UPDATED
Mar 18, 2011
E - Open Position and Movable Forms
The open position chord most players avoid. Un-ravel this finger buster.
PUBLISHED: Dec 28, 2010 UPDATED: Mar 18, 2011 • VIEWS: 12 • LESSON CODE: UL77 •
Instruments: ukulele Subjects: chords • beginner • intermediate • core
E - Open Position and Movable Forms
Open position E and its movable form and variations.
Additional Content Available for Premium Site Access Plans Only
This content requires a Premium / Gold Access Plan and or enrolled in the Study with Curt - On-line or Private Lesson Program.
To view additional content for this page you'll need to either Sign In or Register for Premium Site Access or upgrade your current access level.
Login or SignUp to View Complete Page
Open Position Chord
Movable Form Chord
.png)
Two Roots?
In the open position and movable forms of this chord there are two possible locations for the root or letter of the chord.
String three and string two both contain the root of the chord and can used for transposition purposes.
The two roots for this chord are actually the same exact note.
Movable Chord Forms
Movable chord forms are chords containing no open strings. These chords are transposable to different keys by moving the chord form the same number of frets up and down the neck.
Each movable form is based on a common open position chord. These movable forms allow you to play chords not found in the open position.
Movable form chords allow you to play in any key and transpose chords, progressions and songs to any key. From basic movable form chords more advanced chords can be created.
The functional range of a movable form chord up the fingerboard of your ukulele depends on the ukulele's size (soprano, concert or tenor), the number of frets to the body (10, 12, 14, etc) and whether you have a cut-away for access to higher frets. Not all chords can be transposed a complete octave (12 frets).
Movable form chords can be used along with open position chords. As you learn more movable form chords you'll have a variety of alternate voicings for any given chord.
Movable form chords can be transposed up and down the fingerboard using the root of the chord and a transposition chart.
Transposing Movable Form Chords
.png)
These lessons use the root of a chord to transpose to different keys.
Determine what string the root is on or would be on if not present in the chord's voicing.
Chord Transposition Chart
This transposition chart can be used for any chord where the root, or letter name of the chord is on the E string .
The root is on string 2, the E string.
Use the Root or implied root of the chord to transpose to different keys.
A larger sized transposition chart is available in my book Ukulele Chords . This
is the book these expanded chord lessons are based on.
Chord Tones - E G# B
The chord tones of an E major chord are the 1st, 3rd and 5th scale degrees of the E Major Scale ( E F# G# A B C D# E' ) or E G# B
- 1 - the Root or letter name of E is E
- 3 - the third of E is G#
- 5 - the fifth of E is B
Chord Fingering
Chord fingering is dependent on several factors. The chord your on, the previous chord, the next chord, your hand and fingers. All chord fingerings shown are recommended fingerings and not mandatory. Most chords have alternate fingerings dependent on the context. The same chord might even be fingered one way in one part of a song or progression and an alternate fingering in another part.
Power Five Chord
A power 5 chord is not practical with his voicing.
Derived Chords
add2/add9 Chords
Technically the add 2 and add 9 are different chords. Both the 2 and the 9 are the same letters but in different octaves. For all practical purposes, you can treat both the add2 and add9 chords as the same. Depending on whether you are using a low "G" or high "G", C tuning the added ninth might be a second. Whether you call it an add9 or add2 depends on whether the added note is in the same octave as the root of the chord.
Chord Progressions
12 Bar Blues in Key of "A" Major
.png)
12 Bar Blues in Key of "E" Major
.png)
If you ukulele does not allow access to the higher frets for a particular chord, then substitute another movable form chord lower down the neck or an open position chord.
PRACTICE NOTE: To gain the most from these chord lessons and the practice progressions, memorize the location of each chord and the name of the chord.
I've pulled this trick question on a few of my private students after they have played a chord in a lesson. Typically this happens at the beginning of a lesson before we actually get into the lesson. I'll ask them to play a chord that I just saw them play. I'll say; "Play a D chord." Some will say they don't know chord so and so and yet it's a chord they just played. Don't let a chord get lost in a particular song or progression. Know its name and it belongs to you for using elsewhere.
Related Books
Related Books for E - Open Position and Movable Forms at this time.
Site Access Plans for LearningUkulele.com
Forever Access - With Forever Premium Access, you get Unlimited 24/7 access to ALL lessons, downloads, songs, play-along jam tracks, videos, email access to Curt, resources, related assets, and ALL books by Curt as FREE downloads. Pretty much everything on the site and NEVER worry about a subscription or surprise payment again. And jump the queue for responding to any questions.
If your anything like me (Curt) and getting Subscription overload with everything on-line wanting money from you once a month — I'm with you. For like-minded individuals, this forever plan is a pay once and your done.
The price for Unlimited Forever access is right around the cost of a few months of private lessons. I can guarantee that is more material on-line to keep you busy for a long, long time. And, you get all of my books for FREE. That along is more than the cost of this plan.
Basic Access - A limited selection of basic lessons — ( currently over 140 ) and 100+ songs for ukulele as well as basic general music reference material — Completely FREE — Simply Register/Signup. HOWEVER - I've been doing ukulele and LearningUkulele.com since 2003 and probably have given too much away already - as reflected in my income from the site in relationship to the time spent on the site. So help support this site and its continued development by signing up for one of the below Premium Access Plans or buy a few of my books. - Thanks, Curt
NOTE: Each higher access level includes ALL the benefits of the lower levels. Private Lessons include all the benefits of a Premium Access Plans as long as you remain a student on the schedule.
Just browsing over both books, they look fantastic! I'm a guitarist and uke player for over 25 years and was thinking about writing a ukulele book but you've already written what I think are the best, most comprehensive and thorough books I've ever seen for the instrument. I just might end up buying every book you've written and I'll be giving my highest recommendation for your books to my friends and students. Thank you so much for taking the time to write such great books! — Peter Rhee
Aloha, Curt, All I can say is WOW! What you have accomplished is simply incredible! All the best — Glen Hirabayashi, The Aloha Boys
Folks, if you haven't stopped by Curt's site, do so right now! ..And get his books, they are fantastic. This guy knows his stuff and is able to pass it along too. — Alan Johnson Proprietor, The 4th Peg
I can highly recommend Curt's Uke books — I have four of them and they are excellent. — fatveg — Portland
Thanks for visiting and checking out the site!
Original Curtie Animation from 1987 for my first web site on a Macintosh II.
33 years ago.
“Built for myself (Curt), and sharing with the `Ukulele community!”
LearningUkulele.com has one of the largest collections of lessons, songs, and TABS, luthiers, ukulele builders, ukulele festival and club information, and, ukulele links on the web. I’ve been on the ®Internet since the early 1990's and This site just never stops growing!!!
Content is added and updated almost daily - so check back often.