes about expectations and more to do with aha moments
Keep pluggin' along... sometimes over practicing hours can come strenuous and redundant without any perceived gains .... Remember this 3 years from now.." AHA MOMENTS'' we all get them :)
Click to expand...

Absolutely what Stan says! And may I add one of my favorite phrases... "it's not a contest"...
 
Yes and learn all your chord keys 1,4, 5.... and practice your chord transistions and strumming to them....Try to relax and play and be more natural and feel the music as you strum
Many over think it and they become too methodical and they get fustrated....try not to expect achievements as the common , but to except acheivements as they unexpectedly come along once in a while...it is more rewarding in that sort of way...
 
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Those youtube clips are great. I'm throwing those into my daily ritual... maybe speed up my own bar chord learning curve.
 
mm stan said:
Yes and learn all your chord keys 1,4, 5.... and practice your chord transistions and strumming to them....Try to relax and play and be more natural and feel the music as you strum
Many over think it and they become too methodical and they get fustrated....try not to expect achievements as the common , but to except acheivements as they unexpectedly come along once in a while...it is more rewarding in that sort of way...
Click to expand...
What do you mean by chord keys 1, 4, 5? Having never played a string instrument, this is all new to me.
 
ArtOfDavid said:
What do you mean by chord keys 1, 4, 5? Having never played a string instrument, this is all new to me.
Click to expand...

Has nothing to do with type of instrument. 1,4,5 is a chord progression. Key is what the particular pitches the music is written in. Key of C = no sharps or flats, Key of G = 1 sharp, Key of F = 1 flat. Chord progression of 1,4,5 in the key of C are the C chord, F chord, and G chord. ArtOfDavid suggests that you learn this chord progression in all keys. I don't know if that means all major and minor keys. Obviously that will take some time. Hope this helps.
 
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