WEBVTT 00:00:05.221 --> 00:00:13.521 ♪ 00:00:13.521 --> 00:00:15.258 Hey, how you doing? Justine here! 00:00:15.258 --> 00:00:19.128 Today we're gonna do a lesson on getting started on a Ukulele. 00:00:19.138 --> 00:00:20.835 Great fun little instrument these are. 00:00:20.835 --> 00:00:23.870 I’ve only been playing a few months but it’s really really good fun. 00:00:23.870 --> 00:00:27.526 If you play a bit of guitar, the skills kinda transfer over pretty easy. 00:00:27.536 --> 00:00:29.718 That's kind of a cool thing! 00:00:29.718 --> 00:00:31.875 And if you’ve never played a musical instrument before 00:00:31.875 --> 00:00:34.004 it’s a nice little starter one this one. 00:00:34.004 --> 00:00:36.190 It's got nylon strings so it's easy on the fingers. 00:00:36.190 --> 00:00:37.985 The chords are pretty simple to play. 00:00:37.985 --> 00:00:40.278 Small, portable - great for parties you know 00:00:40.278 --> 00:00:42.127 it’s a really good little instrument 00:00:42.127 --> 00:00:43.327 In this lesson I want to show you 00:00:43.327 --> 00:00:44.416 how to tune that thing, 00:00:44.416 --> 00:00:46.430 how to hold it, how to strum it and I show you 00:00:46.430 --> 00:00:48.342 four really simple chords 00:00:48.342 --> 00:00:50.736 and give you some progressions to put those chords in 00:00:50.736 --> 00:00:52.187 so you can play some tunes. 00:00:52.187 --> 00:00:54.344 That’s the aim of our little lesson today. 00:00:54.344 --> 00:00:56.694 So first thing, getting your Uke in tune. 00:00:56.694 --> 00:00:59.894 Really really important, nylon strings tend to go out of tune a bit. 00:00:59.894 --> 00:01:02.304 So I would recommend getting something like a clip on tuner 00:01:02.304 --> 00:01:05.066 or something that is there all the time. 00:01:05.066 --> 00:01:06.149 So you can tune up really quick you know 00:01:06.149 --> 00:01:08.929 rather than having to get a tuner out and do all of that sort of stuff. 00:01:08.929 --> 00:01:10.325 Either a little clip-on tuner. 00:01:10.325 --> 00:01:12.492 This particular Uke has a built-in tuner, 00:01:12.492 --> 00:01:17.892 This is a Maton Ukulele Australian Guitar Company 00:01:17.892 --> 00:01:21.865 makes great instruments all around you want to check them out its Maton. 00:01:21.865 --> 00:01:24.929 Maton.com.au is their website. 00:01:24.929 --> 00:01:26.909 If your looking for a uke this is a great one. 00:01:26.909 --> 00:01:31.718 Doesn’t matter what one you do this one as I should mention is a concert size Uke. 00:01:31.718 --> 00:01:35.011 There's a soprano Uke which is a lot smaller - same tuning. 00:01:35.011 --> 00:01:38.344 Although sometimes they tune the smaller ones up a tone from what 00:01:38.344 --> 00:01:43.308 I'm going to show you. And there is a couple of bigger ones as well 00:01:43.308 --> 00:01:47.226 this one is a concert one if you want to get one of this size. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:47.226 --> 00:01:54.576 So the tuning is C, oh sorry, G, C, E, A 00:01:54.576 --> 00:01:59.558 and it seems to be commonly called when I looked it up “My dog has flees “ 00:01:59.558 --> 00:02:00.742 I don’t know where they get that name from 00:02:00.742 --> 00:02:04.295 But you can hear that the fourth string which is the one closest to the ceiling 00:02:04.295 --> 00:02:07.875 is actually the highest note. 00:02:07.875 --> 00:02:11.475 So it’s kinda high - low - getting higher 00:02:11.475 --> 00:02:15.531 It’s going from the top down okay you know I mean physically down 00:02:15.531 --> 00:02:18.635 The string closest to the floor is the one I call the first string 00:02:18.635 --> 00:02:24.715 So first string, second string, third string and fourth string 00:02:24.715 --> 00:02:32.302 So from the ground it would be A, E, C and G 00:02:32.302 --> 00:02:39.962 and from the ceiling down G, C, E, A. Okay? 00:02:39.962 --> 00:02:42.272 Now like I said I really recommend that you get a tuner 00:02:42.272 --> 00:02:43.108 If you don’t have a tuner 00:02:43.108 --> 00:02:45.183 I'm gonna play the notes for you now so you can tune up 00:02:45.183 --> 00:02:53.416 So, this would be the top string or string four. It’s the note G. 00:02:53.416 --> 00:03:02.806 Okay, and now to the third string just the note C. It’s the lowest note on the Uke 00:03:02.806 --> 00:03:09.898 And to the second string which is the note E 00:03:09.898 --> 00:03:16.615 And now to the first string, the one closest to the ground, the note A 00:03:16.615 --> 00:03:20.769 Okay, so when you pick it up and strum it. 00:03:20.769 --> 00:03:26.269 “My dog has flees” that’s what you want to be hearing. Okay. 00:03:26.273 --> 00:03:30.138 So that’s first really important thing getting your Uke in tune 00:03:30.138 --> 00:03:32.906 Second thing - holding the Uke. Now 00:03:32.906 --> 00:03:37.814 It makes sense to me that you should be stable not supported by this hand 00:03:37.814 --> 00:03:40.308 so that means I have to support it with this hand 00:03:40.308 --> 00:03:42.614 But just supporting it with this hand 00:03:42.614 --> 00:03:45.326 and leaving this one free means I've got to hold it so tight 00:03:45.326 --> 00:03:47.327 I can't strum very freely and that’s no good NOTE Paragraph 00:03:47.327 --> 00:03:50.437 and if I just support it with this hand then I can’t change chords 00:03:50.437 --> 00:03:53.180 So really it’s a bit of balancing act where 00:03:53.180 --> 00:03:56.939 Some of the weight of the neck is held by your hand that is fretting the chords 00:03:56.939 --> 00:03:58.310 which is quite different to guitar 00:03:58.310 --> 00:04:00.541 On guitar you would never be holding the neck 00:04:00.541 --> 00:04:02.551 The neck should just be completely stationary 00:04:02.551 --> 00:04:05.715 and it does make changing chords a little trickier 00:04:05.715 --> 00:04:08.173 when you have to support the neck a little bit, Okay? 00:04:08.173 --> 00:04:11.754 and otherwise it’s just your forearm kind of holding the Uke down 00:04:11.754 --> 00:04:15.079 I have seen a few people talk about being able to hold the Uke like that 00:04:15.079 --> 00:04:19.589 and play quite freely but I haven't been able to get it together that quickly 00:04:19.589 --> 00:04:21.432 so it might be difficult for you too 00:04:21.432 --> 00:04:26.462 one thing I do find - especially for the very first time - I just rested the Uke in my lap 00:04:26.462 --> 00:04:30.062 like it was a guitar and now my strumming hand feels quite free 00:04:30.062 --> 00:04:32.161 and I’m not going to hold the neck up so much 00:04:32.161 --> 00:04:34.384 So you might want to try that as well 00:04:34.384 --> 00:04:37.500 Doesn’t really matter whichever way you really want to do it. 00:04:37.500 --> 00:04:39.837 you going to be holding it up quite high it's not like a guitar 00:04:39.837 --> 00:04:43.625 where you would be playing it right down on your lap that feels pretty weird 00:04:43.625 --> 00:04:45.129 So going to have it a little bit further up 00:04:45.129 --> 00:04:48.170 So it really is what’s comfortable for you 00:04:48.170 --> 00:04:52.237 If I was going to play it standing up I would almost certainly use a strap 00:04:52.237 --> 00:04:54.905 It’s so light and small you could use a bit of string 00:04:54.905 --> 00:04:57.185 It wouldn’t be big deal 00:04:57.185 --> 00:05:01.492 So generally, you’re just using you’re forearm to hold the Uke against your body 00:05:01.492 --> 00:05:03.458 and a little bit of support from the left hand. 00:05:03.458 --> 00:05:07.533 The first thing you want to get sorted out, is just how you going to hold it 00:05:07.533 --> 00:05:12.296 Now strumming - normally with Uke you strum with your first finger 00:05:12.296 --> 00:05:14.569 There are other techniques, you could do fingerstyle and all sorts of stuff 00:05:14.569 --> 00:05:17.519 To start off with you want to be just using your first finger 00:05:17.519 --> 00:05:21.660 and interestingly you strum kind of around where the neck meets the body of the Uke 00:05:21.660 --> 00:05:23.434 It’s not like a guitar where your back here 00:05:23.434 --> 00:05:27.714 it’s more here 00:05:27.714 --> 00:05:32.001 Now I recommend just starting off, just doing four down strums 00:05:32.001 --> 00:05:33.511 with your first finger 00:05:33.511 --> 00:05:36.352 and then get used to doing some up strokes and 00:05:36.352 --> 00:05:38.991 make sure your fingers not getting caught in the strings 00:05:38.991 --> 00:05:46.120 and going down, up, down, up, down, up, down, up 00:05:46.120 --> 00:05:47.963 A really common kind of pattern could be like 00:05:47.963 --> 00:05:56.247 one, two, and three and four, down - down up - down up - down, that kind of a pattern 00:05:56.247 --> 00:05:58.988 Works really great on the Uke 00:05:58.988 --> 00:06:01.224 But there’s lot s of different kind of strumming patterns 00:06:01.224 --> 00:06:03.559 you can use - like on the guitar 00:06:03.559 --> 00:06:06.039 that's one of the things you want to be studying as you progress 00:06:06.039 --> 00:06:07.449 is learning different strumming patterns 00:06:07.449 --> 00:06:09.196 and different ways of playing them 00:06:09.196 --> 00:06:11.258 To start of with, don’t feel stress 00:06:11.258 --> 00:06:14.948 just first finger strumming around the joint of the neck 00:06:14.948 --> 00:06:17.336 and the body of the Uke strumming it up and down 00:06:17.336 --> 00:06:19.469 That’s all you need to really be worrying about 00:06:19.469 --> 00:06:20.889 To start off with 00:06:20.889 --> 00:06:24.819 So let's get to a close up and check out your first four chords 00:06:26.569 --> 00:06:29.875 The first chord where looking at is a C chord 00:06:29.875 --> 00:06:33.286 And all we need to do to play a C chord is to put our third finger 00:06:33.286 --> 00:06:35.497 in the third fret of string one 00:06:35.497 --> 00:06:38.297 The string one is the one closest to the ground. Okay? 00:06:38.297 --> 00:06:44.500 so - open , open, open, third fret 00:06:44.500 --> 00:06:45.820 This is a C chord 00:06:45.820 --> 00:06:50.003 Okay. Very very easy 00:06:50.003 --> 00:06:52.794 Okay now the really really easy one - A minor 00:06:52.794 --> 00:06:55.011 All we need to do is put that second finger 00:06:55.011 --> 00:06:59.731 in the second fret of the top string or string four 00:06:59.731 --> 00:07:06.353 Okay. So it's second - open - open - open 00:07:06.353 --> 00:07:08.305 Just make sure your second finger is not laying over 00:07:08.305 --> 00:07:11.154 and muting the third string 00:07:11.154 --> 00:07:13.754 Nicely using the tips of your fingers 00:07:13.754 --> 00:07:16.283 that would be an A minor chord. 00:07:16.283 --> 00:07:18.723 C (plucking the chord) 00:07:18.723 --> 00:07:21.093 Am (plucking the chord) 00:07:21.093 --> 00:07:24.197 From A minor we can get to F really easy 00:07:24.197 --> 00:07:26.793 I know the F chord on guitar is a bit of nightmare. But on the Uke, 00:07:26.793 --> 00:07:29.715 all you do is to start with A minor 00:07:29.715 --> 00:07:34.785 you put your first finger down in the first fret of the second string 00:07:34.785 --> 00:07:36.000 and you leave your second finger down 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:42.709 You got second fret, open, first fret, open, and we got an F chord. 00:07:42.709 --> 00:07:47.062 Okay, so start with the first finger first fret, second string 00:07:47.072 --> 00:07:53.332 second finger, second fret, fourth string 00:07:53.332 --> 00:07:56.192 The one we got that's an F Chord 00:07:56.192 --> 00:07:59.544 Okay and the last chord we look at today is this one 00:07:59.544 --> 00:08:03.784 and this one is a G chord. I can here some of you guitar players say 00:08:03.784 --> 00:08:08.912 no it’s a D chord! Well, it looks like a D chord but on the Uke its a G chord 00:08:08.912 --> 00:08:14.478 open, first finger is going in the second fret of the third string 00:08:14.478 --> 00:08:17.777 third finger is going in the third fret of the second string 00:08:17.777 --> 00:08:23.147 and the second finger is going down in the second fret of the first string 00:08:23.147 --> 00:08:25.136 Okay, first finger, 00:08:25.136 --> 00:08:26.176 second finger 00:08:26.176 --> 00:08:27.446 third finger 00:08:27.446 --> 00:08:30.446 (plucking G chord) 00:08:30.446 --> 00:08:33.430 Okay, this is a G chord 00:08:33.430 --> 00:08:35.420 So we got C 00:08:35.420 --> 00:08:37.730 Am 00:08:37.730 --> 00:08:39.373 F 00:08:39.373 --> 00:08:40.535 G 00:08:40.535 --> 00:08:44.255 (plucking C, Am, F ...) 00:08:44.255 --> 00:08:46.257 I recommend doing that as a little exercise 00:08:46.257 --> 00:08:48.615 to getting used to those chords, 00:08:48.615 --> 00:08:50.395 C 00:08:50.395 --> 00:08:51.955 Am 00:08:51.965 --> 00:08:53.599 F 00:08:53.599 --> 00:08:56.389 G 00:08:56.389 --> 00:08:58.079 and back to C 00:08:58.909 --> 00:09:02.013 Just using those four chords that we learned, there are hundreds 00:09:02.013 --> 00:09:05.923 and I actually mean hundreds of songs that you can play 00:09:05.923 --> 00:09:08.765 Now all you want to do is to start off learning some chord sequences 00:09:08.765 --> 00:09:10.406 I cant teach you the actual songs and name them 00:09:10.406 --> 00:09:13.202 because the I get into copyright problems, I got to get clearances 00:09:13.202 --> 00:09:14.150 it gets all complicated 00:09:14.150 --> 00:09:17.052 So I'll put a list of songs upon the website, okay 00:09:17.052 --> 00:09:20.752 and use this particular chords because I can get away with that. 00:09:20.752 --> 00:09:23.807 So the first really common chord sequence 00:09:23.807 --> 00:09:26.395 that you going to get 00:09:26.395 --> 00:09:28.655 is going from the C chord 00:09:28.655 --> 00:09:31.505 to the G chord 00:09:31.505 --> 00:09:35.665 to the A minor 00:09:35.665 --> 00:09:39.575 and to the F 00:09:39.575 --> 00:09:42.695 C 00:09:42.705 --> 00:09:46.245 G 00:09:46.245 --> 00:09:49.245 Am 00:09:49.245 --> 00:09:52.205 to F 00:09:52.205 --> 00:09:55.341 I’m using my thumb here just because it's really easy for me to hold the Uke. 00:09:55.341 --> 00:09:58.754 and kinda strum with my thumb. You probably want to use your first finger 00:09:58.754 --> 00:10:05.734 (strumming with first finger) 00:10:05.734 --> 00:10:14.170 Okay. C, G, A minor, to F, okay 00:10:14.170 --> 00:10:18.288 This chord sequence is used so much it's insane 00:10:18.288 --> 00:10:23.094 You might have seen the Axis of Awesome doing these little four chords 00:10:23.094 --> 00:10:25.337 in a medley of different songs that used it 00:10:25.337 --> 00:10:26.438 So this is that chord sequence right 00:10:26.438 --> 00:10:30.466 So if you want to dig that video out and check out all the songs that they do 00:10:30.466 --> 00:10:34.056 Again you can google it and I'll put a list up on my website 00:10:34.056 --> 00:10:39.915 that chord sequence, actually called a 1-5-6-4..Okay, 1-5-6-4 00:10:39.915 --> 00:10:41.823 that’s the name of chord sequence 00:10:41.823 --> 00:10:44.129 But there’re others even the chord sequence I’ve showed 00:10:44.129 --> 00:10:45.934 you at the beginning there’s lots of songs that use this 00:10:45.934 --> 00:11:02.094 having this 1 chord - the C, the A minor, F to G 00:11:02.094 --> 00:11:05.358 Hundreds,maybe, it cant be a hundreds but there’s lots and lots of songs 00:11:05.358 --> 00:11:07.376 that do use that chord sequence 00:11:07.376 --> 00:11:12.437 So that’s what I would recommend for the Uke, to start. If you going to get started on the Ukulele 00:11:12.437 --> 00:11:14.417 Rather than trying to learn to learn loads of different chords, 00:11:14.417 --> 00:11:17.187 and any sort of fancy stuff, check out those four chords 00:11:17.187 --> 00:11:19.719 get really comfortable with them and confident with your strumming 00:11:19.719 --> 00:11:22.979 Once you got that together that’s kinda of the thing 00:11:22.979 --> 00:11:26.700 you need if your playing on a party or whatever you want to have a good repertoires of tunes 00:11:26.700 --> 00:11:29.337 that are really easy. That you can play if you had a couple of beers 00:11:29.337 --> 00:11:33.067 It’s not going to stress you, not kinda get complicated you know 00:11:33.067 --> 00:11:37.692 That’s what I recommend to starting off with on the Ukulele 00:11:37.692 --> 00:11:39.884 I’m going to say I’m planning more lessons, some Uke songs and some 00:11:39.884 --> 00:11:42.170 more videos and some more complicated chords 00:11:42.170 --> 00:11:46.469 but as I said for getting started on the Uke you got enough to get yourself going 00:11:46.469 --> 00:11:48.543 So, have fun on that fantastic 00:11:48.543 --> 00:11:50.377 I really really enjoying the Uke 00:11:50.377 --> 00:11:51.544 It's such a laugh. 00:11:51.544 --> 00:11:53.274 I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do 00:11:53.274 --> 00:11:55.308 and I'll see you for plenty more lessons very soon 00:11:55.308 --> 00:11:56.598 Take care of yourselves! 00:11:56.598 --> 00:11:58.358 Bye-bye.