Reading Music Problem (which fret to use)

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Wideawake

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Hi Folks

Great to be part of this forum….I hope someone will guide me.
I have a gap in my knowledge around reading music and translating that to the Ukulele. I can sight read music (piano lessons as a young person) and want to be able to apply that to playing the Ukulele, therefore not using tabs but reading the Treble Clef. However I notice that there is an overlap of notes, so for example on the on the C (String) the note F is at fret 5, whereas on the E (String) note F is at fret 1. So my question is, are there any rules as to which fret you choose to play the note F otherwise it seems to me that you could play a lot of melodies by just going up and down one string which doesn’t seem quite right in my way of thinking.
Don’t forget I am self-teaching here, so I may have got the whole thing wrong. All guidance welcome.

Thanks. Wideawake
 
There's only one rule: there is no rule.

Play the note wherever it fits best for you (in that specific musical context). If you feel like sliding up and down a single string just go for it.

BTW: You already understood the basic principle behind different chord fingerings - that's quite good and will help you along the way ;)
 
Here's one suggested fingering for the major scales. This might get you started, but I'm sure there are times when you would want to use alternate fingerings. Many ukulele tabs include the music, so if you play some of those to start out, that might help you get a feel for "translating" the notes to the fretboard.

Disclaimer: I play only from tabs, but I took piano for a while as a kid so I can (sort of) read music. I recently started wondering if I could teach myself to play directly from sheet music, but that's still way off in the distance for me.
 
I'd say base it off of the next note. So say you have to play a F and the next not is a B you could just go up and down the C or E string. However, down the road the song will be easier to play, and you'll be able to play it faster and smoother if you just play the B note on the A string.
 
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I had never thought of it the way you have, but I can see where you are coming from. There are no alternate fingerings on the piano. I say this but I'm not a piano player; I play the trumpet which does have a few alternate fingerings. I'm just learning picking myself and I think that your question has always been in the back of my mind. There have been similar questions relating to chord changes and the "general" answer was to use the fingering that made the best transition to the next chord. So, the thinking about the next note suggestion also makes sense--at least to me. There are a bunch of different books on picking and I think they are mostly based on tabs. Like you, seeing the notes is just a lot easier than trying to read tab. I know that I'm going to have to suck it up and learn tab, but I've been putting it off. I'll be watching this thread in hopes of learning more.
 
cantsing said:
Here's one suggested fingering for the major scales. This might get you started, but I'm sure there are times when you would want to use alternate fingerings. Many ukulele tabs include the music, so if you play some of those to start out, that might help you get a feel for "translating" the notes to the fretboard.

Disclaimer: I play only from tabs, but I took piano for a while as a kid so I can (sort of) read music. I recently started wondering if I could teach myself to play directly from sheet music, but that's still way off in the distance for me.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the scales reference. I'm going to start using it today!
 
Thanks for the information and the suggested fingering. All the responses have been helpful and I appreciate the time you have taken with me. Now comes the hard work of learning it all. I will keep you posted.
 
Shastastan said:
I had never thought of it the way you have, but I can see where you are coming from. There are no alternate fingerings on the piano. I say this but I'm not a piano player; I play the trumpet which does have a few alternate fingerings. I'm just learning picking myself and I think that your question has always been in the back of my mind. There have been similar questions relating to chord changes and the "general" answer was to use the fingering that made the best transition to the next chord. So, the thinking about the next note suggestion also makes sense--at least to me. There are a bunch of different books on picking and I think they are mostly based on tabs. Like you, seeing the notes is just a lot easier than trying to read tab. I know that I'm going to have to suck it up and learn tab, but I've been putting it off. I'll be watching this thread in hopes of learning more.
Click to expand...

Also keep in mind when picking melodies that the melody note may be part of a chord but you won't want to play the entire chord because the high note in the chord is above the melody note or the low note is the melody note so you need to strum up to end on that low note. I just learned that yesterday. The joy of actually having to know what to do. Tab is good in the sense it can tell you strings are being used.

I played saxophone in a symphony when I was younger and site read music and still can today but trying to site read without tab becomes a challenge for me in the very low and very high register and that's where it seems a lot of "which one should I play" happens for me. I am just now getting into learning melodies after years of strumming and getting my finger style playing going. You don't have anything wrong. It's a great post.

It's a continuous learning adventure.

Cheers.
 
Hey Jay. thanks for your post. I used to live in the east bay also. My wife grew up in Oakland. I really appreciate your comments and encouragement. I just watched your spanish music youtube. Very impressive, Jay. Is that a concert size uke? It really has a nice rich sound and you play it so well, too. I subscribed to your channel and I'll be watching your other videos which I'm sure will be really enjoyable. Many thanks,

Stan
 
This is a great topic. Thank you for starting it. I also really like the scales link. I'm printing that out and going to start using it.

I have limited experience with finger picking, but I try to use what is in the music or try to use what is easiest on my fingers. As a wind instrument player, I find the tabs pretty hard to understand and my mind fights it being natural for some reason. I hope working on the scales will help me with that.
 
While the Ukulele in The Classroom books may seem simple, there are some good rules to follow. We teach you how to play by reading music and the program teaches melody first. James employs a finger to fret rule (pointer on all first fret notes, middle on all second fret notes, ring on third and pinkie on fourth), it works well for that first position. When you get above the C on the treble clef, you should shift of course and at that point you should find what works best for the song you're playing.

I come from a similar background to Jay, playing sax and reading music pretty well. But, I learned tablature when first beginning to play uke. Now when I look at music, if there's a choice of tab or notation I find myself using the notated piece. The exception would be pre- arranged chord solos.
 
Shastastan said:
Hey Jay. thanks for your post. I used to live in the east bay also. My wife grew up in Oakland. I really appreciate your comments and encouragement. I just watched your spanish music youtube. Very impressive, Jay. Is that a concert size uke? It really has a nice rich sound and you play it so well, too. I subscribed to your channel and I'll be watching your other videos which I'm sure will be really enjoyable. Many thanks,

Stan
Click to expand...

Hi Stan. Thanks! Yes that is my curly Honduran Mahogany Pohaku. I have many more videos on the way and I am about to start a series on vintage ukes with my close friend who is a vintage collector. Thanks for subscribing. If you ever back in the East Bay let me know. I just met a few other folks that were in town for Oracle World in SF. Was fun meeting the faces behind the names on UU.
 
Ukejenny said:
This is a great topic. Thank you for starting it. I also really like the scales link. I'm printing that out and going to start using it.

I have limited experience with finger picking, but I try to use what is in the music or try to use what is easiest on my fingers. As a wind instrument player, I find the tabs pretty hard to understand and my mind fights it being natural for some reason. I hope working on the scales will help me with that.
Click to expand...

Looks like we both have the same "mind" problem, Jenny. My wife is a flute and piano player. She hasn't tried tabs and doesn't like chord symbols either. since I play from lead sheets quite a bit, I don't mind chord symbols. I guess with lot's of practice we might get lucky and overcome the tab mental block. I'm sure this will involve daily time on those scales.

Update: Those scales are great to learn tab. For my old adled brain, the scales are easier than to learn tab by playing a song. Don't know what that is either. Also, the dots on the frets are a big help when playing above the 1st octave. Now it will just be repetition.
 
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