For the first time ukulele player, it can be a little confusing where exactly to start. Many beginners find a chart with hundreds of chords and get intimidated.
Which chords should you learn to play first? Which chords are essential to learn? Which chords can be played easily by a beginner? Which chords go together? Which chords are most often used in songs?
To get the answers to these questions and many more, keep on reading this series starting with today's entry: how to play an F chord.
You might have slightly more difficulty with the F chord than you did with the C chord which we encountered in the last part. This is because it uses two fingers rather than one.
Step 1: Hold down the E string (which is one up from the bottom of the neck) at the first fret using your pointer/index finger. Step 2: hold down the G string with you middle finger at the second fret. Play these two notes by themselves to make sure you can hear them clearly.
Also make sure that the notes that you are not fretting (the C and A strings) are ringing clearly. This can be a little tricky at first. You may find that these strings are dampened and not ringing out as clearly as they should do. The simple reason for this is that one of your fretting fingers is resting against a string as you are fretting another string.
Are you fingers accidentally dampening one of the other strings? Look at how you are fretting to see if this is creating a problem for you.
To cure this, lift your hand up off the fret board so that, rather than laying flat against it, it is raised up from it and your fingers come away at a sharp angle.
It is very important to practice this aspect as it is essential to get a good sound when you're playing the ukulele. Getting into good habits now will make it easier when you encounter tougher chords later in your playing.
When you have got this technique down, it will provide a firm basis for all the chords you will learn in future.
Now you have learned two chords: C and F. There are many songs that include this chord change. In fact, it is one of the most common around.
And the third chord that will complete this natural progression is the G7 chord. This chord adds the final bit of tension to the progression. And that is the chord that we will be learning in the next article in this series. - 15338
Which chords should you learn to play first? Which chords are essential to learn? Which chords can be played easily by a beginner? Which chords go together? Which chords are most often used in songs?
To get the answers to these questions and many more, keep on reading this series starting with today's entry: how to play an F chord.
You might have slightly more difficulty with the F chord than you did with the C chord which we encountered in the last part. This is because it uses two fingers rather than one.
Step 1: Hold down the E string (which is one up from the bottom of the neck) at the first fret using your pointer/index finger. Step 2: hold down the G string with you middle finger at the second fret. Play these two notes by themselves to make sure you can hear them clearly.
Also make sure that the notes that you are not fretting (the C and A strings) are ringing clearly. This can be a little tricky at first. You may find that these strings are dampened and not ringing out as clearly as they should do. The simple reason for this is that one of your fretting fingers is resting against a string as you are fretting another string.
Are you fingers accidentally dampening one of the other strings? Look at how you are fretting to see if this is creating a problem for you.
To cure this, lift your hand up off the fret board so that, rather than laying flat against it, it is raised up from it and your fingers come away at a sharp angle.
It is very important to practice this aspect as it is essential to get a good sound when you're playing the ukulele. Getting into good habits now will make it easier when you encounter tougher chords later in your playing.
When you have got this technique down, it will provide a firm basis for all the chords you will learn in future.
Now you have learned two chords: C and F. There are many songs that include this chord change. In fact, it is one of the most common around.
And the third chord that will complete this natural progression is the G7 chord. This chord adds the final bit of tension to the progression. And that is the chord that we will be learning in the next article in this series. - 15338
About the Author:
Play hundreds more ukulele chords by going to Al Wood's blog. And get your playing off to a fantastic start by reading advice on how to buy a ukulele online.
