A Guide to Ukulele Chords

A guide to open position, movable form, 4-part jazz chords, rock chords and more...

A Guide to Ukulele Chords (BC1UKE.shtml) | Updated: 21-Jul-2008 - 11:24

Uke Scales
"C" Tuning
"D" Tuning
"G" Tuning

Uke Chords
A Guide to...
Jazz Chords...
Progressions...
Blues Progs...

Basic Chords...
"C" Tuning
"G" Tuning
"D" Tuning

Arpeggios
Triads
"C" Tuning
"G" Tuning

Arpeggios
4-Part
"C" Tuning
"G" Tuning

Uke Misc
Fingerboard
for Guitar Players
Reading Primer
Strums
Chord Solos
Harmonic Analysis

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A Guide to Ukulele Chords

Author: Curt Sheller
Publisher: Curt Sheller Publications - (54 pages)
ISBN-10: 0-9714044-7-X Published: October 2004
ISBN-13: 978-0-9714044-7-2
Size: 8.5 x 11 inches (coil binding)
Product Code: BC1UKE
Press Release: www.curtsheller.com/BC1UKE/PR_BC1UKE.html

This book is designed as a guide to ukulele (pronounced “oo-koo-lele”) chords. Covering basic ukulele chords that ALL uke players MUST know, movable chord forms, rock uke chords, how to transpose chords, learning the ukulele fingerboard and an introduction to 4-part “jazz” chords and more...

From a few basic chord shapes and a understanding of how chords are constructed your chord vocabulary can be dramatically increased without memorizing countless more chord shapes. There are too many chord shapes to memorize.

This book will take the mystery out playing and understanding chords on the ukulele, whether it is a standard, concert, tenor or baritone ukulele in “C”, “D” or “G” tuning, low or high string four.

Book Information Sheet

Book Information Sheet: 2 pages:
FILE: BC1UKE_about.pdf ( 1.5 MB )

You will need Adobe Reader to view your PDF file.

Foreword

“There are too many chord shapes to memorize,” writes Curt Sheller in his new volume A Guide to Ukulele Chords. No doubt, memorization can be limiting if it isn’t grounded in understanding. So, how are chords made and how are they named? Over the course of the chapters ahead, Mr. Sheller draws on his wealth of musical experience, offering answers to these questions and more. Beginning with the most accessible chords and progressing to the more challenging ones, the lessons that follow are of value to both rookie and veteran players.

A Guide to Ukulele Chords is well organized, informal yet informative and promotes understanding over memorization. “A chord dictionary,” as Mr. Sheller writes, “is not the answer.” A concise guide to understanding chord structure, however, just might be.

James Hill
Canada’s `Ukulele Virtuoso
www.UkuleleJames.com

Introduction

After playing jazz guitar for 20 years, I rediscovered the ukulele. Then I learned that ukulele players struggle (like guitar players) with movable chord forms and the more advanced chords, commonly called “jazz” chords. There was no clear, concise, organized book for guiding an aspiring ukulele player through this maze of chords, so I decided to write one.

This book is a guide to the basic chords all ukulele players should know. It introduces the ukulele fingerboard, movable chord forms and 4-part jazz chords, all in three common ukulele tunings. You can build your new skills on the simplest chords. You can also learn, rock chords and chordal transposition. In addition to doing extensive research, I have tested and improved these materials during several years of studio teaching.

From a few basic chord shapes and an understanding of how chords are constructed, your chord vocabulary can be dramatically increased without endless memorizing. In fact, this book will take the mystery out of playing and understanding ukulele chords on a standard, concert, tenor, or baritone ukulele, using “C”, “D” or “G” tuning, low or high string four.

Order book and PDF Download*

Order both A Guide to Ukulele Chords and A Guide To Blues Chord Progressions For Ukulele A To Z and SAVE

Contents

  • Forward
  • Introduction
  • Open Position Chords
    • The Ukulele Chord Diagram
    • “C” Tuning Open Position Chords
    • “D” Tuning Open Position Chords
    • Baritone Open Position Chords
    • Open Position Chord Summary
  • Movable Chord Forms
    • “A/Bb” Movable Form Chords
    • “C/Db” Movable Form Chords
    • “G/Ab” Movable Form Chords
  • 4-Part Movable 7th Chord Forms
    • “C” Tuning - Soprano, Concert & Tenor • (G C E A)
    • “D” Tuning - Soprano, Concert & Tenor • (A D F# B)
    • “G” Tuning - Tenor & Baritone • (D G B E)
    • Generic • All Common Ukulele Tunings
    • Additional 7th Movable Chord Forms
    • Tips for Remembering Chords
  • Diminished & Augmented Chords
  • Rock Uke
    • Power 5 Chords
    • sus Chords
    • Add 9 Chords
  • 4-Part “Jazz”” Chord Forms
    • What is a Chord?
    • A Few Chord Building Rules
    • Creating the 4 Basic Chord Types
    • Building More Advanced Chords
    • Scale Interval Formula Chart
    • Suggested Learning Order
    • Scale Interval Chart
  • Transposing Chords & Progressions
  • Practice Chord Progressions
    • Orlando Blues
    • WC Swing
  • Learning The Ukulele Fingerboard
    • Common Tunings
    • Key Frets
    • "C" Tuning Natural & Sharp Notes
    • "C" Tuning Natural & Flat Notes
    • "D" Tuning Natural & Sharp Notes
    • "D" Tuning Natural & Flat Notes
    • "G" Tuning Natural & Sharp Notes
    • "G" Tuning Natural & Flat Notes

Testimonials

(Regarding QUICKSTART Scale Fingerings for Ukulele) ... I was looking for blues chording info but your site came up as jazz chords. I figured soon or later I would need jazzer chords so here I am. Plus nobody else is offering more indepth info on the uke, I liked the scale one the best so far. Thank you RDGauthier

 

(Regarding QUICKSTART Scale Fingerings for Ukulele) The ukulele book arrived, it must have been chatting with some Christmas cards somewhere.

The books are great!! I am very happy to wrap the books up, and put them under the tree.

My husband and I are both learning to play ukulele and he is also playing a little bit of guitar.  Thanks also for sending the full catalogue. These look like some of the best materials that I have found so far! Thanks, Laura C.

Regarding the Ukulele Chord and Scale books

... I was looking for blues chording info but your site came up as jazz chords. I figured soon or later I would need jazzer chords so here I am. Plus nobody else is offering more indepth info on the uke, I liked the scale one the best so far. Thank you RDGauthier

I can highly recommend Curt's Uke books -- I have four of them and they are excelent. fatveg - Portland (4th Peg Ukulele forum)

If you ask, "When I'm playing a solo over a jazz song, how do I know which notes work at any point in the song?" then you may want to have a look at this book (Harmonic Anaylsis for Scale Selection and Chord Substitution)

You can glean this information from many sources, but this is a pithy, direct approach to the heart of the answer you're looking for. I would also suggest, for a broad, comprehensive, and beautifully written "Bible" on understanding jazz, Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book."

James K. Kroger, Ph.D. Department of Psychology, New Mexico State University

I wanted to pay you a compliment. (Now don’t get a big head!). I have purchased many books over the past 15 years I have been playing and none of them come even close to having the detailed and easy to understand information yours have. I really got a chance to get some practicing in and am finding your books to be such a great learning tool. I also purchased a timer like you suggested and my practice sessions the past 4 days have been my best in years. Take care,

Nick (Matty) Matyszczak

JazzGuitarLife.com

(A review of The Advanced Guide to Guitar Chords Vol.1 by Lyle Robinson of JazzGuitarLife) ...When I received this instructional book for review my first question was, “where was Curt Sheller when I needed him twenty years ago?” If I had access to this book early on I would have most likely progressed quicker than I did, especially when faced with a lead sheet from a fake book with all those “weird” chord names and alterations.

Sheller’s “The Advanced Guide to Guitar Chords Vol.1” provides the beginner and intermediate jazz guitar player with the most common and great sounding chord voicings of all the major, minor, dominant, augmented and diminished chords plus their alterations: 9, 11, and 13ths. As well, he discusses the sus, add, and slash theory of such chord formations.

This is a text that is beautifully laid out and very easy to work through. What little chord theory there is throughout the book is clearly explained and doesn’t bog the student down with too much theoretical discourse. The chord diagrams are clearly defined and there is no confusion about where fingers should be placed. This is definitely a book that you can begin utilizing in a practical playing situation almost immediately. And it’s great for teachers to get their beginning Jazz guitar students to start hearing and playing those wonderful voicings that excited us all early on in our development as Jazz guitar players.

“The Advanced Guide to Guitar Chords Vol.1” is a great beginning for any aspiring Jazz guitarist and I can't wait to check out Volumes two and three.

Thank you Lyle Robinson

(Regarding QUICKSTART Scale Fingerings for Ukulele) ... I was looking for blues chording info but your site came up as jazz chords. I figured soon or later I would need jazzer chords so here I am. Plus nobody else is offering more indepth info on the uke, I liked the scale one the best so far.

Thank you RDGauthier

(Regarding QUICKSTART Scale Fingerings for Ukulele) The ukulele book arrived, it must have been chatting with some Christmas cards somewhere.

The books are great!! I am very happy to wrap the books up, and put them under the tree.

My husband and I are both learning to play ukulele and he is also playing a little bit of guitar.  Thanks also for sending the full catalogue. These look like some of the best materials that I have found so far!

Thanks, Laura C.

Book Samples

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Sample pages may appear faded, cropped, or partially obscured. Purchased copies do not include these imperfections.

Click here to begin download: FREE preview of book, pages 1 to 13
FILE: BC1UKE_PREVIEW.pdf ( 824 KB )

You will need Adobe Reader to view your PDF file.

Related Book Info

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Volume I features the priniciples of voice leading applied to chord progressions. These priniciples are explained using chords from volume I of The Advanced Guide to Ukulele Chords. Chapters with common major and minor full diatonic, partial diatonic and chromatic chord progressions are also included to further explore voice leading.

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A Guide to Blues Chord Progressions for Ukulele A to Z

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A Guide to Advanced Chords for Ukulele

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A Guide to Ukulele Chords

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Harmonic Analysis for Scale Selection and Chord Substitution

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FREE Online Lessons

Here are two lessons based my book A Guide to Blues Chord Progressions for Ukulele from A to Z using the chords from A Guide to Ukulele Chords

This is a series of UkuleleLessons (FREE) I've created for uke players to get a handle on chords and progressions.

  • UPDATED Using Triads Example 1 - Triads are a great resource for creating simple melodies and solos...
  • Dominant Seventh Chords - Information on why calling a seventh chord a Dominant Seventh chord is not always correct.
  • Upper Partials - This is a short lesson on creating upper partials or extensions to known chords using CMaj7 as an example.
  • Em7/A - This FAQ sheds some light on slash chords and more advanced 9th and 11th chords. - Building a solid foudation of 4-part chords..."
  • Core Chords - Level 1, Part 1 - Building a solid foudation of 4-part chords..."

    Beyond learning open and barre chords, most guitarists struggle with advanced chords. Commonly called "jazz" chords, these more sophisticated voicings find a wide use in all forms of music. Building a "core" set of basic 4-part chords will allow you to create ANY, yes ANY chords you ever encounter.

  • Chord Spelling - Major and Minor Triads - Learning the Chord Tones of Major and Minor Triads"
  • Chord Shapes and Learning Chords - Breaking the "Learning more chord shapes..."
  • Introductions and Turnarounds - A guide to creating introductions and turnarounds for songs...
  • Endings - Classic song endings for the uke...
  • Getting Beyond Ukulele Chords Shapes - Too many chord shapes to memorize. Beyond learning basic chords, most uke players struggle with advanced chords. These more sophisticated voicings, commonly called “jazz” chords, find a wide use in all forms of music and styles. These 4-part chords are the bread and butter of jazz ukulele.
  • Building A Solid Jazz Chord Foundation - Too many chord shapes to memorize.
  • Transposing Chords, chord progressions and scales. Explore additional keys for your favorite chords, chord progressions, scale and songs..
  • Chord Spelling - What are those chords tones? Learn more then the root or letter name of the chord. Be able to spell any chord in any key...
  • Naming Chords - What is the name of this chord?? Learn how to determine the name of an individual chord...
  • Cool Chords - Creating those cool chords not found in dictionaries and chord books...
  • F7
  • D - Exploring alternate fingerings for the pesky chord
  • Example lesson using a few progressions from the book
    A Guide to Blues Chord Progression for Ukulele A to Z.

BC1UKE: A Guide to Ukulele Chords (BC1UKE.shtml) | Updated: 2008 Jul 21 - 11:24

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