By Peter Edvinsson
In this lesson you will learn to play Amazing Grace on your ukulele. I will instruct you on how to play the melody and you will also learn to use ukulele tablature.
It is very common to use the uke as a chord instrument to singing. Many ukulele chords are easy to play and the sound from strumming chords on an ukulele are very nice to hear.
It is not as common to play melodies on the uke but it is really quite easy to do. I will use tablature notation that will help you find your way around your ukulele guitar.
Guitar tablature or guitar tab is very common on the internet. It is a notational system with six lines representing the strings on a guitar and numbers on the lines indicating which frets to press down.
On some sites you will find ukulele tablature which works the same way. The only difference is that ukulele tabs have four lines as an ukulele usually has four strings. Here is an example:
1. ---------------------
2. ---------------------
3. ---------------------
4. ---------------------
The top line represents the first string on you ukulele guitar. The first string is the bottom string when you play.
Here is an example of how it looks when you play the first fret on the second string and then the first string without pressing down a fret:
1. -----0---
2. --1------
3. ---------
4. ---------
No it is time to play Amazing Grace. I will show you the lyrics to the melody one line at a time and the corresponding tabs below the lyrics.
Here is the first line with ukulele tab:
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
1. --------0-----0---------------
2. -----1-----1-----3--1---------
3. --0--------------------2--0---
4. ------------------------------
Play the open third string (an open string is a string you play without pressing down a fret), first fret second string, open first string, first fret second string, open first string. Then play third fret second string, first fret second string, second fret third string and finally the open third string.
That saved a wretch like me
1. ---------0-----0-----0--3--
2. ------1-----1-----3--------
3. ---0-----------------------
4. ---------------------------
By now you probably understand the ukulele tabs so I will omit the instruction. Let us continue with the next lines of lyrics and ukulele tablature notation:
I once was lost, but now am found
1. ---0--3--0-----0--------------
2. ------------1-----3--1--------
3. ------------------------2--0--
4. ------------------------------
Was blind, but now I see
1. ---------0-----0--------
2. ------1-----1-----3--1--
3. ---0--------------------
4. ------------------------
Here are some final suggestions as you try to learn the melody:
1. Learn the melody by heart working on one line of the melody at a time.
2. Try to use your left hand index finger to play the notes on the first fret, your middle finger to play the notes on the second fret and your ring finger to play the notes on the third fret.
3. Experiment with the notes...
1. ------------------0--1--3--
2. ---------0--1--3-----------
3. ---0--2--------------------
4. ---------------------------
...and try to create your own melodies or figure out easy popular melodies by yourself.
Peter Edvinsson is a musician, composer and music teacher. He invites you to download your free sheet music and ukulele tabs at http://www.capotastomusic.com