The Power of the Ukulele- It's not just for Cutesy Pop Songs!

What's the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the ukulele? Is it of someone playing Somewhere Over the Rainbow? Or a singer/songwriter playing a soft ballad? Something like the volcano love song in the Pixar short film? I'm here to tell you that the ukulele can do so much more than that. Don't get me wrong, I love sentimental ballads, but the ukulele can also lead ragtime, jazz, blues, or strange, ethereal tunes, too. 

First thing I recommend to any ukulele student is replacing the high G string with a low G string. This gives the ukulele a broader range and hence, a little more versatility. Note that not every size of ukulele can make this change. You have to have a concert or tenor size ukulele to change to a low G string (and if you have a baritone ukulele then it already comes with a low D string) 

Next thing to learning how to play ukulele with different genres of music is learning new chord voicings. For instance, instead of playing a C on the 3rd fret (C-Reg below)  play it  starting on the 5th fret (C New below) and instead of playing a G7 on the 2nd fret (G7-Reg below) play it starting on the 5th fret (G7-New below). Experiment by finding familiar notes and chords in new places on the neck then adding new melody notes that were once not possible with the standard chordal voicing.

Ok, now that you got your low G string and playing familiar chords in new places now its time to learn some new chords! For jazz the C7 shape  and the Bm6 shape are invaluable. Try alternating the two shapes, walking down the neck. For instance, start with a C7, then go down to a Cm6, then to a Bb7, then a Bbm6 (check out the video below to see how this sounds).  The Adim shape and Dmaj7 shape  also work well with jazz on ukulele. 

Believe it or not, the ukulele can play the blues pretty well, too.  Check out this turnaround in C:

To play it in other keys play the root on the A string, start on the same fret on the G string and walk down chromatically on the G string while keeping the same note on the A string. End the turnaround with a 5 7th chord. You can play the minor pentatonic, or blues scale, on the uke, too. If the root is on the G string the pattern is:  
A ---------------1-3--
E ----------1-3-------
C -----0-2------------
G 0-3-----------------   

*The fret numbers will change depending on your root note, but the pattern is the same.

If the root is on the C string the pattern is very similar:
A ---------------1-3--
E ----------1-3-------
C -----0-3------------
G 0-3----------------- 

*The fret numbers will change depending on your root note, but the pattern is the same.

If you're getting tired of playing songs in a major key try the minor keys and you will get some surprisingly surreal sounding songs. The key of Fm has a particularly haunting sound on the ukulele. I also like bouncing between minor chords starting on the C string (Ebm below) to major chords staring on the G string (Bb below) while putting in some lead melodies on the A string when appropriate. You will notice a definite change in sound with a low G string here. 

I hope these tips shed some new light on the ukulele. It's a powerful instrument and deserves some recognition beyond the singer/songwriter status. Happy practicing, amigos!

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