Employing the mystic art of jazz alchemy, they enhance simple chord progressions and make them more interesting, subtler, and prettier. This is a classic that many uke players start with. Here is a list of possible substitution chords for this progression. If you want to play a C6, you can strum any of the four inversions at the appropriate fret since all the correct notes are included in the shape. Major to minor changes are also very common – especially for the 4 chord in a key. So if the song count is 1…2…3…4…, you’d strum on the beat, plodding along. Let’s render this in a key. You can see this happen in bars 13-15 of part A and bars 10 & 11 of part B. But to send you on your way, I’ll break down a tune so you can see what’s happening and how you can change jazz songs up to suit your abilities. You can find all 'jazz' ukulele songs on UkuTabs right here on this page, ordered by popularity.UkuTabs is your true source to find chords and tabs for all of your favorite songs. Again, the goal is to maintain as little movement around the fretboard as possible since this is pleasing to the ears and to the fingers. Once you get into playing jazz songs, your main challenge is learning whatever new shapes you need to strum the tune. To make All of Me way more interesting, you’d do well to substitute every chord you can possibly think of. The ukulele is a great instrument to play jazz songs on. At its most simple, I, vi, IV, V translates to C, Am, F, G7. It’s almost more of a rhythmic thing than a note thing. It works well for intros and outros in swing-style songs. Jazz is really straightforward to break in to, but difficult to master. If you’re not much of a DIYer and feel overwhelmed by what I presented above, his stuff might be worth a look. Again, you can use any 9th shape at any point. There are four main 6th shapes. There are always a million ways to approach the rhythm of a piece, but jazz chord accompaniment can be the most simple of any style. If you’re more old school or want the melody lead sheet to go along with the chords, you can order a copy of The Real Book. This just adds an additional harmony note to the core minor sound. You can play it just like that and it will be nice. Oftentimes people refer to a chord progression on ukulele specifically as a chord order that repeats. I’d like to think that my writing in Ukulele Chord Shapes will help anybody accomplish this. The nice part about using Roman numerals is that you can visually show which chords are minor and which chords are major. The more you practice, the more natural both of these considerations will become. (There are also downloads available for other genres.) Or if you want more of a challenge, two beats for Dm7 and G9 and four beats for C6. Just like the major 6th chord is a direct substitution for major chords, the minor 7th is a direct substitution for minor chords. Here’s how that turns out: Deciding which chord inversions or shapes to use is probably the hardest part of jazz ukulele playing. It’s easier if I include the chord diagrams as we work through some of the progressions so keep reading to get to the shapes. You can find charts for the 6th, minor7th, and 9th chords discussed here via the link. A lot of jazz uke players just use the pad of their thumb for downstrums on the beat. The good news is that much of the content you need to study has already been made for you. By the time you get to the right side you will have a snazzy intro or outro. Beyond these changes, there’s not that much that’s super weird. I’m going to help you get started by hand feeding you shapes that exist in the same area on the fretboard. After that we’re only going to move one note in the chord – the C note on the G-string goes down to a B. Don’t move your index and middle fingers! Now it’s better, but to take it the rest of the way we can add our substitutions: C6 Adim7 F6 G9. There are only a couple other things to mention. SONG: All That Jazz ARTIST: John Kander and Fred Ebb From the musical, Chicago A Come on, Babe, why don't we paint the town? (The V is almost always a 7th so we’ll use G7 instead of G.). C is always easy to visualize so I’ll use that for examples, but you should transpose this to as many keys as you can for more practice. But if I make one small tweak and swap the minor out for a diminished 7th, things get way more interesting: C Adim7 F G7. Whatever you call it, it presents a more comprehensive view of the fretboard than most books and teaches a simple method of shifting shapes around the fretboard. A progression is a specific sequence of chords. I’ve taught workshops internationally, made Herb Ohta Jr. laugh until he cried, and once jammed with HAPA onstage in my boardshorts. For a jazz uke player, it contains 99.9% of the chord shapes you’ll need. The harmonies and sounds they evoke have an inherently pleasing sound. Any of these shapes can be used interchangeably. Jazz Chords. Just slide your ring and pinky down. This was a big revelation for me since I, like many others, was convinced that there was always a formula for everything in music. You can use these shapes. You can make a chord jazzier either by adding a new note to the chord or altering a note that was already there. It’s kind of like the anti-chord book or the neo-traditional ukulele chord book. The second is just the opposite: This is just a simple C6 Ebdim7 F6 G9 progression, but with scrubs leading into every chord. Check out “Lyin’ In Wait” from his album Man With a Love Song. Let’s find all the 2 5 1 progressions we can. Ukulele players all over the world have direct access to UkuTabs its large and completely free song archive which is constantly being updated with new songs. Since the thumb downstrum gets the job done most of the time, that’s all there really is to it. To start, let’s use this shape for Dm7. This is hardly jazz. However, if you’re really interested in getting to know jazz better, you owe it to yourself to understand the fretboard and what you’re actually doing with each chord. Not such a task on ukulele with on one four string set of strings to build your 4-part chords vs. the theoretically possible 15 sets available for guitar. The chart I made contains the most plain version of these chords possible. This jazz shape has a very smooth sound and is a super hip upgrade for a 7th with the added 9 tone to diversify the harmony. They allow you to retain the core harmony, but also expand upon it for a more diverse sound. From the common ukulele jazz chord shapes to common chord progressions to a songs you can use to learn the style. I’ll tell you where to put these shapes in this lesson, but if you want to know how to move them into any key, you should buy the book. To substitute 9th chords for each 7th you’d just play: F9, Bb9, C9. To make it more interesting, you can maintain the steady downstroke, but incorporate a slight hesitation hiccup to the strum. If you were to substitute them with a minor 7th, you’d get: Cm7, Fm7, Gm7. read this article about the circle of fifths, lessons and workbooks for jazz songs on the uke, charts for the 6th, minor7th, and 9th chords, Dm G7 C (bars 15 & 16 of part A, bars 1 & 2 of part B). There are several of these tomes to choose from. The major 6th family of ukulele jazz chords is a direct substitution for ANY major chord, regardless of key. While by itself the foundation for countless simple do-wop songs, if dressed up a bit, this I, vi, IV, V7 progression works wonders on ukulele for creating jazz chord content. We’ll use the same Dm7, G9, C6 chords, just with new voicings in a new location on the neck. The 6th Chord. But in jazz, you tend to play several progressions stitched together as part of the overall picture. We’ll focus on the chords. Pick any chord from the left column, and work your way across, picking one chord from each column. UkuTabs.com 2012-2020, Part of the UkuWorld network, Some Rights Reserved. Even though I’ve already showed you a handful of common substitutions, there are many more you can try. This is a fake book with the the basic melody in standard notation and the chords above it – lead sheet style. Let’s try another set of chord shapes before moving onto another progression. I’m an ukulele artist from Honokaʻa, Hawaiʻi, where I run this site from an off-grid cabin in the jungle. So if I was playing a 1 4 5 in the key of G, I’d play: G, C, D. But if I wanted to substitute 6th chords for these plain majors, I’d play: G6, C6, D6. Learn over a dozen complex chords that can be played on the ukulele in this free video clip series. Scrubbing up is more “out.”. The C to E7 change can seem a little random, but if you go read this article about the circle of fifths, you’ll see that this is a simple form of back-cycling. Glen Rose produces lessons and workbooks for jazz songs on the uke. Progressions are often shown in Roman numerals, but can also be rendered in Arabic numerals: 2 5 1. As explained previously, most of these arrangements require the facility to play advanced and extended chords in various positions on the fret board. This a general idea on how jazz chords and progressions are made. But you came here looking for jazz after all, so let’s substitute those chords! A scrub can use as many or as few strings as are used in the chord – there’s no need to find an alternate closed chord for it to work. More about me, The chord voicings in the progressions section can all be found in. There are only a couple repeats in that list! The first example just goes from a normal G and then drops down one fret, returning to the G on the next strum. You’re probably more used to seeing this in tin pan alley songs. Try this one first (it’s easier to play): As far as rhythm goes, for practice you can just play each chord for one bar (four beats). This creates G9, shown below: The final chord is C6, but our G9 puts us kind of between two different shapes. Here is a chart of C substitution chords. You could play any of the following jazz chord progressions with standard chord shapes and they would sound profoundly plain. Seventh Chord So ii-V-I shows that the 2 chord is a minor and the 5 and 1 chords are major. Try playing it and you’ll hear what I mean. If a numeral is uppercase, it’s a major chord, if it’s lowercase, it’s a minor chord. Here’s the C scale with a number line. There is even a smart backup band that will play you through the song so you can practice keeping up with a tempo. Doesn’t matter which shape you use except each puts you in a different location on the fretboard. It includes the melody and the chords. If it doesn’t include a chord you need (actually need – some charts are just written wrong making for confusing chord names), I would love to hear about it. You basically need two things to practice jazz: songs to work on and an ukulele chord reference to play them. For a minor blues in C you’d have Cm, Fm, Gm. If you were playing a basic 12-bar blues in F, you’d have: F7, Bb7, C7. The best source for jazz songs I’ve found is the iReal Pro app available for Apple and Android ($14-20). In this lesson I’m going to talk about the basics of playing chords that sound jazzy on your uke. It really goes to show how important it is to practice and internalize 2 5 1 progressions since you can string them together to form the majority of most jazz songs. If you want to scrub the 3rd fret of an open C, go for it! Many people have told me it’s the last chord book they’ll ever buy because it covers everything they need. James Hill does this a lot for his jazz tunes. By itself, iReal Pro is only minimally useful, but what makes it a jazz gold mine are the free downloadable song packs that are provided by the community. Just like the others, the dominant 9th – or just “9th” – is a substitution for any dominant 7th chord in any key on the ukulele. SWING, JAZZ AND LYRICAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE UKULELE FROM THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK. C6: Then Adim7. UkuTabs is part of the UkuWorld network which also offers ukulele tips & guides, ukulele scales, chord charts, an ukulele tuner and much more! Try not to get confused! In addition to being neighbors, it’s also nice if you can get the fingerings to lead into each other with the least amount of movement possible. Here are some common progressions that you can play and use inside songs. Let’s go! It’s a good policy to always “finish” your scrub by ending on the proper chord. You’ll notice that these don’t necessarily follow the minor, major, major pattern we learned above, but can still give up lots of insight to the song structure. Most of the magic of ukulele jazz comes from fancier voicings that highlight more interesting decoration notes in the chord. A substitution chord is simply a shape that you play in place of another – usually more boring – chord. The presentation is a little over-complicated from what I’ve seen, but it seems to help a lot of folks. This, paired with 12 keys to transpose to should keep you busy for quite a while. Just as guitars do, ukuleles are able to play complex chords. You can find all 'jazz' ukulele songs on UkuTabs right here on this page, ordered by popularity. So the feel would be more like “a” 1… “a” 2… “a” 3… “a” 4… This can be accompanied by a slight upbrush with the side of the thumb. UkuTabs is your true source to find chords and tabs for all of your favorite songs. It’s a song chart app that lays out tunes just by chord changes – similar to what I wrote out above. This where a solid foundation of a core set of chords really help in learning the massive amount of chords that are required for play contemporary music or jazz on ukulele or guitar. Major = 6th, minor = minor 7th, 7th = 9th. The major 6th family of ukulele jazz chords is a direct substitution for ANY major chord, regardless of key. To find the progression you just pick out the chords that correspond with the numbers in the progression. There are lots of options for substituting chords, but I’m going to show you three families of shapes that I think are the best starting point and cover 95% of the songs you might want to play on your ukulele. Ukulele players all over the world have direct access to UkuTabs its large and completely free song archive which is constantly being updated with new songs. The heart of much of jazz music is the ii-V-I. It’s surprising, but capturing a jazz sounding strum is super easy compared to the difficult chord shapes you’ll be expected to play. Your selection will be fine-tuned by where on the fretboard you want the chord to land. Finally, you’ll recognize this change to G9: The bigger part of this progression’s magic I learned from Kimo Hussey. You can download the full sheet here: All of Me ukulele tab. I find that a scrub below, in general, has a more normal sound. You’ll recognize some of these already, but if you need more of a challenge, try some weirder options. (plus a few ring-ins!) The same notes shift down another fret for F6, but it’s easiest to play as a barre instead of trying to wedge your ring and pinky fingers into the same fret as the index and middle. If you were playing a G major and you wanted to do some scrubbing, here is what you could try. Maybe because the ukulele is always associated with good vibes, it makes this instrument particularly adaptable to play any genre of music on, but the richness of Jazz Ukulele chords and the large amount of repertoire to choose from is ideal for simply personal enjoyment or performances on stage. Our jazz chords are Dm7, G9, C6. When you “scrub” you move the notes of an ukulele chord up or down one fret for a moment, creating dissonance before moving back to the chord’s proper location. There are few ukulele chords that sound better than some standard jazz shapes played in a simple progression. The longer you stay on the “off” part of the scrub, the more tension you build. Now that we have some chord options that won’t sound too bland, we can begin putting them into progressions. There are four families of jazz chords: 1. There are four main 6th shapes. You could use whatever shape came to mind to get Dm7, G9, and C6, but the odds are it wouldn’t end up being in the same place on the fretboard. These songs are automatically loaded into your library and contain the chords to most standards and at least a handful of songs by each well-known jazz cat. You could use either the one here or the C6 in the following exercise, depending on the sound you want. So if I was playing a 1 4 5 in the key of G, I’d play: G, C, D. But if I wanted to substitute 6th chords for these plain majors, I’d play: G6, C6, D6. Timing is everything with scrubs. To make it easier to visualize, I’ll make a rough chord chart for the song where each bracket of | to | is a bar. Oddly enough, the minor 7th uses the same exact shapes as major 6th chords, but their roots are in different places so a C6 is in a different location than a Cm7. I end up using this for songs like “Sophisticated Hula” or “Little Rock Getaway“. E - And All That Jazz A I'm gonna rouge my knees and roll my stoc He said that the most important thing is that it sounds good – it doesn’t matter what exact chord progression you use. Part 1 of 15 - How to Play jazz chords on the ukulele. BY FRED SOKOLOW |FROM THE SPRING 2014 ISSUE OF UKULELE Y ou may have noticed that jazz players seldom play the chords exactly as they’re written in songbooks or fake books. James Hill talks about it a little in this video – and certainly gives a good demonstration of how effective this can be. Jazz chords are simply the standard chords you’re familiar with, but with small changes. Start it from the 5th fret so that your finger barres: 5555. Currently the jazz download consists of 1,350 songs.