Six Secrets of Ukulele Fingering

Building on the one, two, three and four finger finger gymnastics, these adjacent strings drills add a change of direction to the exercises.

To develop strong and independent left hand technique these series of graduated drills or finger gymnastics will increase your the comfort zone of usable technique. This lesson expands basic single string drills using multiple strings.

Basic one, two, three and four note single string drills for ukulele for developing finger strength and independence. It's critical a player develop the finger strength and independence to explore their full musical potential. By developing a great fingerboard hand, you will be able to explore more challenging musical situations.

Switching chords are all about finger independence and working together. This can be developed using the "double stop"  fingering drills presented in this lesson. A "double stop" is a term borrowed from violin technique where you are stopping two strings or two notes - an interval.

The ability to place a single finger across more than one string, a “barre” is an essential technique for chords as well single notes and double stops.

A scale is a collection of pitches a.k.a. notes, used for creating melodies, either pre composed or improvised on the spot. A scale is also used for the harmony – the chords. The melodies and chords create a tonality. The most common source for these melodies and chords is the Major scale. Also known as the Ionian scale or mode.

Wikipedia defines "Jazz" as a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions. The style's West African pedigree is evident in its use of blue notes, improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation, and the swung note.

Ukulele Gymnastics series contains quite a few lessons for developing your finger strength and independence of the fretting hand. The fretting hand is responsible for playing chords and single notes. The fretting hand and plucking hand are responsible for getting the music out.

Slide, used when the passage cannot be played within a single 4 fret span or when more notes per string required to produce a particular effect. I's also used in situations where a gradually ascending or descending diagonal motion best solves the physical and musical demands of the passage.

All the basic single string one, two, three and four finger gymnastics can be revisited and variations created by moving a note to higher strings. Rhythmic variation are also possible.

To play the ukulele effectively, your fingers need physical strength, agility, flexibility and coordination. This four finger-four note drill is designed to get your hands in shape. These exercises work no matter what style of ukulele you play or want to play.

Improvisation or “improv” is the art of creating solos, licks and riffs and are one of the parts of creating music that gives beginners and intermediate players trouble.

To play the ukulele effectively, your fingers need physical strength, agility, flexibility and coordination. This one finger-one note drill is designed to get your fretting hand in shape.

Open string fingering gymnasics build on the basic one, two, three and four finger single note - single strings drills.

Using the original two finger-two notes single strings gymnastics, incorporate an open string. This develops the ability to get the finger on and off notes rapidly - getting out of the way when needed.

Using the original two finger-two notes single strings gymnastics, incorporate an open string. This develops the ability to get the finger on and off notes rapidly - getting out of the way when needed.

Efficiency is the key to technique. This lesson shows the proper finger and thumb placement for the fretting hand.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 1-2-1-2-3.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 1-3-1-2-3.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 1-4-1-2-3.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 2-1-1-2-3.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 2-3-1-2-3.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 2-4-1-2-3.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 3-1-1-2-3.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 3-2-1-2-3.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 3-4-1-2-3.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 4-1-1-2-3.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 4-2-1-2-3.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 4-3-1-2-3.

Building on the single note 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination 1-2.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination “1-3-1-2”.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 1-4-1-2.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 2-1-1-2.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 2-3-1-2.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 2-4-1-2.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 3-1-1-2.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 3-2-1-2

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 3-4-1-3.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 4-1-1-2.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 4-2-1-2.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with a repeating note or two. This lesson starts with the finger combination: 4-3-1-3.

At this point, you can be creative and create any number of repeating note gymnastics to work on specific problem areas you encounter in your technique. This is actually where a good teacher can help in identifying problem areas in your playing.

Building on the single note, 1, 2, 3, and 4 finger basic gymnastics. Now with a repeating note or two. This series of lessons, although the examples are shown for ukulele, are appropriate for any fretted string instrument like guitar, banjo, or mandolin.

The Lydian tetrachord is the 1 2 3 #4 of a Lydian, Lydian Dominant, or Whole Tone scale.

The Major tetrachord is the 1 2 3 4 of a Ionian (Major), or Mixolydian (Dominant) scale.

The Minor tetrachord is the 1 2 b3 4 of a Aeolian (Natural Minor) scale.

The Phrygian tetrachord is the 1 b2 b3 4 of a Phrygian scale.

The Phrygian Major tetrachord is the 1 b2 3 4 of a Phrygian scale.

The only scale in music with ALL twelve notes of one octave. Not much use for improvisation or solos – but a great scale for learning the notes of the ukulele fingerboard, figuring out scales, chords and more...

Slide is used when the passage cannot be played within a single 4 fret span or when more notes per string required to produce a particular effect. I's also used in situations where a gradually ascending or descending diagonal motion best solves the physical and musical demands of the passage.

To play the ukulele effectively, your fingers need physical strength, agility, flexibility and coordination. This three finger-three note drill is designed to get your fretting hand in shape.

Pass maximizes the number of notes per string, making the timbre consistent. It's used to move up or down the neck to cope with a passage in which the range is unusually large. The pass provides an effective way to move straight up the first string. It's particularly useful in developing 3 octave fingerings and in playing melodies with an adjacent drone string.

Slide is used when the passage cannot be played within a single 4 fret span or when more notes per string required to produce a particular effect. I's also used in situations where a gradually ascending or descending diagonal motion best solves the physical and musical demands of the passage.

To play the ukulele effectively, your fingers need physical strength, agility, flexibility and coordination. This two finger-two note drill is designed to get your hands in shape. These exercises work no matter what style of ukulele you play or want to play.