Building a Solid Jazz Chord Foundation for `Ukulele

These more sophisticated, contemporary chord voicings find their way into a wide variety of music.

Published: 02 Jan 2005 Updated: 12 Oct 2015Visits: 3Code: UL42-7j

Category: ChordsInstrument: Ukulele Subjects: Chords • Intermediate • Advanced • Jazz • Core

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Building a Solid Jazz Chord Foundation for `Ukulele


Commonly called "Jazz Chords", these more sophisticated, contemporary chord voicings find their way into a wide variety of music forms and styles. This lesson is the first on the series that builds your core foundation for these chords.

This is an expanded and improved version of my Building A Solid Jazz Chord Foundation for Ukulele workshop that I've presented several times at various ukulele festivals over the past several years.

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This is an expanded and improved version of my Building A Solid Jazz Chord Foundation for Ukulele workshop that I've presented several times at various ukulele festivals over the past several years.

The original article, for jazz guitar was published in Just Jazz Guitar magazine. I revised and improved it since the original publication.

Numeric Chord Formula

The secret / not so secret code to unraveling where the notes of a chord come from.

From knowing the Numeric Chord Formula of any chord you can get to the notes of that chord from its corresponding major scale. And, inversely from the names of the notes of a chord you can get to its numeric formula. For some chords it will be the intervals that come before the names of the chord tones, for other chords it might be the intervals first. The order does not matter, only the outcome.

A Guide to Advanced Chord Series - Chord Building Chart

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End of Lesson - Thanks, Hope You Enjoyed It!

Related Lessons, Videos, Lesson Series, Songs, Books & Reference Charts, Resources & Assets, Workshops are below.

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Related Lessons for Building a Solid Jazz Chord Foundation for `Ukulele.

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Chord Shapes and Learning `Ukulele Chords

Pick up any chord dictionary, and one thought that should go through your mind is - TOO MANY CHORDS There is now way to memorize all those shapes. It would be better off learning how they came up with all those shapes. Most chord dictionaries are also just like pages transposed to all possible keys.

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Understanding a `Ukulele Chord Diagram

There're a lot different ways to show chord shapes, diagrams and images on a fretted instrument. This is the basic chord diagram I use in all my lessons and book. In this lesson the basic chord diagram as used for ukulele is explained.

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Altered Seventh Chords on `Ukulele

Beyond basic open position chords, basic movable form chords, and a core set of 4-part chords. There are just too many chords shapes too memorize. Learning the principles of how chords are constructed and the ukulele fingerboard are the way to go. You can then create more advanced chords like 9#11, 7#5-9, 13b5, 7+9 on the fly as needed from your core set of chords.

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Chord Spelling - An Alternate Approach

An alternate approach to determining the chord tones of any chord. Bottom-line is, it's the notes that make the chord, not the shape. A C chord is C, E, G - NOT this or that shape.

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Cool `Ukulele Chords - G7

A non-traditional fingering for the G7 chord using the knowledge that the notes of a G7 chord are G B D F.

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Creating Cool `Ukulele Chords

Cool Chords - These are the chords do not typically show up in chord dictionaries or song books. These are the chords players ask, "What is that chord?"

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Movable `Ukulele Chords

A series of weekly ukulele lessons originally presented throughout 2007 on movable ukulele chords as the "Ukulele Chord of The Week Series". Based on the Ukulele Chords book by Curt Sheller (me). It takes the open position chords and shows the movable form and the variations.

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Learning the `Ukulele Fingerboard (Finally!!!)

Most players struggle with learning the names of the notes of the ukulele fingerboard. There doesn't seem to a pattern and notes repeat. There is an easy way and "it's easier that you think." Most players know the names of the open strings for their favorite tuning.

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Dominant Seventh Chords?

Not all seventh chords are actually "dominant" seventh chords. This lesson covers when is a Dominant Seventh Chord NOT truly a Dominant seventh?

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Upper Partial Chord Tones

Upper Partials or extensions for chords are the 9th, 11th, and 13ths of a chord. The 9, 11 and 13 can be altered chord tones depending on the type: e.g: b9, #9, #11, b13. These numbers, the 9, 11 and 13 refer to the scale tone/chord tone relative to the major scale used for building all chords.

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Core Chords - The Big Six - Building a Solid Chord Foundation

The Big Six Core Chords is a series of lessons for building your core, essential 4-part chords. These chords commonly called jazz chords, are really just 4-part chords used in a wide range of musical styles. These chords include: Seventh , Major Seventh, Minor Seventh, Half Diminished Seventh or Minor Seven Flat Five, Diminished Seventh, and Augmented Seventh. These six chords form a core set of chords.

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Types of `Ukulele Chords

Naturally, for Ukuleles, all chords need to be voiced using only the four strings available. You would think that this is limiting, when in actuality it's quite liberating when you learn the makeup of chords. Chords can be categorized into four categories: “Open Position Chords”, “Movable Form Chords”, “4-part - a.k.a. Jazz Chords”, and “Free Form Chords.”

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Classic Endings for `Ukulele

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Creating Introductions and Turnarounds for `Ukulele

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Alternate Fingerings for F7

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Learning Core Seventh Chords on `Ukulele

Beyond basic open position chords, basic movable form chords and a core set of 4-part chords. There are just too many chords shapes too memorize. Learning the principles of how chords are constructed and the ukulele fingerboard are the way to go. Then you can create more advanced chords like 9#11, 7#5-9, 13b5, 7+9 on the fly as needed.

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Exploring Jazz ``Ukulele

Wikipedia defines "Jazz" as a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions. The style's West African pedigree is evident in its use of blue notes, improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation, and the swung note.

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Transposing Individual `Ukulele Chords

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Related Songs

Related Songs for Building a Solid Jazz Chord Foundation for `Ukulele.

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Joy Spring

Updated: 01 Oct 2011

Clifford Brown (October 30, 1930 – June 26, 1956), aka "Brownie," was an influential and highly rated American jazz trumpeter.

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Yesterday

Updated: 28 Jan 2020

Yesterday is a song originally recorded by The Beatles for their 1965 album Help!. The song first hit the United Kingdom top 10 three months after the release of Help!. The song remains popular today with more than 1,600 cover versions, one of the most covered songs in the history of recorded music. The song was not released as a single in the UK at the time of its release in the United States, and thus never gained number 1 single status in that country. However, “Yesterday” was voted the best song of the 20th century in a 1999 BBC Radio 2 poll of music experts and listeners.

Related Books & Charts

Related Books for Building a Solid Jazz Chord Foundation for `Ukulele.

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A Guide to Advanced Ukulele Chords - Volume I

Updated: 13 Feb 2020

Beyond learning basic Ukulele chords, most players struggle with advanced chords. Commonly called "jazz" chords, these more sophisticated voicings find a wide use in all forms of music. A Guide to Advanced Chords for Ukulele - presents a highly organized and efficient approach to the mysterious subject of advanced chords. Chord dictionaries are not the answer.

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Exploring Jazz Chords on Ukulele

Updated: 10 Jan 2020

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Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard - C Tuning

Updated: 18 Jan 2023

Finally, learn the names of the notes of the fingerboard. Learning the notes of your instrument allows you the flexibility of not having to remember so many shapes. There are simply way too many chords, scale and notes patterns, and shapes to remember. It all comes down the notes.

A Selection of Books & Reference Charts that are recommended for creating a solid foundation with your chosen instrument and music in general.

Books

Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard – C Tuning

Finally, learn the names of the notes of the fingerboard.

Six Secrets of Ukulele Fingering

Learn the six fingering principles to navigating the ukulele fingerboard. Fingering is one of the most universal topics.

Harmonic Analysis for Scale Selection and Chord Substitution

Harmonic Analysis is the understanding of the functional sequence of chords. It is the process used to analyze the harmonic structure of a progression, song or composition.

Ukulele – Reading Music Series – Primer

Learn to read single note melodies in the first/open position is a lot easier than you might think.

Daily Practice Material for the Contemporary Ukulele

An organized collection of daily practice and reference material for the contemporary ukulele player for developing the vocabulary and knowledge necessary for single note playing.

Checkout the Books for ALL available books.

Reference Charts

Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for C Tuning, Low or High G - G C E A

Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for C Tuning, Low or High G – G C E A

Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for G Tuning, Low or High A – D G B E

Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for G Tuning, Low or High A – D G B E

Key Signatures — Circle of Fourths and Fifths – ANSI A & A4 sizes

A handy reference chart of all 15 major and relative minor key signatures. US Letter 8.5 x 11 sized (ANSI-A) , A4

Checkout the Books for additional Handy, Dandy Reference Charts.

Related Lesson Files, Resources and Assets

Related Assets for Building a Solid Jazz Chord Foundation for `Ukulele.

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Transposing Individual Ukulele Chords

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A Guide to Advanced Chords Series - Chord Building Chart

Updated: 31 Dec 2016

A handle dandy reference chart for building fifteen (15) basic triads and 4-part chords.

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