Al's Music Course for Baritone Ukulele:

Scale 19inch: Divided by capo for smaller ukulele versions.

There appears to be no concentration for study on this fine little versatile instrument, so I feel obligated
to spell out my system of simplicity! The student is required to look up (research) things that appear to
be vague, like cord structure. Total basic open string cord formations can be easily learned; however,
my system concentrates on moving triads (a very neutral chord family), for simplicity.
A Dyad is equal to 2 strings separated by 2 or more half tones. Triad (or double Dyad) equals 3 strings
separated by 2 or more half tones each, for parallel harmony. Example: CEG triad is a major C Chord
(with C to D having a 3 semi tone space; with E added to mate with G as an inverted minor, with an
overall range of 8 chromatic tones. Whereas CEG# is an Augmented chord/triad with an overall range
of 9 chromatic tones. Beware of notes spaced less then 2 semi tones apart because they are called
discords! Now CD#A# is a very minor Diminished chord with a range of 7 tones. You may notice that
I do not use Flats because it is an unnecessary deviation with the Baritone uk ulele. A sharp shift is one
fret, a flat shift is a double sharp or 2 frets. When you proceed with the course you will see how this
philosophy fits.

Setup: First step: Tune your baritone ukulele for triad application. This four-stringed instrument can be
tuned to a piano or guitar, with strings from low to high, tuned C-G-B-E. [1930 jazz tenor guitar; an
alternate tuning for a baritone Ukulele] Other tunings can be used, but this tuning I believe is the best
for beginners to move them into triads instead of chords. Triads, pentatonic scales and progressions are
the basics for Blues, Jazz, Popular, and International Folk music including rock and roll! And this is
the simpler target to apply musical science, rather than solo performance (that is usually acquired
through tablature when you have the confidence and finger coordination).

1. Practice strumming techniques with a ukulele pick, which looks like a thin guitar pick. [Saves
wear and tear on fingers and thumbs while preparing one for steel string guitars] When
strumming your ukulele, always keep your hand moving---jerky hand motions will make songs
sound choppy and sloppy. Even if you don't know any chords, practice strumming the open
strings. [Note: Slack tuning (CGBE) makes a pleasant sounding C chord, or E chord, (both
simultaneously) at the nut]
2. Now is the time to develop your own chords. Don't get swallowed up by academia's finger
chart. In fact a chord is primarily a harmony of notes to begin with. In my system a chord
structure is rigid because of fixed frequency ratios. C D F G A all have a natural major sound.
An E B dyad, on the other hand has a minor sound (as you can prove with a piano dedicated to
hit white keys only).
3. Place your middle finger on the top (highest-pitched, or E) string at the third fret. Press down
firmly but gently and strum to play a G chord. Experiment to learn more variants to this basic
chord that sound pleasing to you. You have to be mentally strong enough to play chords that
please you, and not be a ‘judge’ seeking repetition perfection. Once you have the basic 7 chords
and your chosen variants located and mentally recorded [using charts for suggestions only] you
are ready to go. Play these prime cords indexed to pitch and mood. Oops you hit the “wrong
chord,” no big deal because the next time you will nail it better. It is not a major calamity
because harmony is soothing, and if using a compounded chord, dominance within a group will
make it sound “right!”
4. Play your baritone ukulele with other musicians. Find musicians who consistently get together
to play and whose skill level matches yours or is a little more advanced. Foster an encouraging,
educational and positive atmosphere in the group.
5. Find some good music that is fun to sing to and download it for you to play along with. Playing
with a recording will improve your rhythm, timing and technique. This is a great way to prepare
for your group sessions - that is far less discriminating then yourself.

Moving Chord formations:

D, D7, C, G, E, A, and Basic Triad grand bar version of the C chord is very useful. Learn them!
Obviously moving the D chord formation (for example) up/dn the neck changes its identity; however,
the string tone ratios stay intact for matching pitch. [Matching pitch for improvisational playing is the
most important aspect i.e. with the use of neutral triad tones]

So the first lessons includes looking up chord charts, [if using a Guitar reference for popularity, just
'erase' the two extra low strings] and get used to setting up basic chords in the first position. [This
means more than one exercise] Start locating the sounds by their notation at the various neck positions,
while realizing average pitch is what will be the true sound selector.

Neck Markers are Harmony Guides [With Dominance a secret weapon]

Play a piece in the first position. Put a Capo on the 3d fret and play the same tune again using the Capo
as the nut, with exactly the same fingering. Yes, you are now playing in another key; however
everything sounds correct because all the frequency ratios are still the same. You see, you are simply
playing parallel harmony! This would be true on the fifth, and seventh fret. Have someone play a piece
in the key of C and you slip the Capo on for the key of D# while using his same fingering as the key of
C - and it all works. This is the prime secret of music, and what makes it difficult to make boo boos. In
fact, in comedy scripting to get a “bad player sequence,” it truly takes a talented musician to
accomplish it sounding WRONG i.e. when everyone else is following the very basic rules of harmony.
In fact; dominance is an important characteristic for an improvisational artist. The listening audience
accepts rosin squeaks, in time thumps and bumps, audience cough or sneezing i.e. if amplitude is
subdued relative to the sound of music power level, thus the music itself has dominance. This is also
true if one is not concerned with the academic energy that is established for perfection, and simply
desires that his addition to the pot of music sounds pleasant. Now with that out of the way, my personal
triad structure really concentrates on dyads, single or double (a triad) and triple (4 string harmony).
Since the dominance of the major strings tends to mask any discord, the soft discordant note only adds
an artist signature and can be classified as jazzy. Ergo, the open string E chord can have a G# or a G,
and the cumulative dominance of the other stings would make it fit as an E chord, or a C chord. Now
with 'Jazz' tuning the 4th string is an open C, that dominance will automatically strengthen the C triad
sound without affecting the E chord that much. Now going down the neck the open string nut can be
use for a C or E chord; with finger modification available for minors, 7th , 6s , 9th , or accenting the
chords bass note, when musician is skilled sufficiently. Until then, one should simply concentrate on
chord application with runs between chords, until they become autonomic. Now going down the neck
with (grand bar fingering) after the first index “double chord” we have the first fret which is F and C#.
The second fret is F# and D, with the third fret G and D#. Forth fret is G# and E (again). Fifth fret is A
and F. Now that you have the idea, you can keep going until you are sated. As it is we have the full
chromatic chord scale condensed into 5 frets. Stick with your basic instrument and slack tuning of
CGBE until one gets competent using the simpler chord structure.

Beware of “Fuzzy Notes!” Singers having Mr. Off-key, or Ms. Warbler “talent,” or a kazoo band can
throw an accompanist off that plays be ear; a real problem. The only safety is over-powerment by
knowledge i.e. Practice cord progressions by written music. Modern music is boring because it is
mainly right handed. Two of my compounded cord positions that are slack tuned will handle most
pieces, and right hand strumming with a fast time base synchronized to the active musician, is as
simple as it gets [i.e. One evolutionary step above a tambourine!] So musical drama for the tone poet is
very limited. Although my system lacks the precision of academia, it frees those that seek harmony to
music being played from unnecessary restrictions. Obviously, following the basics of academia will
give one the power to solo, or play a lead, expanding ones musical experience.

With slack tuning of CGBE we can have simple tableture: Examples: 0 (C chord with measure
automatically = 4 strokes typical). 3a (G chord arpeggio i.e. with each string plucked with the beat). #2
(D chord measure). #5 (A chord measure).

Play a Simple Melody (using bass line technology)

Note: Numbers = fret barr locations for broadband slack tuned chords.

0 3 0
Won't you play a simple melody? Like my mother sang to me.

1 0
One with good old fashioned harmony, play a simple melody.
1 3
Musical demon set your honey a dreaming, won't you play me some rag.

1 0
Just change that classical nag to some sweet beautiful drag.

Now you can text your own pieces to get yourself into practice sessions. Take your favorite
music book and note the numeric codes, and go for slack key playing.
7Th, 9th , 6th , additions and minors, will be coming up at the next level. But before then, we should take
up writing our sequences as we play grand bar 'shotgun triads' to what we are listening to. This way we
have the means to replay them, and set up conversion to conventional music. Above song 0 becomes a
C chord (the E dyad is peeled away) and 1 becomes an F chord (C# triad is peeled away), with 3
following suite as a G7 chord. [The 7th added because G is the 2nd dominant chord in the key of C.]