E minor chord and ukulele moves!

J

jayzinabox

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Hi all,

I've been learning a few chords, so far I've done 4, I'm really struggling with E Minor, When I ever I move to it, my hand pivots to get my fingers in the right place, the Uke drops slightly in my hand and it's really hard to hit the note fast. Does anyone else have this and any pointers?

Many Thanks

Jay
 
When I first started playing I solved that problem by getting a strap, a Uke Leash to be specific, which doesn't require a strap button. I still play with a strap--my ukulele now has a strap button and I bought an inexpensive adapter that converted my Uke Leash from a half strap to a full strap. I really can't overstate how much a strap helps my playing, and I need all the help I can get!
 
Solution = practice. You'll get it. Some chords are just initially easier to get into and out of. Better to master the tricky ones than cheat, like some and find an easier solution. You'll be better off for it in the long run. That's why the chord exercises in Uncle Rod's Ukulele Boot Camp get so many recommendations.
 
A tip I got which helped initially was to make a G chord, then put your pinkie down on the C-string, 4th fret. As a result I normally play Em with my middle, ring and pinkie rather than first, middle and ring fingers. There are advantages to both but the latter leaves to pinkie free to make a 4432 shape which is moveable.

I rarely use moveable chords as the style of music I play doesn't have much need for them.

I still use the G chord plus pinkie method regularly as it makes G-Em transition (or vice versa) very easy.
 
E minor gave me fits. Fits. I have two or three of my favorite songs using that chord, so I have battled it a lot. Now I can play it much better and my finger movement is smoother. I had to practice very slowly to get the transition exact, then got comfortable with that, then sped it up a bit. Eventually, I got it up to tempo. Also, I get that "neck drop" feeling when my ukulele is held with the neck too low. If I keep the neck going up toward my left shoulder, that drop feeling is almost nonexistent.
 
I have to echo, get a strap. It makes no sense to struggle to hold the uke instead of moving ahead with your practice.
 
Tootler said:
A tip I got which helped initially was to make a G chord, then put your pinkie down on the C-string, 4th fret. As a result I normally play Em with my middle, ring and pinkie rather than first, middle and ring fingers. There are advantages to both but the latter leaves to pinkie free to make a 4432 shape which is moveable.

I rarely use moveable chords as the style of music I play doesn't have much need for them.

I still use the G chord plus pinkie method regularly as it makes G-Em transition (or vice versa) very easy.
Click to expand...
+1
I learned this method thanks to uncle rod and his boot camp and me wanting to go from G to Em smoothly.
 
PhilUSAFRet said:
Solution = practice. You'll get it. Some chords are just initially easier to get into and out of. Better to master the tricky ones than cheat, like some and find an easier solution. You'll be better off for it in the long run. That's why the chord exercises in Uncle Rod's Ukulele Boot Camp get so many recommendations.
Click to expand...

100% this. First week of learning I thought it was impossible to go from a C to an Em lol. It's just one of those things that take time.
 
I remember having a little trouble with chord changes that landed me on E minor when I first started. I'm not sure if i'm understanding the problem you're having correctly, but if I am let your thumb drop a little bit when you move to the chord. So you're essentially pinching the fret board between your pointer finger on the 1st string 2nd fret and your Thumb on the other side. That's how I keep the whole thing from dropping. Hope that makes sense.
 
Yup, just basic ol' practice will help with Em. And Uncle Rod's boot camp of course!
Em is a really popular chord. You'll get lots of practice in general with a lot of songs.
Good luck!
 
Hi everyone,

I'm overwhelmed by the support here. I posted before I went to bed, woke up and there's all these really helpful posts. Thank you all so much for your time.

May I ask what Uncle Rod's bootcamp is. Seems to have been mentioned enough for me to take notice!

Jay
 
Hi, Jay.

(Great username, by the way!) Nice to 'meet' you here. I've not used it myself, but 'Uncle' Rod Higuchi posts here, and it's his site.

http://ukulelebootcamp.weebly.com/

I'll step aside now, so that others with more experience can chip in.

Take care,

Casey
 
I have this problem too, but only on some ukuleles. Specifically, I have the Kala G-AS and it always drops down when I play Em. But I don't have that problem with my other Kala. The only thing I can think of is that the G-AS has gear tuners, except the gears are encased in metal and you can't see them. Maybe the extra metal makes the headstock heavier and more prone to movement.

Do you have the Em trouble on all the ukuleles you play?
 
A strap has changed my playing drastically. I cannot play without one now. They are on all my ukuleles. I have installed a strap button on all of them too. Really easy. By the way I have been playing for almost 3 years and the Em still gives me trouble as well as the Bb but that's another post. ;0).
 
PhilUSAFRet said:
Solution = practice. You'll get it. Some chords are just initially easier to get into and out of. Better to master the tricky ones than cheat, like some and find an easier solution. You'll be better off for it in the long run. That's why the chord exercises in Uncle Rod's Ukulele Boot Camp get so many recommendations.
Click to expand...

There is your answer!!!
 
Em the easy way - make a G chord, curl your pinky over to the 3rd string, 4th fret. The reason this is "easy" is because often when you are playing a song with Em chords it also has G chords.

John
 
I'm in the same boat with that and some other chords. A google search turned up this suggestion: Place fingers on chord, play chord. Lift fingers slightly, press back down and play chord. Lift fingers slightly higher, press down, and play the chord. Keeping doing this, with each lift of the fingers being slightly higher (up to about an inch)

The idea was to help build muscle memory. Have only been doing this a couple of days, and I see a very small improvement. I've added it to my practice routine. And has been said: practice.

Update: Now I'm home and OldePhart's suggestion above is butta!
 
Last edited:
First, the politically correct advice:

Practice, practice, practice! Just don't bore yourself to death. If you want to feel like you're actually accomplishing something then try playing it in a song. Wagon Wheel has a simple G, D, EM, C chord progression. You can find a strumming pattern you like on Youtube...

The non-P.C. advice:

You know 4 chords. There are at least a dozen chords more useful than Em that are easier to play. You can always come back to Em later, but in the meantime you will be increasing your ability without having to struggle with the Em.

Finally, the possibly helpful advice:

Try practicing your Em chord in different rotations for about 15 minutes before you go to sleep. Studies have shown that learning and muscle-memory are greatly enhanced by this. When you sleep, the brain re-boots and what you did last stays with you longer if you repeat the process of sleeping after a short study or practice. Here's a link, but it can pretty much be summed up with this quote...

"When you fall asleep after learning something new, you’re telling your brain that it’s important, says lead researcher Jessica Payne, Ph.D., a psychology professor at the University of Notre Dame. “The sleeping brain decides what to remember and what to forget. By placing sleep close to learning, there’s less conflicting information to process.”

Anyway.... good luck.
 
Depends from what chord you are transitioning from and going too...it takes time...sit down and practice...it will get easier....eventually :)
go slow first and when you get better pick up the speed...in small incriments
 
I used to use the uke leash on all of my ukes but as time went by I found I didn't really need one on my soprano ukes this has also spread up into my concert ukes as well, I still use a strap on my tenor ukes and probably always will but even they are becoming playable without a strap, I agree with using the pinky and I use it all the time, but when you are progessing from say a D chord, there is no other answer than to play Em using frets 234, going back to holding the neck, I notice when I am playing that I still on certain chords cradle the neck between my thumb and forefinger but as I am playing the song my fingers and thumb move into a pinch position automatically, without thinking about the move, this comes with practice, so keep practicing you will get there eventually, I am only now starting to get a clear E chord and I have been trying for ages, but it is becoming easier by the day, good luck Jay, its a long road but very rewarding when you clear the hurdles and get to the end mate
 
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