Beginner Ukulele Hints and Helps

Here's your 1st mini tutorial from your mighty admin!! Just a little hint and help. Enjoy!!

I'm going to start this off with a mini tutorial!!
Let's talk about keys of songs and how to find the best key for you to sing in.

I always say, as a vocal coach, sing in the key of speak. In other words, and I do mean words, take that song you want to learn, and first, before singing it, read it like a story, out loud.

We naturally speak in our key. We can change our voice, of course, and speak higher or lower than our natural speaking voice, but we don't keep that up 24/7. Eventually, we return to our natural speaking voice because that's where we're comfortable. Right?

So, especially for you newer players who struggle with both playing and singing at the same time, add the problem of singing in a wrong key for your natural voice and frustration sets in.

So, pick up that song and walk through it like you're reading a book. Do this several times, really listen to your speech. Now go ahead and play the song but don't sing, speak it instead in your natural voice. Does it match up?? If it doesn't, grab that capo or use a transposing tool on the music site like ultimate guitar, and move the song up or down by half steps till the notes match your speaking voice. After you're comfortable with the key, start singing the melody. What is this miracle??? All of a sudden you're rocking the whole singing and playing thing, doing the happy dance!!!

For those players that are more advanced beginners, learn the Nashville number system!! You've heard musicians shout across a stage 1 4 5. 1 is usually the key note. So, say the song starts in C. C is 1. So, starting at C, 8 notes would be CDEFGABC. C1 D2 E3 F4 G5 A6 B7 C8. If you hear 1 4 5, key of C then you are playing C F G. This is important to learn so that you can transpose even when there are no tools or charts available!! But this is another lesson and I'll talk about it on a separate thread.

Ok, go try this little hint and help out and let me know how it's working for you!!!!

Ever Strumming, Norine Mungo admin