Lesson #14: Focusing On Fretting Hand TechniqueThe next piece you learn provides a nice challenge for your fretting hand involving frequent chord changes and some interesting positions.

In addition, turn your attention to some sixteenth-note arpeggio patterns that work out and strengthen the use of your ring finger in your picking hand.

In this lesson, learn:

• Practice sixteenth-note arpeggio patterns using the ring ringer• To fingerpick Aguado’s Deuxiéme Partie de la Méthode Pour La Guitare,

Ch. VI, no. 10

Sixteenth-Note Arpeggio Patterns Using the Ring FingerMost fingerstyle pieces on the ukulele are played on the bottom three strings. This is nice because you can conveniently assign your thumb, index and middle fingers to the bottom three strings.

In this way, using the ring finger isn’t as crucial for the majority of fingerstyle pieces, however later on in Part IV of Ukulele Fingerpicking Tricks, other fingerpicking techniques can demand more from the ring finger. To strengthen your ring finger and increase its proficiency, incorporate the following arpeggios into your practice that include the use of your ring finger (represented by an a) in a variety of ways and movements:

For this lesson, practice sixteenth note arpeggio patterns that make use of your ring finger. Play these sixteenth-note arpeggios to a count of four and count: 1 ee and uh, 2 ee and uh, 3 ee and uh, 4 ee and uh. In a lot of ways, these patterns are very reminiscent of the rhythmic fingerpicking patterns you learned in Part II of Fingerpicking Tricks–the only difference being how they’re subdivided and counted. Don’t forget to write out your own chord progressions to practice these arpeggio patterns.

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Practice Arpeggio #1

Practice Arpeggio #2

Practice Arpeggio #3

Practice Arpeggio #4

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Play Aguado’s “Deuxiéme Partie de la Méthode Pour La Guitare, Ch. VI, no. 10”As you’ve probably already discovered and found out, to make a piece sound more interesting, both melodically and harmonically, composers often make use of chord positions that aren’t always as straightforward as a regular ol’ C or G chord on the ukulele. In reality, there are several ways to play any one chord on the ukulele. Each way will have a slightly different tone and texture simply because of the way the notes in the chord are arranged and where the chord is played on the fretboard.

Not to be alarmed though, all this means is that, in a lot of fingerstyle pieces, you’ll come across finger positions that might be unfamiliar–positions that might require your fingers to move in ways you might not be previously accustomed. To best tackle these positions, it’s more important than ever to use all four fingers in your fretting hand, especially the little finger.

In this next piece, composed by Dionisio Aguado, Deuxiéme Partie de la Méthode Pour La Guitare, Ch. VI, no. 10, a couple of the most difficult positions come in measures 2, 4 and 15. Be sure to review the suggested fingering indicated by the numbers in the top music staff. Most of these positions repeat throughout parts of the song, so once you get those positions down, it’s just a matter of setting yourself up to make those changes.

As always, take your time with this piece. Ensure that you have a strong grasp of the arpeggio pattern to start. Then, begin to learn the chord and fingering positions for this song. Break up the the song in smaller chunks as you first learn it. It’s a very beautiful piece, so be patient and you’ll be sure to get it!

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Practice ObjectivesAguado’s piece will take up the majority of your practice for this lesson. In addition, work on the following:

1. Practice sixteenth note arpeggio patterns using your ring finger2. Continue to write out your own chord progressions to play using these

arpeggios3. Learn and play Aguado’s Deuxiéme Partie de la Méthode Pour La

Guitare, Ch. VI, no. 10

Move to the next lesson when you’re ready. See you there!

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