Every Finger, Every String

As musicians, we have heard in our musical development that we should be able to play in all keys. For instruments with set fingerings and very, if any, alternate fingerings for the same set of notes, this is a good goal. For string instruments, especially fretted string instruments such as the ukulele and guitar, where there ARE alternate locations for just about every note — this is a daunting task. Granted the very top, I mean top ukulele players and guitarists can possibly do this. It is most likely a direct result of exploring the Every Finger, Every String concept — just as the students of Dennis Sandole and the teachers he directly influenced had to do. Myself included as I studied with Chuck Anderson for many, many years and was required to do this.

The guitar students of Dennis Sandole had to play whatever melodic device was part of their lessons, starting on Every Finger, Every String. His non-guitar students had to play in ALL Keys .

Where to Start?

Lessons and books, right here on LearningUkulele.com that show the solutions for scales and arpeggios using Every Finger, Every String.

The Six Secrets of Ukulele Fingering

BOOK: The Six Secrets Fingering of Guitar and Ukulele

Everything that you need to accomplish the task of Every Finger, Every String on ukulele IS in The Six Secrets Fingering of Guitar and Ukulele books.

Basically, we are training our fingers to follow our ear to get the music out. Just as a singer does. The melodies are in there or on the page, and it needs to come out, in the case of a singer, via their voice. For us ukulele players, it is out fingers that are responsible for getting it out. That is a where are the work is.

So, Lets Get to Work!

Learn the six fingering principles to navigating the ukulele fingerboard. Fingering is one of the most universal topics. Whether your style is Rock, Blues, Country, Jazz or Classical, these principles will improve your technique, your solos, even your sight-reading. Think of fingering as a series of pathways. When you learn to connect these pathways, there are benefits not only to technique but also to creativity. All fingering on the ukulele can be reduced to 6 principles of motion. Each principle has physical and musical characteristics that you can use to improve your playing.

Examples of the Fingering Principles in Use:

• Navigating the C Major Scale — C Tuning
• Navigating the C Major Scale — Low G, C Tuning

QuickStart Scale & Arpeggios Fingering Series Books

The entire QuickStart series and the format of based on the fingering principles from The Six Secret Fingering of Guitar and Ukulele books.

There are 21 books to date in the QuickStart series. The majority of books are, naturally for Ukulele as this is a ukulele site. There several books got guitar and one for 4 string bass.

Start with these books to explore the benefits of Every Finger, Every String. There is one solution for starting on each finger on every string. And, a lot more information on in the books including transposition to ALL keys.

• QuickStart Scale Fingerings for Ukulele, Volume I, C Tuning • Six essential scales for Guitar. Blues, Pentatonic, Dorian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Ionian scales
• QuickStart Scale Fingerings for Lead Guitar - Volume I • Six essential scales for Guitar. Blues, Pentatonic, Dorian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Ionian scales
• QuickStart Scale Fingerings for Bass Guitar - Blues Scale - Blues Scale

Lessons & Lesson Series

Finger Gymnastics/Drills for developing and exploring the Fingering Principles covered in the The Six Secret Fingering of Guitar and Ukulele

• Slide Gymnastics for Ukulele • Beyond the basic four fret fingering position, it's on to the remaining fingering principles for navigating the fingerboard. The first in the series is the Slide.
• Pass Gymnastics for Ukulele • Beyond the basic four fret fingering position, it's on to the remaining fingering principles for navigating the fingerboard. The first in the series is the Pass.

Navigating the Major Scale

• Navigating the C Major Scale — C Tuning
• Navigating the C Major Scale — Low G, C Tuning

Dennis Sandole

Here is some more information on Dennis Sandole. I studied with Chuck Anderson who studies with Dennis for 8 years. Check was directly involved in bringing Dennis's books, Guitar Lore to publication and the subsequent, non-published Scale Lore books. There is a long line of musician directly effected by Dennis's teachings and expertise.

(from Wikipedia) Dennis Sandole was John Coltrane's mentor from 1946 until the early 1950s, introducing him to music theory beyond chords and scales and exposing him to the music of other cultures. Sandole taught advanced harmonic techniques that were applicable to any instrument, using exotic scales and creating his own. He taught privately until the end of his life. His students included saxophonists James Moody, Benny Golson, Michael Brecker, Rob Brown, and Bobby Zankel; Trumpeter Art Farmer; pianists Matthew Shipp and Sumi Tonooka; guitarists Jim Hall, Joe Diorio, Pat Martino, Joe Federico, Tony DeCaprio, Jon Herington, Bob DeVos, Larry Hoffman and Harry Leahey and other musicians such as Rufus Harley and Frank Gerrard.