| In this ukulele lesson you will learn to read easy | | | | The song starts on the note 02 which is the note |
| tab notation. Even if you cannot read sheet music | | | | E if you want to sing the song. Here are the |
| you will be able to read ukulele chords and | | | | chords that I have written in brackets before the |
| melodies with this type of tabs. We will use the | | | | syllable where you are to play them: |
| Christmas song White Christmas as a learning tool. | | | | C: 04 03 02 31 |
| In sheet music you will find notes placed in a staff | | | | Dm: 24 23 12 01 |
| with five lines. The placement of the notes in the | | | | G7: 04 23 12 21 |
| staff determines which note it is. However, the | | | | Here are the next line: |
| sheet music notation does not tell you how to | | | | (F)Just like the (Dm)ones I (G7)used to (C)know |
| play the note on your instrument, in this case, | | | | The chord F-major can be played as follows: |
| your ukulele. You will have to learn this by | | | | F: 24 03 12 01 |
| yourself. | | | | Where the (C)treetops (C7)glisten and (F)children |
| Tablature notation, on the other hand, tells you | | | | (Fm)listen |
| how to place your fingers to play a melody or | | | | The uke chords C7 and F-minor are played like |
| something else. Ukulele tabs show which frets to | | | | this: |
| press down and which strings to play. As soon as | | | | C7: 04 03 02 11 |
| you understand the system you can use it to | | | | Fm: 14 03 12 31 |
| play melodies and chords on your uke. | | | | The chord Fm is a little bit tricky to play. Use |
| You can find a few different types of tablature | | | | your left hand index for string four, your middle |
| notation on the Internet. In this lesson you will | | | | finger for string two and your pinkie for the first |
| learn a form of ukulele tabs with numbers telling | | | | string. |
| you which fret and string to play. | | | | Here comes the last line of verse one: |
| I suppose that you have tuned your ukulele in C. | | | | To (C)hear (Am)sleigh bells in the (Fm)snow (G7) |
| This means that you first string, that is the | | | | The second verse starts with the same melody |
| bottom string when you play, is tuned to an A, | | | | and the same chords: |
| the second string is an E, the third string a C and | | | | (C)I'm dreaming of a (Dm)white (G7)Christmas |
| the fourth string a G. | | | | (F)With every (Dm)Christmas (G7)card I (C)write |
| In the ukulele tab notation we will use all frets you | | | | Now comes a different melody and new ukulele |
| are to press down on your ukulele is shown by | | | | chords: |
| two numbers. The first number tells you which | | | | May your (C)days be (C7)merry and (F)bright |
| fret to press down, the second number what | | | | (Fm) |
| string to play. Here is an example: | | | | And may (C)all (C#dim)your (Dm)Christma(G7)ses |
| 12 01 | | | | be (C)white |
| The first number pair tells you to press down the | | | | C#dim can be played: |
| first fret on the second string. The second pair | | | | C#dim: 04 13 02 11 |
| means that you shall play the first string without | | | | I suggest that you learn the song by memorizing |
| pressing down a fret. This is called to play an | | | | one line at a time. The best way to learn to play |
| open string. | | | | the ukulele chords is to practice two adjacent |
| It is time to take a closer look at the song we will | | | | chords at a time. Practice changing between the |
| use to learn tab notation. I will write down the | | | | chords smoothly by strumming once on every |
| lyrics, one line at a time, and the ukulele chords | | | | chord, repeating the procedure slowly until you |
| you can use in the key of C-major: | | | | can play the chords without looking. Then, move |
| (C)I'm dreaming of a (Dm)white (G7)Christmas | | | | to the next chords! |