past the repeat sign and play bar three.
If you need to repeat some bars more than once, both systems use a âx3â, âx4â and so on above the repeat symbol.
If you have to repeat only a section (instead of going back to the beginning) you see a repeat sign the other way round at the start of the repeat section (see Figure 7-19).
Figure 7-19: A repeated section: notation (top) and tab (bottom).
To play Figure 7-19, you play bar one, go straight past the right-facing repeat, play bars two and three, and then go back to the first repeat symbol and play bars two and three again before going on to play bar four.
Sometimes a repeated section ends a different way each time itâs played. In this case you see a bracket above the bar or bars with a â1â in it before the repeat symbol (see Figure 7-20). In this situation, play the repeat as you have before but skip over the bracketed-off bars the second time you play and replace them with the set under the â2â bracket after the repeat symbol.
In Figure 7-20, you play bars one, two and three and then go back to the repeat and play bar two (the same as in Figure 7-19) but then skip bar three and go straight to bar four.
Figure 7-20: Repeat with an alternative ending: notation (top) and tab (bottom).
You may occasionally see more complex repeats that are written in Italian (because otherwise mobsters would leave note heads in our beds!). The most common directions are:
Da Capo (or D.C.): Go back to the start
Dal Segno (or D.S.): Go back to the sign (see Figure 7-21).
D.C. al Coda: Short for Da Capo al Coda. Go back to the start and carry on until you see the direction âTo Codaâ and then head to the end (after a double bar line) where you see the sign in Figure 7-22.
D.S. al Fine: Short for Da Segno al Coda. Go back to the segno symbol and carry on until you reach the bar marked Fine, then stop.
Figure 7-21: Segno symbol.
Figure 7-22: Coda symbol.
Putting Everything Together
In this section I provide some examples of tunes that bring together the various elements of tab and standard notation that I describe earlier in this chapter.
You can find loads more on picking the strings in Chapter 8, but in the songs in this chapter I use my thumb to pick all the notes.
Starting with a simple tune
Figure 7-23 shows a very simple example to start with: the old nursery rhyme âLondon Bridge Is Falling Downâ (Track 24). You need to deal with only two different note lengths â half and quarter notes (minims and crotchets) â and all the notes are within the first three frets.
For the fretting hand, fret each note as follows:
First fret = Index (first finger)
Second fret = Middle (second finger)
Third fret = Ring (third finger)
Figure 7-23: âLondon Bridge Is Falling Downâ in standard notation and tab.
Moving up the neck
Now I show you how to play a slightly more difficult piece that involves playing up the neck. You can easily get lost when you play up there and so familiarise yourself with the fret markers first. Most ukuleles have fret markers at the fifth and seventh frets. Traditionally, ukuleles also have a marker at the ninth fret, although some have adopted the guitar system of having this higher mark at the tenth fret.
Figure 7-24 shows the melody line of âIâll Fly Awayâ (the chord part for this tune is in Chapter 4 and itâs Track 25). The lowest fret you play here is the seventh, and so anywhere you see a note at the seventh fret use your index finger to fret it. Use your middle finger for notes at the eighth fret and your little finger to fret the tenth fret.
The little finger is the most neglected (perhaps thatâs why he went wee, wee, wee all the way home) and can feel very awkward when you start trying to use it. But putting in some practice with it is well worthwhile because this little finger can come in very handy.
Shifting positions
So far in this
If you need to repeat some bars more than once, both systems use a âx3â, âx4â and so on above the repeat symbol.
If you have to repeat only a section (instead of going back to the beginning) you see a repeat sign the other way round at the start of the repeat section (see Figure 7-19).
Figure 7-19: A repeated section: notation (top) and tab (bottom).
To play Figure 7-19, you play bar one, go straight past the right-facing repeat, play bars two and three, and then go back to the first repeat symbol and play bars two and three again before going on to play bar four.
Sometimes a repeated section ends a different way each time itâs played. In this case you see a bracket above the bar or bars with a â1â in it before the repeat symbol (see Figure 7-20). In this situation, play the repeat as you have before but skip over the bracketed-off bars the second time you play and replace them with the set under the â2â bracket after the repeat symbol.
In Figure 7-20, you play bars one, two and three and then go back to the repeat and play bar two (the same as in Figure 7-19) but then skip bar three and go straight to bar four.
Figure 7-20: Repeat with an alternative ending: notation (top) and tab (bottom).
You may occasionally see more complex repeats that are written in Italian (because otherwise mobsters would leave note heads in our beds!). The most common directions are:
Da Capo (or D.C.): Go back to the start
Dal Segno (or D.S.): Go back to the sign (see Figure 7-21).
D.C. al Coda: Short for Da Capo al Coda. Go back to the start and carry on until you see the direction âTo Codaâ and then head to the end (after a double bar line) where you see the sign in Figure 7-22.
D.S. al Fine: Short for Da Segno al Coda. Go back to the segno symbol and carry on until you reach the bar marked Fine, then stop.
Figure 7-21: Segno symbol.
Figure 7-22: Coda symbol.
Putting Everything Together
In this section I provide some examples of tunes that bring together the various elements of tab and standard notation that I describe earlier in this chapter.
You can find loads more on picking the strings in Chapter 8, but in the songs in this chapter I use my thumb to pick all the notes.
Starting with a simple tune
Figure 7-23 shows a very simple example to start with: the old nursery rhyme âLondon Bridge Is Falling Downâ (Track 24). You need to deal with only two different note lengths â half and quarter notes (minims and crotchets) â and all the notes are within the first three frets.
For the fretting hand, fret each note as follows:
First fret = Index (first finger)
Second fret = Middle (second finger)
Third fret = Ring (third finger)
Figure 7-23: âLondon Bridge Is Falling Downâ in standard notation and tab.
Moving up the neck
Now I show you how to play a slightly more difficult piece that involves playing up the neck. You can easily get lost when you play up there and so familiarise yourself with the fret markers first. Most ukuleles have fret markers at the fifth and seventh frets. Traditionally, ukuleles also have a marker at the ninth fret, although some have adopted the guitar system of having this higher mark at the tenth fret.
Figure 7-24 shows the melody line of âIâll Fly Awayâ (the chord part for this tune is in Chapter 4 and itâs Track 25). The lowest fret you play here is the seventh, and so anywhere you see a note at the seventh fret use your index finger to fret it. Use your middle finger for notes at the eighth fret and your little finger to fret the tenth fret.
The little finger is the most neglected (perhaps thatâs why he went wee, wee, wee all the way home) and can feel very awkward when you start trying to use it. But putting in some practice with it is well worthwhile because this little finger can come in very handy.
Shifting positions
So far in this
Similar Books
