Rectangle of Fifths

Had a nice little informal ukulele workshop the other evening here in Hobart, Tas. I brought along my handy 'Rectangle' of Fifths to demonstrate some very simple practice advice and some common sense music theory.

We don't need to know a gazillion chords or keys. Four keys will do for many folk songs or old time tunes. And if you know the first, fourth, and fifth chords, in those keys, you'll be on your way to some meaty chord-changing practice sessions. If you get a little competent in the keys of C, D, G, or A, you'll be ready to begin to play with others. And, playing with others is one of the best ways to run up that learning curve.

Click on that link in the paragraph above and the document will open in a new window. Right click on that link and you'll be given some choices to save the PDF document, suitable for printing, if you'd rather.

The first column has details for playing in major keys. When you're ready, the other columns have typical scales, key signatures (how many sharps/flats), and chords used for modal keys.

Have a look and a think. Then, find some friendly and supportive people to play with. Many folks get started by getting together with people at a similar skill level. You can figure things out together. When you're ready to go to the next level, start reaching out to folks who play better than you at some local jam sessions.

And, as always, stay tuned.