Open Position E Major and Its Movable Form

 

Open Position E Major and Its Movable Form (7_E.shtml) | Updated: 09-Oct-2008 - 13:36

Chord of the week (E Major) - “C” Tuning click to show or hide section

 

G Tuning (dGBE and DGBE)

  • "G" Tuning

    The "G" tuning with a low "D" is the same as the higher four strings of a standard tuned guitar. Ukulele Chords, "G" Tuning coming at a later date.

    See the related books below for a good source of "G" tuning chords.

Movable Form Chords

Movable chord forms are chords containing no open strings. These chords are transposable to different keys by moving each note of the chord the same number of frets up and down the neck.

Each movable form is based on a common open position chord. These movable forms allow you to play chords not found in the open position.

Movable form chords allow you to play in any key and transpose chords and chord progressions to any key. From these basic movable form chords more advanced chords can be created.

E Major Movable Chord Form - “C” Tuning

 

Open Position Chord

Movable Form Chord

As a movable form chord this fingering is a little tough on all but the smallest soprano size ukuleles. It is worth exploring to create additional chords. (see Additional Chords below)

In the open position and movable forms of this chord there are two possible locations for the roots or 1 of the chord. String three and two both can be the root of the chord and used for transposition purposes.

As both notes are the same I selected string two for the root to use when transposing.


This movable form chord, based on the open position chord and can be transposed up and down the fingerboard using the root of the chord and the transposition chart to the right.

The functional range of a chord up the fingerboard of your ukulele depends on the ukulele's size (soprano, concert or tenor), the number of frets to the body (10, 12, 14, etc) and whether you have a cut-away for access to higher frets. Not all chords can be transposed a complete octave (12 frets).

Movable form chords can be used along with open position chords. As you learn more movable form chords you'll have a variety of alternate voicings for any given chord.

Transposing Movable Form Chords

roots(2_blkandGray).png These Ukulele Chord of the Week lessons use the roots of a chord to transpose to different keys. Note what string the root is on or would be on if not present in the chord's voicing.

Chord Tones

stringNUM_4.png
stringNUM_4.png
stringNUM_4.png
stringNUM_4.png

3

1

1

5

  • 1 - Root or letter name of the chord
  • 3 - the third (major third) of the chord
  • 5 - the fifth (perfect fifth) of the chord

The chord tones come from the scale degrees of a major scale based on the root of the chord. Generically a major chord's chord tones are the 1, 3, 5 scale degrees of a major scale and in the case of the above E major chord the chord tones are: E G# B.

Knowing the notes or chord tones of the chord can lead to deriving other chords from known chords. This is what we have been doing when creating the additional chords each week.

Transposing Chart

This transposition chart can be used for any chord with the root, or letter name of the chord on string 2.

Highslide JS
Root on String 2, E

Use the Roots (1) of chords to transpose to different keys.

A larger sized transposition chart is available in my book Ukulele Chords. This is the book that these lessons are based on.

Related Books

Exploring "Jazz" Chords on Ukulele

Exploring "Jazz" Chords takes the core chords from A Guide to Advanced Chords for Ukulele and shows their use over a variety of common chord progressions based on songs from the standard jazz repertoire.

More info and samples...

A Guide to Advanced Chords for Ukulele

If your goal is to expand your chord vocabulary, The Advanced Guide to Ukelele Chords Series is your answer. Commonly referred to as "jazz" chords. A Guide to Advanced Ukulele Chords Volume I provides detailed information on voicing 4-part chords.

More info and samples...

Related Ukulele Lessons

See the UkuleleLesson on Chord Spelling.

Additional Chords

 

The Chord Tones are shown below each additional chord form. This chord tone is based on the scale degree of the chord's corresponding major scale starting on the root of the chord.

Suspended or 'sus' Chords

A sus chord is not very practical with his voicing.

Add 2 ADD 9 Chords

Technically the add 2 and add 9 are different chords. Both the 2 and the 9 are the same letters but in different octaves. For all practical purposes on the ukulele you can treat both chords as the same.

Depending on whether you are using a low "G" or high "G" C tuning the added ninth might be a second. Whether you call it an add9 or add2 depends on it the added note is in the same pcate as the root of the chord.

Power Five Chord

A power 5 chord is not practical with his voicing.

Add 9

Raise the 1 or root of the chord two frets.

Add 2

Raise the 1 or root of the chord two frets.

[ Back to Chord of the Week Club ]

Practice Progression - “C” Tuning

 

With this voicing being a particularly difficult voicing and fingering stretch to play there are no practice progressions this week using this voicing.

Next week the first minor chord form appears and things can get interesting as far as practice progressions go. A very large percentage of songs use only major and minor chords.

[ Back to Chord of the Week Club ]


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Lessons are intended FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

FREE Reprint Rights - You may publish any of these articles in your e-zine or on your web site or blog -- as long as the following author bio/blurb is included:

Curt Sheller is the author of over 30 books on guitar, ukulele and music. A jazz guitarist and educator with over 40 years playing experience and 20 years teaching. Curt's JazzGuitarResources.com and UkuleleResources.com web sites are considered the top resource for jazz guitarists and ukulele players. Get a FREE subscription to Curt's newsletter.

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All Curt Sheller lessons are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.

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