Ukulele Tablature Essay

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Beginner Lesson • Reading Tablature Sometimes ukulele songs (and those of other stringed instruments) are shown in tablature. In ukulele tablature, the four lines each represent one of the ukulele’s strings; I’ve included the string names to the left of the line to show you. Note that the “bottom” line, is the “G” string. For many folks, tablature at first seems a bit “backwards” in where you’d guess the notes to be. It sometimes helps to think of holding up your ukulele to the tabalature and you can “see” where the strings/notes are in relation to the lines. The numbers on the line tell you which fret you need to press that string down. If there’s a “0” it means you should pluck it as an open string (no fingers on any of the frets). If you don’t know how to read standard musical notation but you do learn to read tablature, you can quickly “teach” yourself to read simple musical notation by comparing the fingers you’re using in the tablature to the note depicted directly above it in the standard notation. Then all you have to do is memorize the “letter name” of the fingers you’re playing and you’ll also learn to read the treble clef (no bass clef for ukulele--our instruments don’t go that low). Knowing how to read tablature allows you to venture into melody, not simply chords. You can also learn to play “chord-melody” style which blends playing melody with strumming chords; it’s pretty impressive and not as difficult as it sounds. Compare the two “views” Try it for yourself; pluck each note shown once. Here’s how to “translate” it: Measure 1: For the first two notes, hold down the second string (E string) at the first fret. For the second two notes, hold down the first string (A string) at the third fret. Measure 2: For the first two notes, hold down the first string (A string) at the fifth fret. The third and final note in the measure is on the first string,

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