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| Finding the right chords - Beginner Questions - Ukulele - Ukulele - ezFolk Forums | |||||||||||||||
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Fred Doolie12345 Approved
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When I'm playing around with a song (I play by ear*) I want to play a chord instead of the single note but I don't know which one! It's not intuitive. The "correct" chord for playing an "A" is an "F" chord! None of them sound right for an "E". Whats the magic trick? * Most people use their fingers.
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ezmember Approved
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There are times when I can play chords for a song I know and then all of a sudden I can't find the right chord for a certain part.... I'm not quite savvy enough to just figure it out, so I'm stumpted. Knowing some music theory helps, and maybe someone can tell us how to play a chord we can hear in our head but can't find on the fretboard. Now, as for the correct chord for A being F....that's just not natural. Trust me. 
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neilg Approved
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Most chords you will use are comprised of stacked thirds. Two of them mostly, but sometimes 3 as in a 7 chord. An example of a third would be A and C. A-B-C, 3 letters apart, it's a third of some sort. In this case, minor. So, if you are singing an A, you usually need a chord that has A in it. Start with the basics, major and minor. A-C-E A minor A-C#-E A major F-A-C F major D-F-A D minor D-F#-A D major F#-A-C# F# minor Not all of those chords belong in the same key of a typical song, so you need to play the rest of the chords you know to see which sounds correct in the progression. If the whole song is in C major, it's unlikely that the F#m chord is the one you're looking for. You would first look to Dm, Am, Fmajor. Keeping in mind that most songs can be harmonized with 3 chords, try F first since it's the IV of the well known I-IV-V progression, ie., C-F-G (in C major). I hope that helps a little. Last edited on Wed Apr 2nd, 2008 07:57 pm by neilg |
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ezmember Approved
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neilg, that's the sort of thinking we need to learn how to do. Thanks!
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Fred Doolie12345 Approved
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ezmember wrote: Now, as for the correct chord for A being F....that's just not natural. Trust me."
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neilg Approved
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Fred Doolie12345 wrote: If you're just trying to harmonize a descending scale for practice, be assured their are any number of ways to do it, none necessarily more correct than others. Stick to basics like I-IV-V at first. Every note in the major scale can be harmonized with just those chords. When that becomes natural, start adding other chords. Harmony is motion so you need to hear where chords are coming from and going TO.
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ichadwick Approved 
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I've been playing guitar for several decades, and while not a 'musician' nor a trained sight-reader, I can generally figure out songs by ear, at least the chord structure. However, I just started playing the uke in the last month and it's a new game for me, too. I think my biggest challenge has been to unlearn a lot of guitar habits. I reach for strings that aren't there. I steeple my fingers for a C chord in the tablature when I should be arching a single pinky for a G... it takes time and practice to get into the uke habit. That being said, I'm having a blast learning. I especially like the arrangements for the uke for a lot of the vintage songs. I never played many of them on the guitar, but I really have fun with them on the uke. I've also done some practice work transposing favourite songs from the guitar to the uke. Some work, some don't. I often have to sit down and work through chord changes one finger at a time, sweating blood trying to configure the fingers to make a sound like I get from the guitar, experimenting with hammers, and pull-offs on entirely different strings from those I'm accustomed to using. It's fun, though. I'm learning new things every day. And getting BIG callouses (bigger and meaner than my steel-stringed guitars give me). Perhaps the worst thing I've developed is UAS... but that's another thread entirely.
____________________ Ian ------------------------------------------- Ukulele reviews: http://www.ianchadwick.com/essays/ukuleles.htm Harmonica reviews: http://www.ianchadwick.com/essays/harmonicas.htm |
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woollyuke Approved 
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" Now, as for the correct chord for A being F....that's just not natural. Trust me." The F major chord is composed of F, A, and C. So, playing an F chord makes perfect sense.
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ezmember Approved
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What would you know.... you're just a cute monkey.
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woollyuke Approved
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ezmember wrote: Ape, actually. A bonobo to be precise.
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alligood Approved
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 I like to use the circle of fifths to remember the relationships. Many songs require only three chords. C, F and G. D, G and A, etc... If you're fiddling around learning common songs by ear, this is a helpful tool There are chord charts here:http://www.alligatorboogaloo.com/uke/chords/index.html that might give you some suggestions as to alternate chords. One of the wonderful attributes of the uke is that it's really easy to form jazz chords to spice up a song.
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fossil Approved 
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I'm not sure if this will help but here it is for what it's worth: If you know the key to the song you are trying to work out a good place to start looking for the chords to the song is by trying out the scale tone chords in that key. These chords are built only on notes from that key and they follow a pattern which you can apply to any key. For example the scale tone chords in the key of C are: C, Dm,Em,F,G,Am & B half diminished. (not positive about the last one but I think it's right from memory) For the key of D they would be: D,Em,F#m,G,A,Bm & C# half diminished. For the key of E they would be: E, F#m, G#m,A,B,C#m & D# half diminished. And so on for any key you like. If you start playing around with these chords in the key of the song you will often find the chord you are looking for as they are very commonly used. That's not to say they will be the only chords in a song, just that it's very likely they will be there. You may find also that instead of a Dm chord there might be a Dm7 for example. I have used this principle very successfully when trying to work out songs by ear. Hope it helps.
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neilg Approved
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fossil wrote: The triad built on the 7th step of the major scale is diminished, B-D-F. I'm sure you'd only call it half diminished in it's form with a minor 7th, ie., B-D-F-Ab.
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fossil Approved
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neilg wrote:
You're probably right Neil. I was stretching the memory a long way trying to remember the theory I learnt when I first started playing guitar.
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Will Approved 
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ichadwick wrote: I've been playing guitar for several decades, and while not a 'musician' nor a trained sight-reader, I can generally figure out songs by ear, at least the chord structure. Ukes usually don't require the same amount of finger pressure to fret the chords as do steel string guitars. In fact, some ukes go out of tune often if played with the heavy finger pressure. I went the other route - I played baritone uke first before I learned guitar.
____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ A Bunch Of Coconuts http://abunchofcoconuts.com |
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steve-o-reno Approved 
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"If you know the key to the song you are trying to work out a good place to start looking for the chords to the song is by trying out te scale tone chords in that key." I'm not familiar with the term "scale tone chords". Could you elaborate a little?
____________________ "If you want good lovin daily, you gotta learn to play the ukulele" - Hoppin Haole Brothers |
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Will Approved
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steve-o-reno wrote: "If you know the key to the song you are trying to work out a good place to start looking for the chords to the song is by trying out te scale tone chords in that key." The following link explains scale tone chords from a piano keyboard point of view: http://www.free-online-piano-lessons.com/scale-tone-chords.html
____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ A Bunch Of Coconuts http://abunchofcoconuts.com |
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steve-o-reno Approved
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Thanks Will. My theory education has been lacking and this helps immensley.
____________________ "If you want good lovin daily, you gotta learn to play the ukulele" - Hoppin Haole Brothers |
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mommy.texas Approved
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Thank you, Thank you! For the beginner - this really gives a great foundation!
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| ezFolk Forums > Ukulele > Beginner Questions - Ukulele > Finding the right chords | |
