The ukulele is more interesting to learn and play and much easier than the guitar. The fretboard is not as long as that of the guitar and it has fewer strings too.
In fact, all these, coupled with its nylon strings, make learning ukulele chords a little bit simpler than the guitar chords.
In this article, I am going to show you some beginner-friendly tips to help you learn and master the ukulele chords faster. Happy reading!
1. Practice At The Right Time
The first on this list is for you to always practice at the right time. Most of us have a very busy schedule especially during the day that playing or learning the ukulele isn’t considered a must-do activity for the day.
I have discovered that the mind can easily remember technical physical skills learned late at night than during morning hours. There are numerous chords for you to memorize as a player which you must remember completely.
Instead of watching TV or staying glued to your computer late at night, dedicate some time to learning the ukulele. In fact, you will not only speed up your learning but enjoy better night rest.
2. Make Your Own Version
A very common thing that beginners do everything is forgetting where to place their fingers. Each one of us made the same mistake as a beginner but such mistakes can be avoided.
A good way to avoid forgetting where to put your fingers as you practice is to produce your own version of the chord diagrams. By drawing them out, you will have a better understanding of where to place your fingertips.
In fact, playing chords will be much easier for you too.
3. Learn Common Transitions
Transiting from some chords to others can be more difficult. Though, not all of them are difficult. For some of the chords, you may be required to place one extra finger.
While for others, you may be required to remove every finger and then place them back in a different order.
Practicing common transitions consistently can help you to get better at transiting from one chord to the other which usually happens in songs.
4. Get your Fingertip off the fret
Have you noticed a dull thudding sound while practicing? That’s because you placed your finger on the fret. This is one of the mistakes I made as a beginner.
My teacher’s ukulele always sounds bright and crisp, but mine always sound dull. The ideal way is to get close to the fret as much as you can and do not place your finger on it.
5. Stay Motivated – Practice with Things You Enjoy
I have always emphasized the need to stay motivated when learning the ukulele. The same thing applies to other instruments.
In fact, whether you are a beginner or professional, you need to stay motivated. If you are learning a song you don’t really like, change over to the one you enjoy playing.
You can come back later to continue on the difficult song, but don’t push yourself too hard.
Let me explain this a little. Most of us cook because we enjoy cooking right? We enjoy mixing different ingredients to produce something tasty. The same thing applies to the ukulele.
Your decision to learn the instrument is because of the love you have for it, not because you want to imitate your friends who also play the ukulele.
Without passion, you may hit rock bottom in a very short time.
Get songs you enjoy listening to, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take up other songs you don’t like.
6.Make The Strings Sound Crisp
Before you start playing, make sure the ukulele is in tune. Slowly play through each string to make sure they are crisp and clear. You need the tone to very clear and beautiful and to produce the right sound for all the chords in your sound.
Nothing can be more discouraging and frustrating when your ukulele buzzes or produces strange noises especially when you are playing chords. So tune your ukulele properly or get the best ukulele for beginners that sound great and holds tune well.
7. Learn New Songs
As a beginner, you need to learn more songs. Learning new songs will make learning chords much easier for you. Continue learning more songs and you will discover that you have memorized hundreds of chords in such a short time.
Sometimes, learning chords can be a bit tricky with the ukulele. But I have shared some few tips to help you get better at it. I believe there are other tips or tricks which you may want to share. Please feel free to share them in the comment section below.