Ukulele · Chapter 11 of 24

Picking a Tune

Strumming plays chords; picking plays tunes. Here are the notes near the nut and two tunes to play with them.

To pick a single note, pluck one string with the pad of your thumb (pushing down through the string) or your index finger (pulling up). Rest the other fingers lightly on the body if it helps you aim.

The notes near the nut

In the first three frets you can play every note of the C major scale and more. Press each dot to hear its name:

StringOpen1st fret2nd fret3rd fret
1 (A)AA♯ / B♭BC
2 (E)EFF♯ / G♭G
3 (C)CC♯ / D♭DD♯ / E♭
4 (G)GG♯ / A♭AA♯ / B♭

A handy rule for the first frets: use finger 1 for the 1st fret, finger 2 for the 2nd and finger 3 for the 3rd. One finger per fret keeps the hand still.

Two Gs. Because of the high G, the open 4th string and the 3rd fret of the E string are the same G. Tunes often use the open string because it’s easier; it also lets that note ring while you move to the next one.

A scale to warm up

Your first tune

Mary Had a Little Lamb uses just C, D, E and G. Play it with the player: press the play button and pick along, or slow the tempo down until you can keep up.

Practice. Play the C major scale up and down three times, slowly and evenly. Then learn Mary Had a Little Lamb one line at a time. When you know it, try Lightly Row, which climbs to the 5th fret of the A string: use your little finger there.

Remember

  • Pick with the thumb (down) or index finger (up).
  • In the first frets, one finger per fret: 1, 2, 3.
  • The open G string and the E string’s 3rd fret are the same note.

Songs that use this

@teddyrookbook GitHub