NOTE: Although these lessons are presented as a weekly series, you can and should take as long as you like to master each week's lesson as there is a lot of material in each lesson in the series. Tuns out the understanding part is the easy part. All the hard work is in getting your hands to co-operate.

The individual lessons in this series are viewable from the Lessons button bar above.

Learning the Fingerboard, Key Key Fret (7)

You might have noticed that the Fingerboard lesson is always the first topic we cover in each week’s lesson – it is that important.

The third of the key frets with no sharp or flat notes - only natural notes is fret (7) is D G B E from strings four to one. If you are coming to ukulele from guitar you might recognize these as the names of the thin four strings of a standard tuned guitar.

Recommended Lessons, Series & Resources

Lesson: Learning the Fingerboard, C Tuning - Fret (7)
Lesson: Learning the Fingerboard, C Tuning - Derived Frets

From this weeks fret (7) D G B E you get fret (8) D# G# C F and the fret (6) Db Gb Bb Eb.. We also go Fret (6) from fret (5) in week two’s lesson. Each fret on the ukulele can have more than one name depending on the context the note is being used. For the purpose of names the notes any correct name if fine.

Technique - Three Finger - Three Note Fingering Drills

The 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.

Recommended Lessons, Series & Resources

Lesson: Fingering Gymnastics
Lesson: Three Finger - Three Note Fingering Drills

Primary Chords - G Major

The key of G major is on of the common keys that include C, G, D, A, and E. For guitar G is really common and a comfortable singing key for most males.

As we learned in week one’s lessons - the primary chords are the three major chords that are the main chords of the key. The primary chords create the tension and resolution in music that gives a chord progression emotion – a feeling of rest and resolution or consonance and dissonance.

Learn the G, C, D and D7 open position chords. With these four chords you can play countless songs in the key of G major.

Recommended Lessons, Series & Resources

Series: Key Signatures - G Major and E Minor
Lesson: Primary Chords of G Major

Use The Quarter Note strum and focus on switching between G, C, D, and D7.

Ultimately any chord can go an any chord so practice all the following combinations:

G to C
G to D
G to D7

C to D
C to D7
C to G

D to D7
D to G
D to C

D7 to G
D7 to C
D7 to D

This will cover all possible connections. Practice switching at a SLOW tempo and slowly increase the tempo as you get comfortable with the chords.

Visualize the next chord while you are on the current chord.

With these three chords you can play a lot of songs. Try a few of the ones listed below.

Recommended Lessons, Series & Resources

Song: Bingo
Song: This Train
Song: Red River Valley
Song: Danny Boy
Song: Brown Eyed Girl

Core Strumming Pattern One

After the basic Quarter Note strum there are four core strumming patterns that can get you started. These are four of the most used strums in contemporary music.

This is the first of the four core strumming patterns. Theses are some of the most famous strumming patterns used.