The ukulele is a four-stringed Hawaiian lute-like instrument.
Ukulele music is the perfect accompaniment to a Hawaiian beach vacation---or to any beach vacation. Most ukulele sheet music specifies chords for you to play along with the melody of a song. Mastering the chords is simply a matter of knowing where the root note of the chord lies on the third or fourth string and playing the corresponding major, minor or dominant shape.
Instructions
1. Place your ring finger behind the third fret on the fourth string and middle finger behind the second fret on the third string. Bridge your index finger across the top two strings behind the first fret. This general shape is a major chord, and it can be transferred up or down the fretboard. With this shape, the fourth string carries the root; in other words, you know this chord is B flat major because the note you're playing on the fourth string is B flat.
2. Place your index finger behind the first fret on the first string and use your ring finger to bridge the other three strings behind the third fret. This is another major chord shape that can be transferred up and down the fretboard, but this time the third string carries the root. That makes this particular chord E flat major.
3. Bridge all four strings behind the third fret, using your index finger. This is a minor chord shape with the root carried in the fourth string. This particular chord is B flat minor; notice that it's almost identical to B flat major, but the D on the third string has been lowered to D flat.
4. Place your ring finger behind the third fret on the fourth string, pinkie behind the third fret on the third string, middle finger behind the second fret on the second string and index finger behind the first fret on the first string. This is a minor chord shape with the root carried in the third string. This particular chord is E flat minor; notice that it's almost identical to E flat major, but the A sharp on the second string has been lowered to A natural.
5. Place your index finger behind the third fret on the fourth string, ring finger behind the fifth fret on the third string, middle finger behind the fourth fret on the second string and pinkie behind the fifth fret on the first string. This is a dominant chord shape with the root carried in the fourth string. This particular chord is E flat dominant, usually notated as Eb7.
6. Place your ring finger or pinkie behind the fourth fret on the first string and bridge the other three strings behind the third fret with your index finger. This is a dominant chord shape with the root carried in the fourth string. This particular chord is B flat dominant, usually notated as Bb7.
Tags: finger behind, fourth string, behind third, behind third fret, third fret, chord flat