Is this a common problem?

Twiggy, I am a large man with large hands,and my choice of size/scale is Soprano! Try other sizes if you can, but if you persevere you will be amazed at what you can achieve!
 
Yes, this is a common problem. Just keep on practicing and you will get it. As others have said, a lot of short practices are better than a few long practices. I keep my ukulele by my bed and pick it up and practice almost every day. Even a few minutes is good. Some mornings it just a quick strum before I go. Get to know your instrument. Keep going and you will get it
 
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Bottom Line: When you see someone who does not seem to have any difficulties changing chords
it will be because they put in the time and practice to develop the finger strength, flexibility and mental
dexterity to do it. If you put in the time and practice you will get there as well!

In the beginning everything is 'hard' - mostly because it is new and unfamiliar. With repeated exposure
and effort things will become more familiar and 'easy'. Here are the stages:

Unconsciously incompetent (don't know and don't care)
Consciously Incompetent (I know what to do but I still can't do it)
Consciously Competent (I know what to do and it's becoming easier)
Unconsciously Competent (not even thinking about it, it's become 2nd nature) :)

Keep uke'in', ... you'll get there :)
 
Way back in the late 1950's I started playing skiffle music on an old 4 string banjo.It took about a year to learn the 3 chords we needed to play skiffle but at times it felt as if my fingers would never bend to the required shapes but it came eventually after practice,no short cuts in my opinion. I am having similar problems in recent months on the ukulele as my hand joints are getting stiffer,arthritis is suspected but not yet confirmed or otherwise but I will keep plugging away
 
Aldine has a teaching video for Classical Gas
Not difficult chording, per se, but a lot fingering within those chords
I use it as a finger exercise
Some days my fingers are spot on
Some days my fingers aren’t

C. F. G7
F. Bb. C7
A. D. E7

Practice going to and from within each chord triple

Some days it will come easy, some days, not so much..

Good luck, and welcome
 
Aldine has a teaching video for Classical Gas
Not difficult chording, per se, but a lot fingering within those chords
I use it as a finger exercise
Some days my fingers are spot on
Some days my fingers aren’t

C. F. G7
F. Bb. C7
A. D. E7

Practice going to and from within each chord triple

Some days it will come easy, some days, not so much..

Good luck, and welcome

Another Ukulele, thanks for the hint about the Classical Gas vid,one of my favourite pieces of non folkie music. We are away on a family holiday to the N.E. coast of England next week and at least one uke and a banjolele will be going along. If the weather is poor it may be a good chance to try this music out,I am sure at least one grandson will beat me to it with those bendy fingers at their age.
 
As a guitar and bass player, I thought that when I picked up the ukulele it would be very easy for me in terms of forming chords. I was very wrong. I think everyone struggles initially getting used to it, but just keep practising and it will come to you!

If you're watching TV or whatever, try practising switching between two chords you're comfortable playing, then start increasing to three chords, then four chords and then start switching between them randomly. It will soon become second nature!
 
I took Axemaniac's suggestion of switching between two chords to another level. I took all the chords I wanted to learn, assigned each a number and then used a random number generator to randomly make a sequence of numbers. Then I played the sequence. Obviously the outcome wasn't diatonic or even especially musical, but it taught me to transition--even if those transitions would never occur in a real song.
 
Peter,

I do have hands on the larger side, I mean I do wear large or sometimes even XL gloves. My Uke is a Soprano too, so maybe that could be an issue, maybe not, at this stage I'm not sure.

I guess try a little more, and if there's still no progress, maybe consider a larger Uke?
Do not use the size of your ukulele as an excuse. Or that you have the wrong strings or anything else. Many people with large hands play soprano ukuleles. Unless you have some cheap rubbish for a ukulele, you can learn to play it. Don't give up. I am not particularly talented, intelligent, athletic, good looking or coordinated, but I am determined. When you get discouraged, tell yourself, if Rllink can learn to play the ukulele anyone can, and forge on.
 
Even us who have got our fingers (and brain its there too), when we get soft fingertips for the lack of use. Sometimes it can hurt from a longer time break.

So there is are 2 things, muscle finger control that you learn only by playing chords mostly but also solos. It will stay with you for many years afterwards even when you have stopped.
The second thing is hardened fingerpads, they need be that when you play.
 
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