One chord shape for all major/minor chords plus a song starter

[Jim Hanks]

In which we look at a single chord shape on the ukulele and discover how to make all major and minor triads with it, then see how to play many 4-notes chords with the same shape, and finally look at a song sketch using some of these 4-note chords.

 

[rainbow21]

This is really cool and fun! Thanks for figuring it out and sharing!

 

[ripock]

This is why whenever there's one of those "who's your favorite youtube/uke influencer" type of thread, I always mention Jim as opposed to some prodigy playing "Riptide" on a windy beach but with no wind in the recording. Jim keeps it real. No massive onslaught of post production, no lip-synching. Just a guy doing his thing.

 

[Jim Hanks]

Thank you rainbow21 and ripock!

 

[Ed1]

Nicely Done! If I recall, James Hill has a simple, beginner, method to play St. James Infirmary using only Em, B7, and C6. You have opened up the concept to a lot of other chords with the same style fingering - many more interesting ideas. Lots of fun, and for me, a help in thinking about not using my (arthritic) pinky as much as possible. Thanks for this.

 

[Patty]

Nicely Done! If I recall, James Hill has a simple, beginner, method to play St. James Infirmary using only Em, B7, and C6. You have opened up the concept to a lot of other chords with the same style fingering - many more interesting ideas. Lots of fun, and for me, a help in thinking about not using my (arthritic) pinky as much as possible. Thanks for this.

One or two of those chord changes reminded me of "Hotel California." This is fascinating--thanks!

 

[Jim Hanks]

One or two of those chord changes reminded me of "Hotel California." This is fascinating--thanks!

You're welcome. UU is kinda like Hotel California- check out anytime you like, but you can never leave

 

[Arcy]

Nice! James Hill calls these chord twins and takes it a different direction from the same basic start.

I love the way you included the open string and demoed using your ears to figure out what works. Great way to visualize the audible!

 

[ripock]

I tried to pursue this idea with the triangle shape on the upper three strings for a dom7 chord and on the lower three strings for a minor chord. Or do I have my upper and lower mixed up? I can never remember. It isn't quite as epigrammatic as Jim's video. And for nice and slide-y shapes I have come to love the dim7 and augmented shapes.

 

[Jim Hanks]

I tried to pursue this idea with the triangle shape on the upper three strings for a dom7 chord and on the lower three strings for a minor chord. Or do I have my upper and lower mixed up? I can never remember. It isn't quite as epigrammatic as Jim's video. And for nice and slide-y shapes I have come to love the dim7 and augmented shapes.

I guess it depends on what "upper" and "lower" mean to you. It sounds like "upper" to you means closer to your face as you are playing. Those three things are a major chord. Its only dom7 for the B7 chord when you add in the other string. The "lower" 3 strings give a minor chord

 

[ripock]

It is harder to write about this than do it. I meant that if you make the triangle on the A, E, and C strings you have a rootless Dom7 chord.

 

[Jim Hanks]

It is harder to write about this than do it. I meant that if you make the triangle on the A, E, and C strings you have a rootless Dom7 chord.

Ah, triangle shape. Like x212, rootless G7, got it. And the other would be like 212x, F#m. Nice!