Read Ukulele For Dummies Online
Authors: Alistair Wood
Ukulele For Dummies (49 page)
Create a double stop where two strings are fretted at the same time and incorporate this sound into a solo.
A simple way to do this is to fret the E-string with your middle finger and the A-string with your ring finger to play a simple phrase such as that in Figure 11-14 (Track 59, Part 2).
But you get much more flexibility if you fret both strings with your index finger (as you would when playing a B
chord). This approach allows you to incorporate bends (which I discuss in Chapter 10) and to play phrases such as the one in Figure 11-15 (Track 59, Part 3).
Figure 11-14:
Phrase using double stops at the same fret.
Figure 11-15:
Phrase using bends and double stops.
Figure 11-16 (Track 60) combines both types of double stops together with slides and single notes to create a Chuck Berry-style solo line.
Figure 11-16:
Chuck Berry-style lick.
Shifting position with slides
The C minor pentatonic scale box (which I introduce to you in Chapter 10) is called
first position
, because it starts at the bottom of the neck. The next scale shape up is known as the
second position
and is shown in Figure 11-17. You may recognise the shape because it's exactly the same as the first position major pentatonic shape that I describe in Chapter 10.
Figure 11-17:
Second position C minor pentatonic scale box.
Try thinking of these two separate shapes as ones that you can move between; and the smoothest way to move between them is via a slide. The lick in Figure 11-18 starts with the first position scale and then slides up to the second position. After playing in the second position, you then slide back down to the first position until the end. Listen to Track 61 for an example.
Figure 11-18:
Lick with sliding shifts.
Making Your Uke Talk: Soloing Tips
Improvising a solo can be a daunting task. Heading into a solo without knowing what you're going to play can feel like jumping out of an aeroplane at 30,000 feet. This section gives you a few ideas to use as parachutes during a scary solo.
Phrasing like speaking
A great tip for soloing is to make it sound as much like singing as possible. After all, people naturally respond to the sound of the human voice. One aspect to this is keeping phrases fairly short; around the length of a sentence or a line in a song. Try holding your breath as you start a phrase; and when you run out of puff, stop!