In the language of music, there are major chords and minor chords. Minor chords have a different “feel” to them. We are often taught in music class that minor chords sound “sad” and major chords sound “happy.” In this blog, we will talk about the most common ways to play three different minor chords on the ukulele, in increasing difficulty Am, Gm, and Bm. Plus, stay tuned at the end of the blog for some songs you can play using these chords! Building Minor Chords In music theory, to make any minor chord involves taking the root third note of any major chord and “flattening” it, or, dropping it down a half-step. So, for example, the notes in the A major chord are “A, C, and E.” Therefore, to make the chord a minor chord, we need to drop the C down to a C- one half step. To do this, we move the third note of the chord 1 fret down. On the ukulele, this means we are playing the open C string. It’s important to mention here that there are many different “voicings” of the same chords that can be played on the ukulele. When you know the notes involved in forming a particular chord, any combination of those notes will make the same chord. In this blog, we will be looking at the most common ways to play these chords. Let’s take a look! A Minor The A minor chord is one of the easiest to play on the ukulele. As such, it’s great for beginners. It also happens to be a very common chord in many songs played on the ukulele. Because it is in both the key of C and the key of G, which are two of the most popular keys to play in, you will use this chord a lot in your playing! So, just how do we form the Am chord? If we remember that our string names are G C E A, and we know the notes involved in playing A minor are A, C, and E, then to play it on the ukulele, we know that we simply fret the 2nd fret of the G string with your middle finger your second finger, and then strum all the rest of the strings open. On a tab, it looks like this G Minor The notes in the chord of G minor are G, Bb B flat, and D. To play it, you place your pointer finger, your first finger, on the first fret of the A string, your middle finger second finger on the second fret of the C string, and your ring finger third finger on the third fret of the E string. You then strum all four strings. The ukulele tab for G minor looks like this B Minor And now for the trickiest chord we will be talking about in this blog the B minor chord! The reason this chord shape is challenging is because it requires us to play a barre chord. A barre chord is a chord played on a string instrument such as a guitar or ukulele where one finger plays more than one string at a time, making a “bar” with that finger. While it sounds intimidating and many beginners dread playing barre chords, with a little practice you can master it. And the good news is this barre chords are “moveable” shapes, which means when you have learned how to play them, it will open up the fretboard for you and you will be able to play any minor chord anywhere on the neck by memorizing the root notes on the G string. B minor is made up of the notes B, D, and F. To play it on the ukulele, lay your first finger across the C, E, and A strings on the second fret, and then place your third finger on the fourth fret of the G string. You then strum all four strings. The tab looks like this Don’t get discouraged if you are struggling to play this chord. Keep practicing. There are techniques you can learn to help you get better at getting all the strings to ring out. You can find some YouTube videos for tips, or, ideally, you will consider taking lessons with an experienced teacher who can help you get the best sound out of your instrument. Song List There are many songs you can play using one or two of these three chords. Some of the songs are very simple for a beginner and some are more advanced. The best way to learn chords is to play them within the context of songs, however, so don’t let the complexity of a song scare you away. Take it as slow as you need to and practice, practice, practice! Happy strumming! I’m Yours- Jason Mraz C, G, Am, F Let it Be- The Beatles C, G, Am, F With or Without You- U2 C, A, Bm, G Unsteady- X Ambassador B minor, G, D, A Havana- Camilla Cabella G minor, Eb, D Lady Marmalade- Patti LaBelle Gm, C, Cm, Dm, D7 There For You- Troy Sivan D, B minor, F minor, E
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