| |
Learn To Play Tom Dooley
On Your Ukulele
Ukulele Tab: Learn To Play Tom Dooley On Your Ukulele
Maybe you play mostly chords on you ukulele? Do you know that you can play
melodies with the help of ukulele tab? Let's play Tom Dooley!
Here you have the lyrics to the first verse:
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy you're bound to die
You don't have to know sheet music notation to play. Instead we will use a form
of tablature.
Tablature is a special form of musical notation that will show you how to place
your fingers in order to play a melody on your ukulele. This notation is also
called ukulele tab.
On your ukulele you have four strings. The one with the highest pitch is called
the first string and is usually tuned to an A.
When you play on your ukulele you will have the first strings nearest your feet.
Before you start to play Tom Dooley let's take a look at the ukulele tab
notation. What does the following tab mean?
01
In this type of ukulele tab this means that you play the first open string. An
open string is a string you play without pressing down a left hand finger. One
more example:
32
The numbers indicate that you shall press down the third fret on the second
string.
Now it's time to play the first part of Tom Dooley. Here is the lyrics and
corresponding ukulele tab:
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
03 03 03 23 12 01 01
Remember, the first digit tells you which fret to press down and the second
which string. Here comes the next ukulele tab:
Hang down your head and cry
03 03 03 23 12 32
This type of ukulele tab doesn't tell you the length of the notes but you will
probably find that out by yourself as you already know the melody.
Let's move on!
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
03 03 03 23 12 32 32
You can use your right hand thumb to play the notes. What about your left hand?
Of course you can play all notes with your left hand index finger. However in
the long run you will probably find it easier to play melodies with more of your
left hand fingers.
I suggest that you use your left hand index finger to press down the notes on
the first fret, your middle finger for the second fret and your ring finger for
the notes on the third fret.
Let's continue with the last ukulele tab:
Poor boy you're bound to die
32 32 01 12 23 12
This ukulele tab will also work on a guitar as the first three strings are tuned
in the same way on a guitar.
Try to memorize the melody by practicing the ukulele tab one line at a time!
Well, now you can play Tom Dooley on your ukulele so now it's time to play for
your friends!
If you have a friend who owns another ukulele and can play chords you can play
the melody together with the following two chords:
F major: 24 03 12 01
C7: 04 03 02 11
Start with F until you come to the word cry. When you sing cry change to the
chord C7 and play it until you come to the word die where you change back to F
again.
It is always nicer to play with friends, isn't it!
Source: Free Articles
About the Author
Peter Edvinsson is a musician, composer and music teacher. Visit his site
Capotasto Music and download your free sheet music and ukulele tab at http://www.capotastomusic.com
|
