Ukulele is a musical instrument from Hawaii that produces a cheerful sound. With its small size, this instrument is easy to carry and can be played and mastered by people of all ages. Learn the basics of playing the ukulele now so you can play it proficiently someday.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Holding a Ukulele
Step 1. Place the ukulele with the neck on the left hand
The neck is the small and long part of the ukulele. Place the ukulele neck away from the body and on the left side. You'll have a hard time playing the ukulele if you hold it the other way because the strings are made to face to the left.
- If you are left-handed, change the order of the guitar strings. If you simply flip the ukulele and hold it the other way, you'll have a hard time learning chords and playing songs. Remove all the strings and reorder them as you would a regular guitar.
- Ukulele itself has various types. You can learn everything, except the baritone ukulele, which is very large and may not be the type of ukulele you currently have. The notes on this ukulele are a bit different.
Step 2. Hold the ukulele against your body in a standing or sitting position
You can play the ukulele sitting or standing. Whichever method you choose, place the ukulele slightly below your chest with the neck pointing up at a 15-degree angle. Place your right arm on top of the ukulele and your right hand in front of the earpiece (this is the hole in the center of the ukulele's body).
- You don't need to support the ukulele from below if you're playing it standing up. Ukulele simply clamped right arm towards the body.
- If you play while sitting, you may find it easier to hold, by placing your right foot on your left knee to hold the bottom of the ukulele with your right thigh.
- You can also attach a string to your ukulele and drape it around your neck like a guitar. You can do this if you want. Most ukulele players do not attach a string because it is very light weight. However, you can still use it if you want.
Step 3. Place your thumb on the first fret
Frets are metal rods that are attached horizontally to the neck of the ukulele to separate notes and chords. Place your left thumb on the top fret (the part next to the head of the ukulele). Next, place 4 fingers under the neck so you can squeeze the strings from this side down. When playing the ukulele, your hands must move back and forth along the neck to press the strings between the frets, but the thumbs of your hands must remain above the neck of the ukulele.
- The left hand will look like the letter C around the neck of the ukulele. Your hands will feel like they are forming claws.
- If your hand can't reach the top string from the bottom of the neck (because it's small) place your thumb vertically on the back of the ukulele's neck.
Step 4. Beat the ukulele with the side of the right index finger
Bend your right hand and place it on the string above the earpiece. Position your index finger so that it is perpendicular to the string. Place your thumb on the pad near the tip of your index finger so that your thumb and forefinger will form a drop of water. To play the ukulele, move the side of your index finger on the strings so that your fingertips touch the strings.
- Unlike other stringed instruments, ukulele players almost never only strum a certain note (string). You have to shuffle all four strings (all of them) as you play the song.
- If you want, you can use a ukulele pick, but ukulele picks are rarely used. The soft notes of the ukulele will turn sharp if you shake it with a pick.
- When watching professional players, they usually swing their hands openly up and down over the strings. Once you're good at it, you can let go of your thumb and use only your index finger to shake the ukulele. For now, you should stick your thumb to your index finger to maintain accuracy while playing.
Method 2 of 4: Learning Notes and Chords
Step 1. Memorize the notes produced by the strings from the bottom to the top
When you're learning a song, you won't be playing individual notes, but you'll still need to memorize them so you can easily read chord diagrams and understand the arrangement of the strings. Play each string on its own to recognize the sound and put it into memory. You will notice that the deepest sound is on the top string. This is because the ukulele strings are arranged in reverse. The top note (G or 4) produces the deepest sound, while the bottom note (A or 1) produces the highest sound.
- The order of strings from bottom to top is A (1), E (2), C (3), and G (4). In sheet music and chord charts for beginners, numbers and letters are usually added.
- When it comes to sound, you might be a bit confused as the "up" string is technically a "down/low" note. When you hear the phrase "upper string" in a tutorial, you're referring to the G (4), the lowest note.
- Use the tuner to tune the ukulele so that the pitch is exactly the right one. Turn on the tuner, clip it to the ukulele head, and pluck each string. Use a tuner for each string until you get the pitch right.
Step 2. Practice playing the easier major chords, starting in the keys of C and F
The major is the most commonly used chord. Start by practicing simple chords like C and F. To play a C chord, press A (1) below the second fret with your ring or index finger and shuffle all the strings. Play this 4-5 times until you get used to it. To play an F chord, press the E string (3) under the head of the ukulele using the ring finger, and the G string (4) using the index or middle finger under the first fret. Play this chord 4-5 times to get used to its feel and sound.
When playing the ukulele, you can decide for yourself which finger to use to press the strings. Most people use their middle, index, and ring fingers to press the strings at the top (G [4] and C [3]) and use the same finger to press the strings below them. However, you can use your pinky to press down on the bottom string, if you like. To play complex chords, you'll need to use your little and ring fingers on the bottom, and your index and middle fingers for the top strings
Step 3. Practice and memorize the other major chords
Chords other than C and F are more complicated, so you'll need to master these two first. Next, memorize the other major chords: D, E, G, A, and B. Start with an A chord that uses only 2 fingers to hold C (3) under the head of the ukulele and G (4) on the second fret. D, E, G, and B chords require three fingers so it's best to learn them last. Practice playing each chord to get used to it.
- It may take you about 2 to 3 weeks to get used to playing all of these major chords. Fortunately, there are many songs that use major chords. For example, Peterpan's "Yang Terdalam" uses only the C, F, and G chords, while the children's song "Bintang Kecil" only requires the keys of C, D, and G.
- On chords that require you to press 2 strings close together at the same fret, use one finger to press both strings at once. Maybe the D and E major chords should be studied last because they both require you to hit 3 strings at once with the same finger.
- Don't think about patterns or rhythms when shuffling the ukulele. At this point, you should focus on learning how to place your fingers on the neck of the ukulele.
Step 4. Learn the minor chord if you have mastered the major chord
In a chord chart, a small “m” next to a letter indicates that the chord is minor. Minor chords, namely Am, Bm, Cm, Dm, Em, Fm, and Gm have the same difficulty level as major chords. Start by learning and memorizing the Am chord, which can be done by pressing the G string (4) below the second fret. Next, practice another minor chord and memorize it. Take 2 to 3 weeks to learn these chords.
- Minor chords are no more difficult than major, but it's a good idea to learn chords in groups to make it easier for you to memorize and familiarize yourself with the sound.
- There are many songs that only use major and minor chords. You can start learning some songs in full once you've reached this point, and learn the remaining chords as you practice.
Step 5. Memorize the seventh chord if you have mastered the major and minor
Each chord has a "seventh" version. The seventh chord also has major and minor versions, such as C7, Cmaj7, and Cm7. This means you have to learn another 21 chords, and most of them require you to hit 4 strings. This is indeed the most complicated chord type, so you can learn it over time as you practice. Start practicing with a basic seventh chord, and work your way up to the major chord. Finish the process by learning a minor seventh chord.
- There are thousands of songs that don't use the minor and major seventh chords. If you want to master it without rushing, just learn the basic seventh chords (such as A7, B7, and so on) and work on majors and minors later.
- The easiest way is to learn a new chord every day. Take about 10 to 15 minutes each day to practice finger placement on new chords.
- Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Many of these seventh chords are actually easy to learn. For example, you can play a Bm7 by simply hitting all the strings below the second fret. Cmaj7 is pretty much the same as a C major chord, but you have to move your finger up 1 fret.
Step 6. Use a chord chart to make sure your fingers are positioned correctly
A chord chart is an image that shows the position of the fingers on the ukulele. Look at the chord chart to check finger position. To read this diagram, assume the neck of the ukulele is positioned vertically and the strings are facing you. The horizontal lines indicate the frets, and the vertical lines are the strings. The black dots indicate the position of the finger when pressing the strings to play a particular chord.
- To play a chord, you must shuffle all the strings at the same time.
- Visit this page for a great chord chart for beginners
Method 3 of 4: Shaking the Ukulele
Step 1. Use just one chord to practice the 4 main string shuffling patterns
The rhythm in the ukulele has 4 main shuffling patterns. Since you can play chords by moving your finger down, from G (4) to A (1) (top to bottom), or vice versa from A (1) to G (4), you can create a different atmosphere if you shuffle the strings. using different patterns. Practice these shuffle patterns to memorize them.
- Down, down, down, down - Just shuffling the strings from up to down will produce a beautiful, melodious sound.
- Down up, down up, down up, down up - Repeated shuffling of the strings from the bottom up creates a fun and captivating tempo. This shuffle pattern was used in the popular song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".
- Down, down up, down, down up - This pattern changes the top shuffle from 4 beats to 2 beats. This results in a slow, dreary pattern in the song being played.
- Down, down up, up, down up - This is the opposite of the previous pattern. This pattern pauses beats 1 and 3, resulting in a smooth and stunning sound.
Step 2. Read the string shuffling pattern following the D and U letters when playing the ukulele
In a ukulele tutorial, the shuffle pattern of the strings will be listed below the chord. The letter "D" (short for Down) means shuffle down, while "U" (short for Up) is shuffle up. The "DU" sign means shuffle down and up on one beat. If there is a “/” sign, it means you need to pause.
On regular sheet music, the bottom shuffle is usually shown in the form of a box with the line on the bottom side omitted. The top whisk is indicated by a "V" shaped mark. Unless you already know how to read sheet music, it will be easier for you to learn to play the ukulele with the tutorial notation that you can find online
Step 3. Develop a natural swing as you shuffle the strings
When learning a song, make sure you're timing it right so that the beat matches the beat. In other words, if there's a DU mark under a C7 chord, play the ukulele at the right timing so you can shuffle the strings up and down to the beat. While moving your finger on the strings, keep pressing the ukulele to form a C7 chord all the time.
For most people, shuffling the strings in the correct pattern is the most difficult part. Don't get frustrated when you mix shuffles, timings, and chords together
Method 4 of 4: Practicing and Studying the Song
Step 1. Practice switching between all the chords so you can play them smoothly
Most people find it difficult to move between chords. Each time you start practicing, play all the chords you've learned one by one. This helps you get a feel for the finger movements to make when pressing the strings.
Step 2. Learn easy songs so you can use all the chords you've learned
Look online for songs that feature ukulele tutorials and chords. Choose songs that are easy and use only a few chords. Start at the beginning of the song and play the chords in order based on the shuffle pattern shown next to the chord. Practice playing chords at a consistent tempo. Once you've mastered an easy song, try another song and keep practicing.
- An easy and good song to try is Iz's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". The song has a steady up-and-down shuffle pattern throughout most of the song, and uses only the C, G, Am, F, and Em chords.
- The old song “You Are My Sunshine” has a cheerful rhythm and is easy to play because most of the songs only rely on the F and C chords. This song is perfect for practicing timing because the ukulele must be shuffled down and only once shuffled up in the entire song.
- Fleetwood Mac's “Dreams” is great for practicing chords as it has a slightly difficult finger pattern but can be shuffled easily.
- The song " Chasing Cars " by Snow Patrol is perfect for practicing the ability to move your fingers between frets.
Step 3. Keep practicing every day to play more complex songs
Play the ukulele every day to improve, learn new chords, and master the shuffling pattern. Take time to practice for at least 15 minutes a day. If you've mastered a few simple songs, try searching the internet for more difficult songs that will test your skills with more complex shuffling patterns and switching between chords.
- There are plenty of ukulele tutorials on the internet for any song you could want. Choose your favorite song to make the practice process fun.
- If any tutorial doesn't include a pattern for shuffling the strings, this is up to you. Some songs adapted for playing on the ukulele do not include a string shuffling pattern.
Tips
- Use a capo if you can already play the ukulele proficiently. A capo is a tool or fret clamp pad used to change chords. Capos are not a must-have for beginners, but they can be very useful if you want to play songs in different chords.
- Practicing the ukulele can be a great first step if you want to learn a more difficult string-based instrument, such as the guitar. The ukulele only has 4 strings so it is easier to master than other musical instruments.
