* 4 = use your pinkie
Be sure to tune your ukulele before you start learning new chords. You might have purchased a tuner along with your ukulele, or you may prefer to use a ukulele tuning app. Either way, be sure that you tune each string. Once you’ve completed this task (believe us, it gets a lot faster and easier with a little bit of practice!) you’ll be ready to start playing some chords.
If your chords sound like they’re a bit off, check to be sure that your fingers are positioned on the frets, and ensure that you are not touching or muting strings that should be left open, or vice-versa. If your finger positioning is correct, double-check your tuning. If you’ve been practicing for a little while and your ukulele is brand-new, then it’s possible that your strings might be in the breaking-in phase, which means you’ll have to tune more often until they’re finished stretching. Don’t worry – the problem is only temporary!
If you’re a beginner, then you might be wondering how to strum the ukulele. Here are just a few basics:
* Before strumming your ukulele, position your hand between the sound hole and the instrument’s neck. Try different positions on your uke to see what sounds best to you!
* Down Strum: In order to strum down,start by curving your hand. Next, strum the string with your index finger. You may also use a plectrum or your thumbnail. Strum up with the tip of your finger, or with a plectrum, if you prefer. Use your wrist like a pendulum instead of moving your whole arm, and you’ll have more stamina to last through your practice session!
* Listen to lots of ukulele music, and you’ll soon notice that different strumming patterns create different sounds and textures within the music. Sometimes you’ll hear steady up and down strumming, and sometimes you’ll hear more ups than downs. Sometimes you’ll hear skipped strums or percussive thumps. Play around with your technique! Your strumming style will add plenty of flair to your music. Once you’ve learned the basics you’ll be ready for some advanced strumming techniques such as reggae strums, half-bar patterns, two-bar patterns, and more.
Be sure to learn the ukulele chord patterns you need for each song before you start strumming. It might be slow going at first, but with just a little bit of practice, you’ll playing lots of popular songs. And in case you’re not already the life of the party, you may soon be! Happy playing!