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Why would an accomplished musician take up singing when they were already succeeding as an instrumentalist? What makes singing so important for musicians and so vital for good musicianship? And why would you take lessons rather than just trying to teach yourself to sing?
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As you’ve probably noticed, we have focused on the issue of tone deafness. Why? Because we believe far too many people miss out on the joy of music-making because they falsely believe themselves to be tone deaf and incapable of becoming a musician. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/a-new-test-for-tone-deafness/

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You’ve heard it before: “practice makes perfect!” So why do some weeks, or perhaps even months, leave you feeling like you’ve only made a tiny bit of hard-earned progress for all of those hours of work? https://www.musical-u.com/learn/deliberate-practice-for-musicians/

You Bought a Ukulele… Now What?

Who doesn’t love the ukulele? If you’ve ever brought your instrument to a party, you and your uke were probably the center of attention.

If you’re brand new to learning ukulele, don’t worry, it’s not as difficult as you think! If you want to learn more about playing this fun little instrument, we’ve got everything you need to kick your playing into high gear!

Getting to Know Your New Instrument

You may notice that the ukulele is similar to a guitar, but it’s smaller and has its own distinct sound. The ukulele is composed of three sections: the head, the neck, and the body. The head of the ukulele features only tuning knobs, the neck features frets, fret markers, and a fretboard, and the body features the sound hole, bridge, and saddle. A fret is the strip of metal that goes across your ukulele.

Parts of a ukulele

Playing different chords on various frets will allow you to create different sounds. The fretboard is the entire vertical piece on your guitar where the strings are extended and it also features the fret markers, which are small colored circles that help you to remember which fret your fingers are on. Lastly, the bridge and the saddle are where your strings are attached on the bottom of your ukulele.

Getting in Tune

Once you are familiar with the different parts of your ukulele, you need to learn how to tune it! We know that tuning can be a pain and seem like a waste of time, but you’ll quickly realize that if you don’t tune your ukulele, your music will be off-key! Tuning can be achieved with the use of a tuning app on a phone or an electric tuner, but it’s even better if you learn how to tune your ukulele by ear as well.

The first thing to know about tuning is that when you tighten the strings using the tuning knobs, the note will go higher in pitch, and when you loosen them, the note will go lower in pitch. If you’re new to tuning, ask someone else to help you, and remember to be careful when tightening the strings. If you tighten your strings too much you risk ruining them!

Ukulele being strummedThere are several different tunings that you can use. The most common method is G-C-E-A tuning. If you are tuning your ukulele strings to G-C-E-A, you can use the re-entrant or the linear method. Many people choose to tune their ukulele using the linear method, which allows you to open the note range of your uke!

Other tuning methods include slack-key tuning, English tuning, and Canadian tuning. Feel free to research each method and see what works for you. If you have an ear for music, you may find it easy to tune by ear and start with the G chord, re-adjusting each string as you find the correct note.

Holding the Ukulele

Typically, ukulele players strum or pluck strings with their dominant hand and hold it with their non-dominant hand. When you are holding your uke, hold it against your chest and place the body of your uke in the crook of your elbow. You can also make use of a ukulele strap, or rest it in your lap if you are sitting. Don’t forget also to keep your back straight to avoid back and shoulder pain later!

Ukulele Tabs, Chords, and More!

Once you know how to tune your ukulele, or at least have downloaded a phone app, you are ready to learn how to read ukulele chords and tabs.

Chords

A quick refresher: chords are a cluster of notes played together, simultaneously. Ukulele chord diagrams look a little something like this:

D major chord shown on ukulele - chord diagram

On a ukulele chord diagram, there are four lines. Each line represents a string on the ukulele. The G string will be the string on the left side of the tab, and the A string will be the string on the right side of the tab. You also will see circles on each line that tells you on which fret you need to pluck the string. For example, looking at the above chord, there is a circle on the second fret on the leftmost line. That means that you need to pluck the G string on the second fret.

Tabs

Though chords are the more common way of providing written notation for ukulele music, you may come across tabs, too!

Tabs (short for tablature) are simply a way of telling you which strings to play in what order, as well as which frets to play on each string. Here’s an example:

Coustii example of tab

As you can see, there are four horizontal lines, as opposed to the vertical layout of the chords. In tabs, the bottom line represents the G string, and the top line is the A string. The numbers on each line tell you the fret of that string that should be played.

If you see a series of numbers stacked vertically, the tab is indicating to play all these notes at the same time. In fact, you may be looking at a chord! Sometimes, tabs even indicate the name of the chord over a tab.

Coustii ukulele chords shown as tabs

There are also some other symbols you may see when reading a uke tab, such as an “X”, which means to not play the string at all, or an “O”, which means to play the string open. You may also see an “h” (hammer-on), a “/” (represents sliding), or a “P” (pull-off). As you learn more about reading uke tabs, you’ll also learn the different symbols and what they mean.

Get Practicing!

If you think you’re ready to learn some beginner ukulele chords, try the C major chord, which is by far the easiest chord! You only need to place your ring finger on the A string on the third fret, and that’s it:

C major chord on ukulele - chord diagram

Once you’ve mastered C major, try A major. For A major, you will need one finger on the G string on the second fret, and another finger on the C string on the first fret:

A major chord on ukulele - chord diagram

Coustii has a ukulele chords for beginners’ guide to get you started. If you’ve just learned how to read ukulele tabs, you can learn new chords by reading uke tabs by yourself!

Putting it All Together

Once you have conquered a few basic chords, it’s time to try some easy songs.

Here are a few songs that everyone will love, and won’t be too difficult for the beginner: 

There are many demos of these songs and others on YouTube so that you can learn quickly by watching others play the song. If you prefer to learn on your own, you can also research ukulele chords or tabs and give it a go on your own!

Another way that you can learn ukulele is by using ear training. Sometimes, people naturally learn to play music by listening and playing the notes that they hear. If it is difficult for you to learn by just using your ears and trying to replicate the notes you hear, you can also use Musical U’s training exercises and resources to be a more natural musician and play by ear.

Stay Motivated: Join A Musical Community!

Whether you are in the beginning stages of learning the ukulele or are just starting to play again, one of the biggest hurdles to overcome while learning any instrument is staying motivated!

It can be very difficult to stay motivated if you feel that you are not making progress and improving. The best way to stay inspired is to keep practicing! Make it easy for yourself by creating a regular routine for practicing. If learning the ukulele is important to you, find time in your hectic schedule for at least 15-20 minutes of practice a day, or create a routine that works for you. See what you can do to keep yourself motivated and learning!

”There is no better way to keep yourself playing than surrounding yourself with other ukulele players. If one uke is good, two or more is better!”

Also, imagine being able to pick up your uke and playing any song you want, just by listening to it a few times. This may be a pipe dream for many musicians, but it’s in fact a very tangible goal! Ear training is a great help in helping you understand chords and find your way around the fretboard, and will help you improve faster with your ukulele.

Musical U will give you both of the above: a supportive community of fellow uke players, and online training and instruction to teach you ear training. By joining, you can benefit by learning how to play by ear, jamming with others, and gaining confidence in your uke skills as well as your ability to improvise! You can even connect with other musicians globally and stay focused on learning. As musicians, it easy to get discouraged, and simply learn chords and songs, but online courses with community support will ensure you master the uke in no time!

IMAGE GOES HERE, LINKING TO THEIR SITE
About The Author  – Colleen is a traveler, ukulele instructor, and Editor in Chief to Coustii, a website devoted to teaching guitar and ukulele skills to people online. She is based in Des Moines, Iowa, but her ukulele has been with her around the world. You can find out more about here musical travels at Travel Meets Happy.

The post You Bought a Ukulele… Now What? appeared first on Musical U.

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Five Notes, Infinite Possibilities: the Pentatonic Scale

With a seemingly infinite number of scales available to the modern musician, it can be a little difficult to know where to start!

The major scale may get touted as the most important, but in fact, there is another scale that is even more versatile, pleasant-sounding, and (once you get the hang of it) easy to play.

Introducing…

The Pentatonic Scale

By definition, any scale containing five pitches per octave can be said to be a pentatonic scale. However, for the purposes of this article, we will focus mainly on the major pentatonic scale, whose notes consist of the five most common pitches found in folk melodies and children’s songs.

The major pentatonic scale uses scale degrees 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6. Take a look at the C major pentatonic:

C major pentatonic scale

 

The notes used in the C major pentatonic scale are C, D, E, G, and A.

The scale degrees used remain the same for all pentatonic major scales.

How Does the Pentatonic Compare to the Major Scale?

The major scale, often the first that musicians learn, is built on seven degrees:

C major scale with scale degrees

To derive the major pentatonic scale from the major scale, simply remove degrees 4 and 7.

The removal of these in the major pentatonic scale contributes to its consonant (or pleasant) sound. In the major scale, the fourth and seventh degrees form what is called a tritone, which is a fairly sinister-sounding interval (so sinister, in fact, that it was given the nickname of the “Devil’s Interval”!). This interval lends tension and suspense to the major scale.

The removal of these degrees in the pentatonic scale leaves only consonant intervals: a major second, major third, perfect fifth, and major sixth.

Where is the Pentatonic Scale Used?

Well, an easier-to-answer question would be “where isn’t it?”.

The scale has been around for a very  long time. Nobody knows exactly how long, but instruments believed to be as old as 50,000 years old have been found tuned to the pentatonic scale.

The major pentatonic scale is ubiquitous in musical cultures all around the world, America, Europe, Africa, India, China, and Japan, to name a few. In fact, the Japanese anthem is based on the major pentatonic scale!

Being a major part of traditional and folk music, the major pentatonic scale carried over into the styles that sprouted from these genres: gospel, bluegrass, and jazz. As these styles further evolved into blues and rock, guess what remained?

That’s right: the major pentatonic scale.

Today, it’s a hallmark of jazz, blues, and rock music, as it offers an excellent improvisational framework for these styles.

Why Learn the Pentatonic Scale?

Blues guitarists aside, this is a must-learn scale for any musician. Here’s why:

1) It’s versatile!

The major pentatonic scale can be used to solo over almost anything. It sounds great over major chord progressions, minor chord progressions, and the 12-bar blues. It even works beautifully with major church modes: that is, the Ionian, Lydian, and Mixolydian modes.

2) It’s easy!

Once you memorize the simple patterns of the pentatonic scale on the keyboard and fretboard, your fingers will be able to play it by memory.

3) It’s already in the music you want to play!

This scale’s ubiquity in popular music means it’s well-worth learning for any musician wanting to cover a famous tune.

Playing the Pentatonic Scale on the Piano

Try this simple exercise: starting on F♯, play an ascending scale using only the black keys on the piano.

F♯ major pentatonic scale

What do you hear?

We’re guessing you would describe the feel of this note pattern as “Asian” or “Oriental”. You have in fact just played an F♯ major pentatonic scale!

To transpose this scale into another key on the piano, simply pick out scale degrees 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6, and play them in ascending order. If you know your key signatures, it’s smooth sailing from there!

Playing the Pentatonic Scale on the Guitar

There are numerous ways of playing the major pentatonic scale, with a single key having several corresponding patterns.

To really master the major pentatonic on the guitar, make use of the CAGED system.

Sounds a bit scary, right?

Fear not! The CAGED system simply gives you five patterns on the fretboard that you can use to play the major pentatonic scale. Each pattern is based on the corresponding open chord shape:

CAGED patterns for guitar - major pentatonic scale

Once you memorize these patterns, all you need to do to transpose the scale into any major key is move up and down the fretboard! The starting position may change, but the fingering pattern won’t.

Beyond the Major Pentatonic

Remember when we said that any scale with five pitches per octave can technically be considered a pentatonic scale?

This means that the major pentatonic scale is far from being the only pentatonic scale!

The Minor Pentatonic

This scale is a great one to learn as a follow-up to the major pentatonic, and can easily be derived.

The relative minor pentatonic scale will contain all the same notes as its major cousin, but will start on a different note. The last note of the major pentatonic will be the tonic of the relative minor pentatonic scale.

For example, seeing as the C major pentatonic ends on A, the relative minor pentatonic scale will be A minor:

Other Pentatonic Permutations

If the only true requirement of a pentatonic scale is the presence of five pitches per octave, there are thousands of possibilities! Try building your own unique pentatonic scale by raising, lowering, and shifting pitches. With so many possible combinations, you’re bound to find something that sticks in your head.

Get Playing!

Now that you’ve seen the versatility of pentatonic scales, it’s time to add them to your repertoire!

Start small: take a second, pick up your instrument, and try out the C major pentatonic.

 

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