problems with playing between chords

I started ukulele for like 5 days ago and had no problem playing it since i was playing it while the top of the uke was resting on my knee (i was sitting with left leg up).

Then i saw videos of how to hold the uke but i couldn't play chords properly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t0DL50a1P4

Playing C A D F sure, no problem but i cant play for example A then Em or A then Bm, the ukulele "falls" and my hand cant catch up.

Is this normal and can be fixed by practice? Or there's problem on how i play? Any solution to this? I'm getting a little frustrated.

zyggyzzz said:

I started ukulele for like 5 days ago and had no problem playing it since i was playing it while the top of the uke was resting on my knee (i was sitting with left leg up).

Then i saw videos of how to hold the uke but i couldn't play chords properly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t0DL50a1P4

Playing C A D F sure, no problem but i cant play for example A then Em or A then Bm, the ukulele "falls" and my hand cant catch up.

Is this normal and can be fixed by practice? Or there's problem on how i play? Any solution to this? I'm getting a little frustrated.

Click to expand...

I'm sure other people on here can give you advice about how to hold your uke while playing - but my advice would be to use a strap. It's not expensive to get a strap button fitted to your ukulele and for me, at least, it makes life much easier.

I second wayward's suggestion. A strap makes things a lot easier sitting down or standing up. Without a strap, the thumb of your fretting hand (left hand) keeps the neck from falling over when changing chords. It's pretty tricky and takes some practice to get a hang of it....

...Or just get a mandolin strap with a strap button installed at the bottom of the uke.

Hi, zyggyzzz, I think almost everyone has problems changing chords at first. A strap is a good idea. It takes a while to learn how to be comfortable playing a new instrument. One has to keep plunking away at it over and over and over.

Agree with all of these answers - it's challenging at first for everybody, and the only thing that will help with that is practice. However, a strap will make things a whole lot easier! I resisted it for the first few years that I played since it wasn't really traditional and there weren't many uke-specific straps on the market back then, but then tried a friend's uke with a strap. Suddenly I was a much better player! It really made a big difference.

thanks guys! thanks for your advice s
i'm gonna practice 100% more then buy a strap maybe after 2 days
i'm new here and people here seems nice

Here's my take on the strap issue: There is nothing at all wrong about using a strap. If it helps, if you like it, then use it. Likewise, there is nothing at all wrong about playing the Ukulele without a strap. Personally, I use a strap on an instrument that is either heavy or that I'm going to play for long periods of time while standing up. However, I greatly prefer playing in a seated position, so it isn't much of an issue for me. Incidentally, I just received my Western Rose pattern strap from Feedback Straps (http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com...-handmade-in-California&highlight=vegasgeorge) and it's a beauty! I really love it.

OP, thanks for asking the question as it does change the feel when you stand up and play. I also get cramped fingers trying to change chords while not trying to drop my Uke. The strap sounds like a good idea but kind of worried about installing a button onto the Uke (aesthetics, value?).

rodog said:

OP, thanks for asking the question as it does change the feel when you stand up and play. I also get cramped fingers trying to change chords while not trying to drop my Uke. The strap sounds like a good idea but kind of worried about installing a button onto the Uke (aesthetics, value?).

Click to expand...

I don't have a picture handy to put up here, but I have a strap that goes under and around the body of the uke, and has a plastic hook that hooks into the sound hole. I do not use a strap a lot, but once in a while it is handy to have one. I think that I paid four or five dollars for it. It works great, you can just un-hook it and throw it in the box if you don't need it. I would guess that a good number of players here on UU use exactly the same thing. Well worth the money.

rodog said:

The strap sounds like a good idea but kind of worried about installing a button onto the Uke (aesthetics, value?).

Click to expand...

Aesthetics is a matter of opinion - mine is that it doesn't matter. As for value - I've re-homed at least three second-hand ukes that I have added strap buttons to, and in each case I've managed to make a small profit over what I paid used for them by asking market value. So, my experience is that it doesn't matter.

I'll admit that I leave the hole-drilling to a luthier, even though it's a simple task.

zyggyzzz said:

thanks guys! thanks for your advice s
i'm gonna practice 100% more then buy a strap maybe after 2 days
i'm new here and people here seems nice

Click to expand...

Welcome to UU! You are in the right place to pick up lots of information and tips. I think you will get used to holding it, with or without a strap. Once you start holding it against your body (facing out), it takes some getting used to, but it will get more comfortable as you practice. I don't use a strap when sitting at home, but I usually use a uke leash when I'm at our ukulele club meetings.

What brought you and ukulele together?

Ukejenny said:

Welcome to UU! You are in the right place to pick up lots of information and tips. I think you will get used to holding it, with or without a strap. Once you start holding it against your body (facing out), it takes some getting used to, but it will get more comfortable as you practice. I don't use a strap when sitting at home, but I usually use a uke leash when I'm at our ukulele club meetings.

What brought you and ukulele together?

Click to expand...

..does it also need a muzzle and a choke chain ???? ...do you have to kerb it ?....why am I even asking these questions ....oh ,yeah ...I have to ...it's the Law...

PS...I don't use a strap ......I don't like them ......for me ....but you do what pleaseth thee......nah ...go on ...really .....!!

...actually ...sorry ...a question.....The original post reads "problem playing between chords"....umm intrigued ...cos when one chord ends ...another should begin ?...yes ...no ...? Confused for England .......but intrigued........definitely Watson...

If you don't want to modify your uke just yet to install a strap, a quick and effective solution is to use a uke thong. I like the thongs from harpdude on eBay: simple, cheap (~$15 including shipping), easily adjustable, takes only seconds to loop over your neck, pass under the uke and hook. He uses a flat metal hook enclosed in the flat nylon ribbon that extends from the neck loop, so it won't hurt your soundhole and it has a low profile—your hand won't knock into any knobby bit as you strum (a problem with some other thong designs).

The thong doesn't support the uke completely unaided: you still have to rest your right arm against the instrument, or the uke could flip down and fall to the floor, the duck pond or the thresher. But it takes little arm pressure, unlike cradling or clamping the uke the traditional way, so your right arm can still move freely. The thong also doesn't stabilize the neck as well as a dedicated, installed strap or a semi-dedicated uke leash (another good alternative, sold by Lori, who's a member here). I haven't found wobble-neck to be a real problem when I'm strumming, and only a minor problem when I'm playing involved fingerstyle with lots of movement around the neck. By the time you get that far, you'll probably have switched to a strap—or a better instrument.

The thong is an instant solution to the "how do I hold and play" problem. I also like just being able to quickly switch ukes (even to someone else's) without having to install special gear for each. Unless you're experienced, brave or foolhardy, don't install strap pegs yourself. Some ukes may not have thick enough wood at the bottom, so the peg may come loose at an unfortunate moment; others have metal bits you might run into while drilling.

Another option is a Uke Leash half strap. It supports the uke without requiring a strap button. I was struggling to hold my uke when I first started playing, and a Uke Leash made a huge difference for me. I later installed a strap button and bought an adapter that converted the half strap to a full strap. Lori, who sells them, is a pleasure to do business with and a member here.

Down Up Dick said:

Hi, zyggyzzz, I think almost everyone has problems changing chords at first. A strap is a good idea. It takes a while to learn how to be comfortable playing a new instrument. One has to keep plunking away at it over and over and over.

Click to expand...

What Down Up said. And you must practice. The moves will come.