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Learning Ukulele with Curt

4-part Contemporary Chords, a.k.a. Jazz Chords

Core Chords is a series of lessons for building your 4-part chords. These chords commonly called jazz chords, are really just 4-part chords used in a wide range of musical styles. 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.

Author(s): Curt Sheller Publisher: Curt Sheller Publications Code: UL114d

Main Category: Chords Main Instrument: Ukulele

Categories: Chords, Fingerboard, Jazz, Repertoire, Progressions, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Core, Movable

Louis-Martin/Curt-2020-FFUF

2026-08-23

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Series Home
Types of Chords Learning Chords Open Position Chords Fingering Chords Basic Movable Form Chords Triads Jazz Chords Free Form Chords

4-part Contemporary Chords, a.k.a. Jazz Chords

Core Chords is a series of lessons for building your 4-part chords. These chords commonly called jazz chords, are really just 4-part chords used in a wide range of musical styles.

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, 13♭5, 7+9 on the fly as needed.

From four core seventh chords you can build ALL your contemporary 4-part chords you will even need.

From these four movable form 4-part chords, more advanced chords can be created.

ACGCH-UKEC-4part-7th.png
UL42-7j
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.

UL42-7
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.

UL700c
Core Ukulele Chords - Sevenths

These chords are movable chord forms based on core 4-part seventh chords and triads with duplicated and/or omitted notes.

art by Curt Sheller

End of Lesson - Thanks, Hope You Enjoyed It!

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RMA1CH
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UL125
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UL42-TRI
Triads - Traditional and Contemporary Triads

A triad is a three note chord. In traditional chord theory there are four traditional triad chord types: major, minor, diminished and augmented. And four contemporary triad chord types: sus2, sus4, add2 and add9.

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