When learning new chords, it sometimes feels that your fingers just can’t seem to make the shapes! There are a few exercises that can help build “muscle memory” in your fingers for making chords.

Press and Release

• Put your fingers into the chord shape you are trying to master, for example:

  • if you are learning the G major chord you would place your index finger on the 3rd string at the second fret, your middle finger on the 1st string at the second fret, and your ring finger on the 2nd string at the third fret.

• Now press your fingers into the fretboard holding that chord shape for a count of 5.

• Relax your fingers and lift them slightly away from the strings and count to 5 again in this “rest” position. 

• Then place your fingers back on the fretboard in the chord shape and repeat the Press and Release 8 times.

• Rest and gently shake out your hands.

• You can do this several times over the course of a day or each time you sit down to practice.

  Note: When you press into the fretboard do so firmly but not so hard you cause your fingers to cramp! The pressure is about the same as the pressure you use to hold a clear chord when strumming. 

Headstock Touch/Fly Away

• Place your fingers on the fretboard in the chord shape you want to learn.

• Press your fingers into the fretboard firmly and strum the chord 3 times.

• Move your hand to the top of the ukulele headstock.

• Return to the fretboard and place your fingers in the chord shape again and strum 3 times.

• Repeat 5 times, each time returning to the chord shape a little faster.

Try these exercises each time you learn a new chord to help reinforce muscle memory in your fingers. You’ll find that the more often you do these exercises, the easier it becomes to form chords and to change chords faster.