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Ukulele Players Are Moving Up!: Tony Crimlisk

The document discusses how ukulele players vary songs by shifting chords up in key mid-song. It explains that many simple songs using just a few chords can get repetitive. To add variety, players can shift the key up a semitone or tone partway through by playing the same chord shapes but at a higher fret position. This allows playing the same progression of chords but in a brighter key. It provides examples of how to finger chord shapes to smoothly transition between the original and higher keys.

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87 views2 pages

Ukulele Players Are Moving Up!: Tony Crimlisk

The document discusses how ukulele players vary songs by shifting chords up in key mid-song. It explains that many simple songs using just a few chords can get repetitive. To add variety, players can shift the key up a semitone or tone partway through by playing the same chord shapes but at a higher fret position. This allows playing the same progression of chords but in a brighter key. It provides examples of how to finger chord shapes to smoothly transition between the original and higher keys.

Uploaded by

Anonymous 8joPftNc
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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UKULELE PLAYERS ARE MOVING UP!

Tony Crimlisk

Not, sadly, ‘in the world’; they’re moving up from one key to another a
SEMITONE higher. Why? Well, many songs, especially those using only two or
three chords, and with lots of verses, can get a bit boring after a while. A
frequent solution is to shift the key up by a semitone (or sometimes a tone)
midway through the song. Take, for example, a simple two-chord song like: ‘It
‘Aint Gonna Rain No More’. This song uses just 2 chords: C and G7 (which are I
and V7 in the key of C) but lots of verses! To add variety, after 3 or 4 verses,
shift the key up a semitone to C#. That means playing the chords of C# (or
Db) and G#7 (or Ab7) – and I know what you’re thinking, but don’t stop reading,
it’s not that hard!

Chorus:
C G7
Oh, it ain't gonna rain no more, no more, it ain't gonna rain no more
C
How in the heck can I wash around my neck if it ain't gonna rain no more?

Verse 1 (of many):


C G7
My father built a chimney he built it up so high
C
He had to take it down each night to let the moon go by. etc., etc..

Instead of playing a C-chord in the open position (0003),


play it using the ‘A-shape’ with a bar at fret 3 (ie. 5433).

For the G-chord use an ‘F-shape’ with a bar at


fret 2 (4232) or, for G7, play 4532 (as in an
‘F7-shape’).

Go back to the C chord (5433). Keep the bar at fret 3 but play the same ‘F-
shape’ as before (5343). Because you’re playing a fret higher, it is now the
chord of G# (or Ab) - chord V in the key of C# (or Db) and acts as a ‘link’ to
that key. This link is stronger if you make it a 7th chord. Move up a fret and
play the ‘A-shape’ again (with a bar at fret 4) for a C# chord (6544). Continue
as before, alternating between 6544 and 5343. Now you’re playing chords I and
V (or V7) in the key of C# (or Db). Keep moving up in the same way until you run
out of fingerboard or verses). By verse 20 you (and probably also the audience)
will be glad you can do this!

If you want to raise the key by a TONE instead of a


semitone, after resuming the C chord, instead of staying
with a bar at fret 3, slide it up to bar fret 4 and finger the
‘F-shape’ there – this is now an A chord (6454 = V in D).
Follow it with a D chord (7655) and now you’re playing V, I
in the key of D. As before you could also make it A7 (6754).

Working with movable chord shapes you are not, of course, restricted to just
chords I and V (or V7). Try also incorporating chord IV. In the key of C chord
IV would be an F chord, and you can find this by playing a ‘C-shape’ with the bar
at fret V (5558). Hint - you put the bar on the same fret you fingered on
string 4.

A sequence of I, IV V, I in C would be:

Then proceed by semitones (or tones) as before.

For more possibilities see my: ‘PLAY EVERY UKULELE CHORD’

(569 words)

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