Reading Standard Music Notation for Ukulele

One of the reasons it is hard to read music on the guitar and the ukulele is, alternate note locations. In the open position there is one alternate note location. The open E, string two can also be played on string three, fret (3). If there is no overwhelming musical reason to play one location vs. the other. Then play the one that is easier to play. Use your ear as the final judge as to which one you prefer.

You can get the fingers working and trained to follow our ear by playing scales, intervals, sequences and arpeggios. These are the four elements used to create melodies and improvisation.

The Ukulele - Reading Music Series uses the "Modular Phonetic Rhythm System" by Chuck Anderson for learning rhythm.

The following songs can be played in open position using the natural notes covered in the previous lessons of this primer. These songs do not use any signatures, no time signature or key signature is shown. All songs are played with a quarter note taking one beat.

From the available natural notes in open position there are three notes on string one. A, B and C. The Open Position is the open strings and frets one, two, three and four.

From the available natural notes in open position there are two notes on string three. C, and D.

From the available natural notes in open position there are three notes on string two. E, F and G.

Open Position Review - All the natural notes covered on string one, two and three comprise the C Major scale. Here is the fingerboard shape on ukulele.

"C Tuning, Low G", extends the melodic range to G below middle C. This expanded range allows for a wider selection when selecting songs to play. The G, A and B are the same names as a high string four but sounding one octave lower.

A tie extends the rhythmic value of the first note by the value of the next note. Ties can span multiple notes. Rests are symbols for silence. Each note each has an equivalent symbol for silence.

Learning to read begins with recognizing the notes on the staff and knowing where they are located on the fingerboard. Knowing the name is also a essential skill.

It is important to always have your ukulele in tune. This lesson covers the various ways of getting you ukulele in tune.

There are a few things in music that students and players avoid. These are things like learning to read and knowing the notes of their own instrument. It is hard on guitar - but not so hard on ukulele. With the right guidance and plan of attack. IT IS EASY.

This series of lessons will allow you finally, to check that Reading item off your music To Do list. Learning to read standard music notation opens a world of music to you. Music notation is the Lingua franca of amateur and professional musicians alike.

There are a few things in music that students and players avoid. These are things like learning to read and knowing the notes of their own instrument. It is hard on guitar - but not so hard on ukulele. With the right guidance and plan of attack. IT IS EASY. It is really quite easy on a uke. Starting with natural notes in in the open position you can finally check off the Reading Music to do item. Learning to read standard music notation is really, really easy.

After spending time on open, first and second position, we’re ready to move into the third position. The third position is defined as the notes on frets 3, 4, 5 and 6 on all four strings.

This lessons covers the natural symbol and the sharp key signatures keys. In musical notation, a key signature is a collection of sharp or flat symbols placed together on the staff. Key signatures are generally written immediately after the clef at the beginning of a line of musical notation, although they can appear in other parts of a score, notably after a double barline. A key signature is use to indicate the “auto sharping or flatting of specified notes. Key signatures are also used to identify the key of a composition.

Lesson Nine covers reading in position IV.

This is a series of lessons for reading music for ukulele at a pro level. Reading can be thought of on many different levels. 1) the ability to slowly and painfully “work out” the written music. 2) the ability to “hear” the music by looking at the notation. 3) the ability to “notate” your ideas in standard music notation. 4) the ability to “read” music as you read a book or an article. 5) the ability to communicate with other musicians in the written language of music. 6) the ability to learn songs that you’ve never heard.

Lesson seven covers reading in position II. After spending time on open and first position, we're ready to move into the second position. The second position is defined as the notes on frets 2, 3, 4 and 5 on all four strings.

This lessons's work will advance rhythm by introducing Ties. Many ukulele players can find the notes on their instrument but can't read rhythm with enough accuracy and speed to be considered "sight readers". Remember that sight reading is just a level of reading. It's not some special and mysterious skill. When you read a book or magazine, you don't have to "work out" the words before you "read" them. You just read them.

Lesson Ten covers reading in position V.

Now that you can recognize the notes on the staff in the Treble clef, it’s time to start connecting that knowledge to the ukulele. One of the most significant problems in reading for the ukulele, is that many of the same notes can be found in multiple locations on the neck. For example, the same A note is an open string one, string two - fret (5) and string three, fret (9) and if using a high G tuning - string four fret (2). The only way to cut down this complexity is to organize the ukulele into positions where this duplication is either eliminated or at least, minimized.

Once you understand the basic concept of reading, it’s time to get down to the development of the skills. We know our goal is to read music as well as we read words. Now, how do we get there? Note Recognition - If you can’t recognize the notes on the staff, you certainly can’t read them. For anyone who is past this step, great! But in many cases, the recognition of notes on the staff is not as good as it should be. If you can’t read music, this skill doesn’t exist at all.

This lessons covers the natural symbol and the flat key signatures keys. In musical notation, a key signature is a collection of sharp or flat symbols placed together on the staff. Key signatures are generally written immediately after the clef at the beginning of a line of musical notation, although they can appear in other parts of a score, notably after a double barline. A key signature is use to indicate the “auto sharping or flatting of specified notes. Key signatures are also used to identify the key of a composition.

Congrats, you have finished the Reading Music on Ukulele - The Primer series. This next series of lessons will take your reading to the next level and have you reading like a pro.

This is a series of lessons for reading music for ukulele at a "Pro" level.

Level II Rhythmic Syllables 6 of 6 from the Modular Phonetic Rhythm, The Foundation and Workbook 1 book.

Level II Rhythmic Syllables 5 of 6 from the Modular Phonetic Rhythm, The Foundation and Workbook 1 book.

Level II Rhythmic Syllables 3 of 6 from the Modular Phonetic Rhythm, The Foundation and Workbook 1 book.

Learn to read single note melodies in the first/open position. It is a lot easier than you might think with this step-by-step easy to use approach. Tunings: C with low or high G - (GCEA or gCEA).

The often neglected and taken for granted subject of "Rhythm". Music is Melody, Harmony, and "Rhythm." We are drawn, initially to music by melody at a very early age, with the instrument of our voice. With ukulele you typically learn chords - the harmony and never really dive into learning rhythm. Unless you're a drummer we take rhythm for granted.

Learn the very "basic", the foundation of music.