Help Playing Diatonics in Keys of G and F for Ukulele

AZMLII

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I'm a beginner ukulele player. In addition to taking ukulele through my local music school, I decided to take an Introduction to Music Theory course. This is proving to be very helpful.

My homework this week was to construct the Diatonics in Keys of G and F, which I figured out. I had done the scales for the notes of the circle of 5ths the week before.

However, I'm having trouble figuring out how to play them correctly on my ukulele. I looked up the cords, but how does this progress back to the root an octave higher.

Would any one be willing to review my attached work, and help me figure out how to play the cords in these two keys?

Thanks,
Patrick

Diatonics Keys of G and F for Ukulele-1.jpg
 
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I can't view your attached work; I think if you post a jpeg photo or something that'd be useful.

Anyway, So, I assumed you've built 2 diatonic scales in G and F? Are they major scales?

Assuming G and F major scales, to construct the chords, you'd take notes from those diatonic scales and any accidentals. For example, the G major, you take G, B, D and these notes have no accidentals. For your F scale, you get F, A, C, also no accidentals. Octaves doesn't matter in this case, so the G major can have the B and D notes an octave higher or the G note an octave lower, it is still called root form, as long as when you put those 3 notes on the staff and G is lowest, followed by B, then D highest.

Now, how to play on the ukulele. I'm going to assume that you are interested in playing the chords in root form, which is described above.

In the root form, the G is the lowest note, then B, then D. To play this, one possible fingering is 0x75 (for gCEA tuning, "x" means muted string), which is hard to play. If we look at a uke chord chart, the G major chord is 0232, which puts the D as the lowest note. Fortunately, both sets of notes (i.e. the hard to play 0x75 and the common 0232) sounds similar enough. And in music theory, they are both G major chords with different voicings; the rearrangement is common not just for playability but in voice leading.

So, I think the short answer to what you are looking for, is that it is not possible to arrange most chords in their root position for the uke; and this is why the piano is more recommended for learners of music theory. It is trivial to play the 0x75 finger notes on a piano.
 
I can't view your attached work; I think if you post a jpeg photo or something that'd be useful.

Anyway, So, I assumed you've built 2 diatonic scales in G and F? Are they major scales?

Assuming G and F major scales, to construct the chords, you'd take notes from those diatonic scales and any accidentals. For example, the G major, you take G, B, D and these notes have no accidentals. For your F scale, you get F, A, C, also no accidentals. Octaves doesn't matter in this case, so the G major can have the B and D notes an octave higher or the G note an octave lower, it is still called root form, as long as when you put those 3 notes on the staff and G is lowest, followed by B, then D highest.

Now, how to play on the ukulele. I'm going to assume that you are interested in playing the chords in root form, which is described above.

In the root form, the G is the lowest note, then B, then D. To play this, one possible fingering is 0x75 (for gCEA tuning, "x" means muted string), which is hard to play. If we look at a uke chord chart, the G major chord is 0232, which puts the D as the lowest note. Fortunately, both sets of notes (i.e. the hard to play 0x75 and the common 0232) sounds similar enough. And in music theory, they are both G major chords with different voicings; the rearrangement is common not just for playability but in voice leading.

So, I think the short answer to what you are looking for, is that it is not possible to arrange most chords in their root position for the uke; and this is why the piano is more recommended for learners of music theory. It is trivial to play the 0x75 finger notes on a piano.

Thank you clear.

Yes, I constructed the cords for the notes in the G and F major scales. And I'm trying to play them on Ukulele in the root form.

You're explanation that it's impossible to play them in root form makes sense. I guess that's why my music theory instructor asked me if I had a keyboard.

I also change the attachment to a jpeg, but for some reason it's tiny.

Thank 's again.
 
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The pic is pretty small, but it looks like the G and F major scales (based on your key signatures) with the chord names. Another way to remember the chord names take may be easier for uke players is by their roman numerals I, ii, iii, IV, V, si, vii (dim). The capitalized numbers are major chords and the lowercase are minor, except for the diminished.
 
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